Yahoo Finance Ultimate Collection Of Six Pairs Of Game-Worn Air Jordans From Championship-Clinching Games Up For Auction
Sotheby's auction house is selling what many people consider to be the Holy Grail of game-used shoes: the six pairs of Air Jordans that Michael Jordan was wearing in each of his championship-clinching games. Sports memorabilia and shoe collectors around the world are salivating over this auction featuring what is known as The Dynasty Collection. The name is fitting, considering that it includes all the shoes Jordan wore in his most important games.
Don't Miss:
Funders on this alternative asset platform are earning more than 14% annualized consignment profit funding Pro consignment opportunities.
Discover why high-profile names like Leonard Dicaprio are turning to diamond assets and how you can get involved with just $100.
A Titan Of The Game And A Marketing Powerhouse
The National Basketball Association (NBA) was no stranger to big-time scorers when the Chicago Bulls drafted Jordan after a wildly successful career at the University of North Carolina, where he famously hit the game-winning shot in a national championship game. Even with that in mind, it was obvious that Jordan was different from his predecessors. He scored prolifically as he defied the laws of gravity.
Jordan played above the rim so frequently that when he signed a deal with Nike Inc. to wear basketball shoes with their revolutionary Air cushioning sole, the word "air" became part of his persona. Nike began a multimillion-dollar campaign to market the new shoes as Air Jordans and it was a match made in heaven. The partnership between Nike and Jordan lives on after 40 years and billions of dollars in revenue.
Although Jordan would become one of the NBA's most famous pitchmen, no one could say he didn't have the game to back it up. The great Larry Bird once mused had played against "God disguised as Michael Jordan" after his Celtics were nearly overwhelmed by Jordan's scoring 63 points in one game. Jordan had a scorer mentality with an iron will to win, and it drove him to build his dynasty in Chicago.
Unprecedented Success In The NBA Finals
After baptism by fire in the playoffs that included tilts against Bird's Boston Celtics and several failed attempts to get past a notoriously tough Detroit Pistons club, Jordan's Bulls made the first of their NBA finals series in 1991 and found themselves pitted against Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers. Despite many observers favoring the more experienced Lakers, Jordan took over the series and Chicago won its first title.
It would go on to win two more consecutive titles, for a total of three championships in three finals series before Jordan shocked the world by retiring from basketball to take a shot at professional baseball. Thankfully for basketball fans, just as Jordan was beginning to show potential in the minor leagues, the Major League Baseball (MLB) player's union went on strike, and he returned to basketball in the middle of the 1994 season.
As his Bulls fell short against the upstart Orlando Magic before reaching the finals, it was obvious Jordan hadn't been in basketball shape at the time. The next season, Jordan and his Bulls acquired Dennis Rodman — a previously hated rival with Detroit — who was the final ingredient in establishing the second Bulls dynasty. The Bulls advanced to and won the next three consecutive NBA finals series, making Jordan undefeated in finals play.
The Dynasty Collection
The Dynasty Collection includes the following Air Jordans:
Air Jordan VI-1991
Air Jordan VII-1992
Air Jordan VIII-1993
Air Jordan XI-1996
Air Jordan XII-1997
Air Jordan XIV-1998
It may be the most valuable collection of Air Jordan shoes to hit the market, and considering these are the shoes worn in his finals-clinching games, there may never be a more valuable collection of Air Jordans sold. If you're an interested buyer, you better have deep pockets. Auction experts predict the hammer price for the Dynasty Collection will be somewhere between $7 million and $10 million.
Read Next:
Investors own just 1% of the diamond market. Unlock your potential in the diamond market and seize the opportunity to own a piece.
"ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now!
Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?
This article Ultimate Collection Of Six Pairs Of Game-Worn Air Jordans From Championship-Clinching Games Up For Auction originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
