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23 of Michael Jordan's greatest moments (3:29)
Michael Jordan produced some breathtaking memories throughout his illustrious NBA career, so we've picked out 23 of his highlight moments. (3:29)
3:13 PM ET
Dan HajduckyESPN
- Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men's soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon aren't the only ones paying homage to MJ.
Less than a week after the movie release of "Air," which chronicles Nike's signing of Michael Jordan, Sotheby's announced that a pair of signed Jordan sneakers that were worn in the second half of Game 2 of the 1998 "Last Dance" NBA Finals have sold for $2,238,000 -- the highest price ever paid at auction for a pair of sneakers.
In that game, Jordan had 37 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists -- with no turnovers -- in the Chicago Bulls' crucial 93-88 win over the Utah Jazz. Nine days later, Jordan won his sixth and final NBA championship and was named Finals MVP.
The previous record for a pair of sneakers -- and the first to sell for more than $1 million at auction -- belonged to a pair of Nike Air Ships that are the earliest known pair to be worn by Jordan in a regular-season game. Those sold at auction for $1.472 million at Sotheby's in 2021.
The sneakers sold at auction on Tuesday -- Air Jordan XIII "Breds" (shorthand for black and red, the same color scheme that got Jordan repeatedly fined early in his career) -- happen to be the final pair of Breds that he wore in a game.
Sotheby's said Jordan gifted these sneakers to a Jazz ball boy who'd found Jordan's previously lost jacket. They are the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in an NBA Finals game that have been photo-matched and authenticated by the MeiGray Group, the official authenticator of the NBA.
It's not the first piece of "Last Dance" memorabilia to make waves. In September, a jersey worn by Jordan in Game 1 was sold at auction by Sotheby's for $10.091 million -- the most expensive sports memorabilia item of all time. The only sports collectible item that has ever fetched more is the 9.5-graded 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million in August 2022.
"Today's record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations," Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectables, said in a statement. "Sotheby's is extremely proud to hold the world record for most valuable game-worn sports memorabilia at auction and the most valuable sneakers ever sold, both of which -- to no surprise -- are directly tied to the global icon, Michael Jordan."
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