Michael Jordan rookie Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers sell for almost $200,000 at auction
A pair of basketball legend Michael Jordan's famous Air Jordan sneakers from his rookie season have sold at auction for $US152,500 ($197,250), as the star item in Sotheby's first international dedicated sneaker sale.Get more news about
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Seen as a niche interest 10 years ago, sneakers are now one of the fastest-growing markets at auctions, attracting attention from the general public as well as leading collectors.
The "Gamers Only" auction, conducted entirely online, featured 13 pairs of match-worn basketball shoes from some of the NBA's greatest athletes, including Jordan's Chicago Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O'Neal.
Nike Air Jordan 1s "not only changed basketball footwear forever but are also considered foundational to the development of sneaker culture", Sotheby's said.
The pair sold — in the Chicago Bulls' red, white and black colours — were worn by Jordan during his stellar 1984-85 debut season.
Jordan, now 58, went on to become a six-time NBA champion and is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
"The Air Jordan 1s are one of the grails," Josh Pullan, managing director of Sotheby's global luxury division, said.The second-most expensive pair in the sale was Stephen Curry's Under Armour shoes, both signed, from 2015-16 when the Golden State Warriors point guard was named the most valuable player (MVP), for the second straight season.
The other shoes that went for five figures were a pair of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Adidas Superstars worn during his 1979-1980 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, which ended with the NBA title and Jabbar's sixth MVP win.
That sum, achieved by auctioneers Christie's, was for the very pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s worn by Jordan when he famously shattered the backboard in a 1985 match.
Wednesday's sale also included sneakers worn by NBA greats Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, Allen Iverson, Moses Malone and Isiah Thomas.
Michael Jordan rookie Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers sell for almost $200,000 at auction
