WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action stems 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 documents, Paul alleges that he was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the floor before Heritage requested payment, which was originally due on September 25. Paul was informed that he would lose his rights to the item 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, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted Thursday morning. The date for the hearing on the temporary injunction has been set for October 9.
Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The ad described an 8-by-8-foot section of “Original Court Used in the 1994-98 United Center Game.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title” and “HOF 2009”. The Heritage advertisement stated that the floor was “consecrated 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 of 1994 through the 1998 NBA Championship season” until the 2005-06 season, when the floor was “removed and replaced according to NBA protocol”. The Heritage announcement also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has maintained an exclusive partnership for a long time, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. A Heritage spokesperson stated that they do not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that the auction house made arrangements for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”Authenticity is fundamental in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve and are entitled to a proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the floor’s condition “does not match the 1995-1998 floor, as a result of the floor having been replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refurbished.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification says 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 “such documentation… that matches the court from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo-matching company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo-matching attempts were only with the Bulls logo itself, not with 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” to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.We stand behind every item we sell. This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were completely certain of its authenticity.
Heritage Auctions
