Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over Michael Jordan Item Authenticity
WWE star and 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 section 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 ground before making the payment, the original deadline for which was September 25. He was informed that he would lose his rights to the object if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid for the collectible item was $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein, attorney for Paul de Akerman LLP, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions, which was granted on Thursday morning. The hearing date on the temporary injunction was set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The auction description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of “original court used at the United Center from 1994-98.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan,” “5X MVP,” “6X Finals MVP,” “10X Scoring Title,” and “HOF 2009.” 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 crucial in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses obvious inconsistencies.”
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit argues that the court’s condition “does not match the 1995-1998 court, as a result of the court being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” 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 “such documentation… that matches the court from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” does not exist 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 match 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 certain of its authenticity.”
Heritage Spokesperson
