Logan Paul Disputes Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item
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 questions 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 soil before Heritage requested payment. The original deadline for payment was September 25, and Paul was informed that he would lose his rights to the object 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, legal representative of Paul de Akerman LLP, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and a date has been set for the hearing on the temporary injunction on October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Game-Used Court from United Center 1994-98.” 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 stated that the floor had been “sanctified by three World Championships and the footprints of the most celebrated athlete in the history of American sports” and that it was “used from the United Center’s debut season in 1994 through the 1998 NBA Championship season” until the 2005-06 season, when the floor was “retired and replaced according to NBA protocol”. The Heritage list also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has maintained 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 soil conditions “do not match the soil from 1995-1998, as a result of the soil being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and renovated.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification indicates that the Bulls logo appears different from 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 documentation matching 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 with the Bulls logo, not with 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 matched the item” to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.We stand behind every item we sell. This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were completely sure of its authenticity.
Heritage Spokesperson
