WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has “dismissed without prejudice” his lawsuit against Heritage Auctions, according to documents from a Texas district court.
Paul had sought a court order and a temporary restraining order due to concerns about the authenticity of a piece of the United Center court signed by Michael Jordan, which he had won at auction.
The decision comes after the expiration of the initially granted and extended temporary restraining order.
Initially, Paul won the signed court piece at auction for $562,555.42, payment for which was due on September 25th. Paul wanted to investigate the authenticity of the court before paying and, according to court records and Paul’s lawyer, was not allowed to do so.
The court was announced by Heritage as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece”, an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Used Game Court from United Center 1994-1998”. Jordan signed the court and listed his five NBA MVP awards, six NBA Finals MVP awards, 10 scoring titles, and the year he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2009).
The court order alleged that the condition of the court did not “match the 1995-1998 court, as a result of the court being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” The court order also notes that the certification, made by the grader and authenticator PSA, says that the Chicago Bulls logo appears different than in photographs from the 2001-05 seasons.
Multiple attempts to contact Paul’s representation were unanswered. Court documents do not reveal a definitive reason why the litigation was abandoned. A representative from Heritage Auctions declined to comment on the situation, but, when asked what will happen to the United Center court now, responded that “that information is confidential and subject to contract”.
