WWE star and recognized social media influencer, Logan Paul, has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action focuses on concerns about the authenticity of a fragment of the United Center floor, signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul acquired at an auction. According to court documents, Paul alleges that he was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the floor before making the payment to Heritage Auctions, which was originally due on September 25. Records indicate that Heritage warned Paul that he would lose his rights to the piece if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid for this item reached $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP, Paul’s attorney, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and a hearing for the temporary injunction has been scheduled for October 9.
Heritage Auctions promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description detailed that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Used Court from the 1994-98 United Center.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title” and “HOF 2009”. Heritage’s description also indicated that the floor was “honored by three World Championships and the footsteps of the most celebrated athlete in the history of American sports” and that it was “used from the United Center’s debut season of 1994 through the 1998 NBA Championship season” until the 2005-06 season, when the floor was “removed and replaced according to NBA protocol”. The Heritage description also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has had an exclusive partnership for a long time, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. A Heritage spokesperson stated that they do not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that the auction house made concessions for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”It is evident that authenticity is paramount in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses any inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit argues that the floor’s condition “does not match the 1995-1998 floor, as a result of the floor being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification indicates that the Bulls logo appears different than in photos from the 2001-05 seasons. Bernstein requested documentation from Heritage after Paul won the lot. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is no “such documentation… that matches the court from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo-matching company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo-matching attempts were only to the Bulls logo, not to the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its provided photo matches.” The complaint acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photo matching certificate “claims to have linked the item to” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be reached for comment.We stand behind every item we sell. This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were completely certain of its authenticity.
Heritage Spokesperson
