A pair of shoes that NBA legend Michael Jordan wore in the famous "Flu Game" of the 1997 NBA Finals recently fetched $1.38 million at an auction.
According to Goldin memorabilia marketplace, the pair was part of history for Jordan and the Bulls, who won six NBA titles in the 1990s, states an AFP report.
“The Bulls and Utah were tied in the 1997 best-of-seven NBA Finals at two wins each ahead of game five, when Jordan felt ill, feverish and dehydrated due to a stomach virus but played for Chicago anyway. Jordan scored 38 points in 44 minutes and made the decisive 3-pointer in the dying seconds for a 90-88 Bulls triumph, delivering the only Jazz home loss of the playoffs, and Chicago went on to capture the crown in six games, with Jordan taking the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award,” states the AFP report.
A pair of sneakers, worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals, meanwhile, fetched a record $2.2 million at an auction earlier this year, making them the most valuable sneakers ever sold.
According to a Reuters report, the Air Jordan 13 "Breds", short for “black and red”, were worn by Jordan in the second game of the Finals during his final season with the Chicago Bulls, referred to as the "Last Dance".
Jordan scored 37 points in the game and led the Bulls to a 93-88 win over the Utah Jazz. He went on to win his sixth and final NBA Championship and was named the Finals MVP, added the Reuters report.
The shoes were gifted by the legendary player to a Jazz ball boy after the game as thanks for finding a lost jacket. They were the final pair of Breds that Jordan wore in a game, said Sotheby's.
Such high price for a pair of sneakers shows the boom in the market for rare sports shoes. The record price for sneakers has been broken several times recently as what was seen as a niche market a decade ago now attracts interest from the general public as well as leading collectors.
