Logan Paul Seeks Legal Halt Over Authenticity of Michael Jordan Article
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has filed a temporary restraining order against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action arises from 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 was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, which was originally due on September 25. Paul was informed by Heritage that he would lose his rights to the item 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, Paul’s attorney, sought 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 has been set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description presented it as an 8-by-8-foot section of the “original used floor from the 1994-98 United Center.” It was signed by Jordan and included 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 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 request has any basis, adding that the auction house made concessions for Paul to “perform any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”“It is evident that authenticity is fundamental in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve and have the right to proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses the obvious gaps and inconsistencies,” stated Bernstein.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s request alleges that the floor 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 request, 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 lot. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is “no documentation matching the floor from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo-matching company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo match attempts were only to the Bulls logo, not to the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its provided photo matches”. The request acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photo-matching certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.“We stand behind every item we sell,” Heritage stated, reiterating that the floor was acquired directly from the Bulls. “This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were completely certain of its authenticity.”
Heritage Spokesperson
