While debate about the greatest NBA player of all-time continues, there’s little to argue when it comes to determining the GOAT athlete of the sneaker industry, and Michael Jordan is just padding his seemingly insurmountable resume at this point.
A pair of Nike Air Ships worn by Jordan during his 1984-85 rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, just sold for a record $1.47 million through premium auction house Sotheby’s. It’s possibly Jordan’s earliest known pair of regular season sneakers, as he wore the model prior to the unveiling of the Air Jordan 1 later in the season. The Air Ship, which just re-released for the first time last year, was the actual “banned” model Jordan was fined for wearing in a non-compliant black and red colorway.
These Air Ships were originally owned by Tommie Tim III Lewis, a former Denver Nuggets ballboy who obtained them following a game during the 84-85 season. The shoes are accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from Lewis and a Letter of Opinion in regards to Game Use from MEARS Authentication, LLC. They were additionally presented with Lewis’ 84-85 Nuggets season Staff Pass and a letter from Resolution Photomatching, which noted a possible match to Jordan’s third NBA game and others before Nov. 1, 1984.
Vintage game-worn Jordan sneakers have surged on the market since the airing of ESPN’s The Last Dance documentary last year. A pair of game-worn rookie Air Jordan 1s sold for a then-record $560,000 last May. His "Shattered Backboard" Air Jordan 1s fetched $615,000 last August. Sotheby’s is carefully calling the $1.47 million Air Ships the most valuable sneakers ever offered at auction. That’s because they aren’t even the most valuable pair of sneakers Sotheby’s has been involved in selling this year. In April, the company facilitated a private sale of Kanye West’s 2008 Grammy-worn Nike Air Yeezys for a reported $1.8 million.
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