A pair of 1984 Nike Air Ships worn by Michael Jordan during his fifth NBA game in his rookie season recently broke a record after selling for $1.5 million at auction.
The autographed sneakers were a gift from Jordan to Tommie Tim III Lewis, who was a ball boy for the Denver Nuggets during the 1984-85 season. They are Jordan's earliest known regular season game-worn Nike and were bought by collector Nick Fiorella.
Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby's streetwear and modern collectibles department, commented on the sneakers, stating, "To present such a groundbreaking and important pair of sneakers at this special auction in Las Vegas further solidifies the strength and broad reach of the sneaker collecting community."
The previous record for a sneaker sale at auction was a pair of Nike Air Jordans that sold for $615,000 in August 2020 at Christie’s. A pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s worn by rapper Kanye West sold for $1.8m in April, but they were sold in a private sale.
Source: The Guardian
