Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over Authenticity of Michael Jordan Collectible
WWE star and recognized social media influencer, Logan Paul, has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action focuses on 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 documents, Paul was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the ground before making the payment, which was due on September 25. He was informed 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, a lawyer at Akerman LLP and legal representative of Paul, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and the hearing on the temporary injunction is scheduled for October 9.Heritage Auctions 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 floor used in United Center games from 1994-98.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title”, and “HOF 2009”. The Heritage description mentioned 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 until the 1998 NBA Championship season” until the 2005-06 season, when the floor was “retired and replaced according to NBA protocol”. In the Heritage description, a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has had a long-standing exclusive partnership, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services were also highlighted. A Heritage spokesperson stated that the auction house does not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that concessions were made for Paul to “conduct 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 “does not match the 1995-1998 floor, as a result of the floor being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” 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 lot. In emails found in court documents, 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-matching certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 through 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.It is evident that authenticity is paramount in the world of collectibles. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses obvious inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
