Do you want to walk in the same shoes as the GOAT?
An “extraordinarily rare pair of Michael Jordan game-worn Air Jordan 1s” worn by Michael Jordan on the court just over 40 years ago are going up for auction next month with a starting bid of $25,000, according to Grey Flannel Auctions in Scottsdale, Ariz. Since they are described as “museum quality” their new owner probably shouldn’t actually try them on, though.
Jordan wore this pair during a Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons game on Oct. 26, 1985, the same year Nike released the iconic Air Jordan 1 sneakers. Although that game was just the second of the season, it “ignited one of the NBA’s fiercest rivalries,” and tensions “exploded into chaos at Chicago Stadium,” said Grey Flannel Auctions.
“The game featured a defining moment when Bill Laimbeer’s hard clothesline foul on Jordan – a play that would warrant ejection under today’s rules – cleared both benches and resulted in the ejection of both head coaches Stan Albeck and Chuck Daly,” the auction house added.
Through this chaos, Jordan – clad in the red, black and white Air Jordans – managed to dominate the game with 33 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. A “clutch left-handed free throw in the final seconds,” scored the Bulls a 121-118 victory over the Pistons.
Now, the sneakers will be available to the highest bidder on Nov. 16. They feature the original Air Jordan design by Peter Moore, including red and white leather uppers, black leather heel wrap with Nike Swoosh, and the iconic Air Jordan logo.
Grey Flannel auctions said this size 13 pair also has “several unique characteristics that make them museum-quality artifacts.” These include: rare “double lacing” with both red and black laces, photos that show Jordan wearing the pair during the game (distinctive loose thread on the left shoe’s Nike Air label), Michael Jordan signatures inside heel of each shoe in black ink and “impeccable provenance” since they were “acquired directly from John Ligmanowski, the Chicago Bulls equipment manager throughout the 1980s and 1990s,” per Grey Flannel.
“Adding to their historical importance, this game was immortalized on the 1986 Michael Jordan Star Co. #9 Rookie Card, cementing its place in basketball collecting lore,” the auction house added. “The sneakers may have been worn in additional games, potentially including Jordan’s Rookie of the Year season, based on their wear patterns.”