An extraordinary collection of sneakers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during the Chicago Bulls’ triumphant run to six NBA championships recently went up for auction, according to Sotheby’s. Setting a new benchmark for game-worn sneakers, it sold for a staggering $8 million.
Dubbed the “Dynasty Series,” the collection includes six pairs of Air Jordans, each worn during the culminating games of the Championship Series in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. The auction, held on Friday, marks a historic moment in sports memorabilia and highlights Michael Jordan’s enduring legacy.
“Sotheby’s calls it a ‘dynasty collection,'” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s director of modern collections at Sotheby’s. He added: “This landmark achievement is both a reminder of Michael Jordan’s lasting impact on the world and a tangible reflection of his recognized legend status, whose importance is further confirmed by this landmark achievement.”
The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed, while the seller is described only as “an American private collector” who acquired the coveted sneakers from a longtime Bulls executive. Jordan’s tradition of gifting sneakers to executives after each championship added a personal touch to these iconic shoes.
Also included in the auction is a photo of Jordan proudly wearing one of the shoes while celebrating championship victories in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998. This visual record adds a layer of historical context, making these sneakers not just footwear but artifacts of sports history.
Jordan’s impact on basketball extends beyond championships, with the NBA renaming the MVP trophy after him in 2022.
Off the court, he revolutionized the sneaker industry and made significant contributions to sneaker culture by collaborating with Nike in the mid-1980s to create the iconic Air Jordan shoe.
The sale follows a trend of rising prices for Michael Jordan memorabilia. Last April, the pair of sneakers he wore in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold for an astonishing $2.2 million through Sotheby’s, setting a record for sneaker sales. Additionally, the highest auction price for Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million, which was achieved for his jersey from Game 1 of the 2022 series.
The passion for Michael Jordan memorabilia extends beyond sneakers, as evidenced by the sky-high price paid for an unused ticket from his 1984 Bulls debut, which sold for $100 at a Heritage auction in 2022. It sold for $468,000, more than 55,000 times its face value. As the market continues to show significant interest in Jordan’s legacy, these artifacts serve not only as sports collectibles, but as tangible pieces of cultural history.