By Victor Kanayo
Years after retiring from active basketball play, superstar player Micheal Jordan has continued to make history.
This is after the pair of sneakers worn by him in the 1998 NBA finals became the most expensive used sports shoes ever sold.
Specically, the pair was worn by Jordan in the second half of the Bulls’ 93-88 win over Utah Jazz that year in the NBA finals.
According to auction house Sotheby’s, the sneakers were sold for $2.2 million (around €2 million) in New York, becoming the most expensive worn sports footwear in history.
As reported by AFP, the sneakers broke a previous record when a pair of Air Jordans were sold for $1.5 million in 2021.
A statement by Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles said, “Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations.”
The auction organisers said Jordan gave the autographed pair of sneakers to a ball-boy after the game.
Sotheby said that the seller was not the original recipient of the shoes, but did not give details about the buyer.
Despite setting a world record, the auction price for the sneakers fell well below the predicted price of $4 million.
Jordan, who is now 60, spent most of his basketball career playing with the Chicago Bulls.
He won all of his six championship titles with the team.
