Logan Paul Questions Authenticity of Collectible Signed by Michael Jordan
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court on Thursday. The legal action focuses on concerns about the authenticity of a fragment of the United Center floor signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul acquired at an auction. According to court documents, Paul was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, which was originally due on September 25. Court records indicate that Heritage informed Paul 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 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 on the temporary injunction was set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The description detailed that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Game-Used Floor from the 1994-98 United Center.” This fragment is signed by Jordan and includes the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title” and “HOF 2009”. Heritage’s description also stated that the floor was “honored 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 in 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 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 the auction house does not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that Heritage made concessions for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” “We stand behind every item we sell,” Heritage affirmed, 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 floor’s condition “does not match the floor from 1995-1998, as a result of the floor having been replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refurbished.” 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 auction. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that “there is no such documentation… that matches the floor with the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo verification 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 lawsuit acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photographic match certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA were contacted for comment, but an immediate response could not be obtained.It is evident that authenticity is everything in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve and are entitled to a proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses the obvious gaps and inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein, Logan Paul’s lawyer
