Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over Michael Jordan Item Authenticity
WWE star and recognized social media influencer, Logan Paul, has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The controversy arises from 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 floor before making the payment to Heritage. 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 amounted to $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein, of Akerman LLP and counsel for Paul, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning. The hearing date for the temporary injunction has been set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The advertisement described an 8-by-8-foot section of the “original floor used in the 1994-98 United Center games.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title” and “HOF 2009”. Heritage’s announcement noted that the floor was “honored by three World Championships and the footsteps of the most celebrated athlete in American sports history” 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 “retired and replaced according to NBA protocol.” Heritage’s announcement 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 the company does not believe Paul’s claim is justified, adding that the auction house made concessions so that Paul “could conduct any in-person inspection and make 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 inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the floor “does not match the 1995-1998 floor, as a result of the floor having been replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and renovated.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification says 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… that matches the floor with the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo-matching company Sports Investors Authentication was unsuccessful because photo-matching attempts were only with the Bulls logo itself, not the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its provided photographic 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 fully confident of its authenticity.
Heritage Spokesperson
