Michael Jordan’s Game-Worn Sneakers from His Rookie Season Sell for Record $1.472 Million

Michael Jordan in 1996
Michael Jordan with the Bulls in 1996. Photo by REX/Shutterstock (443757j)

Hall of Famer Michael Jordan continues to be the biggest draw in sports memorabilia. A pair of Nike Air Ships sneakers worn by Jordan was recently put up for an auction by Sotheby’s and ended up being sold for a record-breaking $1.472 million.

These sneakers, bought by collector Nick Fiorella, are now the most expensive game-worn footwear in history. According to the listing, Jordan sported them during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. They are also the earliest-known Jordan-worn sneakers in existence, being dated to his fifth game in the NBA.

Jordan had these sneakers on when he put up 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists performance against the Denver Nuggets in 1984. After the game, he signed the sneakers and gifted them to TJ Lewis, who served as Nuggets ball boy at the time. Lewis kept them in his possession since then but decided to put them for auction on Sunday.

“From the moment news broke of these sneakers, it generated huge [buzz],” said Brahm Watcher of Sotheby’s via ESPN. “This exceptional result for the Jordan Nike Air Ships speaks not only to the strength of the collectibles market but also to the esteem with which Michael Jordan’s items and the Jordan franchise are held.”

Unsurprisingly, the second most expensive game-worn footwear also belonged to Michael Jordan once. The pair of Air Jordan 1s, which Jordan wore when he shuttered a backboard while dunking during a preseason game in 1985, sold for $615,000 back in 2020.