Logan Paul Questions Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item Acquired at Auction
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court on Thursday. The dispute centers on concerns about the authenticity of a piece of the United Center floor signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul acquired at an auction. According to court records, Paul alleges that he was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, which was originally due on 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 was $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP, Paul’s attorney, requested 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 was 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 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 advertisement stated that the floor was “consecrated 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 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 they do not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that the auction house made arrangements for Paul to “conduct any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” Paul’s lawsuit alleges 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 refurbished.” 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 auction. 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 comparison company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo comparison attempts were only to the Bulls logo itself, not to the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its provided photo comparisons.” The lawsuit acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photo comparison certificate “claims to have matched the item” with the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.It is evident that authenticity is fundamental in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses the obvious gaps and inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
