The sneakers American basketball superstar Michael Jordan wore in the infamous Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals have auctioned for Ksh.193 million ($1.38 million).
The shoes were sold on the Goldin collectibles marketplace on Wednesday, which was the 25th anniversary of Jordan’s iconic game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, US cable sports channel ESPN reported.
The game became known as the “Flu Game” because Jordan suffered from flu-like symptoms. After the game, he said that he was “almost dehydrated” and felt like he “couldn’t breathe.”
However, it was later revealed by Jordan’s trainer and “The Last Dance” documentary that he wasn’t actually ailed by the flu.
Jordan had 38 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in more than 44 minutes that night to lead the Bulls past the Jazz in Utah.
He gave his signed sneakers to Jazz ball boy Preston Truman, who held onto the shoes for 15 years before consigning them to Grey Flannel Auctions in 2013.
It broke the record for game-worn shoes across sports when they sold for Ksh.14.6 million ($104,765).
And now, ten years later, the sneakers have appreciated by more than 1,200%.
However, the all-time record for a pair of sneakers still belongs to the Air Jordan XIII Breds that the NBA star wore in the second half of Game 2 of the 1998 “Last Dance” Finals, which fetched Ksh.294 million ($2.238 million) in April.
The sale cemented Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia, having broken his own record of Ksh.200 million ($1.5 million) for sneakers, set in September 2021.
