Michael Jordan’s game-worn Nike Air Ships expected to fetch millions
Published on Aug 24, 2023 at 12:33 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on Aug 25, 2023 at 1:31 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Michael Jordan’s Nike Air Ships are back on the auction block and expected to fetch millions.
The Nike Airs, which were worn and signed by Jordan in his rookie year, sold for $1.5 million two years ago.
Now they’re back up and expected to sell for even more.
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There’s quite a heartwarming story behind this pair of game-worn sneakers too.
MJ, then just 21, got them after signing his ground-breaking endorsement contract with Nike.
He then wore them during his fifth-ever NBA game.
After the game, Jordan gave them to a ball boy, T.J. Lewis.
The former Denver Nuggets ball boy has since revealed how MJ gifted him the life-changing sneakers.
“I eventually made my way up to him and asked if I could have his shoes after the game,” he said.
“He gave me a look as if he didn’t really want to say no, but told me that he couldn’t because they were too expensive.
“Once the game was over… I saw Michael Jordan sitting at his locker and he was still in his uniform.
“To my surprise he suddenly notices me, looks down and grabs the shoes he wore in the game that night, looks back up at me, and asks if I wanted them.
“Of course I said yes.”
The ball boy sold them in 2021, along with his staff pass for the 1984-1985 season, netting himself $1.47 million.
When the hammer fell, the Nike Air Ships made history for becoming the most expensive sneakers ever sold at auction.
The $1.47 million price shattered the previous record set by a pair of Air Jordan 1s which sold for $560,000.
The record was again broken this year by a pair of Air Jordan 13s worn by Michael Jordan at his last-ever NBA game in 1998.
That pair sold for an eye-watering $2.2 million.
So, all eyes are now on this pair of Nike Air Ships currently up for sale via the Goldin auction house.
The top bid currently stands at $170,000 but the auction runs until September 13, so we can expect that number to shoot up pretty dramatically.
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Kate is Lead Editor, overseeing coverage across automotive, tech, and lifestyle content on the site. She has more than 10 years’ experience as a journalist and news editor, having worked across a range of major publications including News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. Kate holds a Bachelor of Business Management from University of Queensland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from Queensland University of Technology. She has been with Supercar Blondie since 2020 and played a key role in establishing supercarblondie.com as a leading automotive news destination.
