Logan Paul Questions Authenticity of Michael Jordan Object and Files Lawsuit
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court, alleging concerns about the authenticity of a piece of the United Center floor signed by Michael Jordan that Paul won at auction. According to court records, Paul claims he was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, which was originally due on September 25. The documents indicate that Heritage informed Paul that he would lose his rights to the soil 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, 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 advertisement described an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Floor Used in the 1994-98 United Center Game.” It is signed by Jordan and includes the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title”, and “HOF 2009”. Heritage’s description stated that the floor was “consecrated 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 “retired and replaced according to NBA protocol.” The Heritage announcement also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has had an exclusive association for a long time, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. A Heritage spokesperson stated that the auction house does not believe Paul’s claim has any merit, adding that the auction house made concessions to Paul “to accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” “We stand behind every item we sell,” said Heritage, reiterating that the floor was acquired directly from the Bulls. “This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were completely sure of its authenticity.” Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the condition of the floor “does not match the floor from 1995-1998, as a result of the floor being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and renovated.” According to the lawsuit, PSA’s certification says that the Bulls logo appears different than in photos from the 2001-05 seasons as well. 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 floor from 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 made with the Bulls logo, not 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. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.“It goes without saying that authenticity is everything in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses obvious gaps and inconsistencies.”
Josh Bernstein