Logan Paul Seeks to Halt Auction Over Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court on Thursday. The legal action centers on concerns about the authenticity of a piece of the United Center floor signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul had won at an auction. According to court records, Paul was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, originally scheduled for September 25. The documents indicate that Heritage warned 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. 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 description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Game Used United Center Floor 1994-98.” 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 a long-term exclusive partnership, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. A Heritage spokesperson stated that they do not believe Paul’s claim has any merit, adding that the auction house made concessions for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” “We stand behind every item we sell,” Heritage reiterated, stating that the floor was acquired directly from the Bulls. “This lot would not have been included for sale at auction unless we were completely certain of its authenticity.” 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’s certification says the Bulls logo appears different from 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 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 limited to the Bulls logo itself, 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 photo matching certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 through 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be reached immediately for comment.It is evident that authenticity is everything 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
