Logan Paul Seeks to Halt Auction of Michael Jordan Item Due to Authenticity Concerns
WWE star and 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 section 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 making the payment to Heritage Auctions, whose original deadline was September 25. Paul 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, from the law firm Akerman LLP, legal representative of Paul, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning. The date for the hearing on the temporary injunction was set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description mentioned 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 also highlighted that the floor was “honored by three world championships and the steps 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 list 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 they do not believe Paul’s claim is valid, adding that the auction house made arrangements 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 renovated.” 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 documents, 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-matching company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo-matching attempts were only with the Bulls logo, not with 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 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.“It is evident that authenticity is fundamental in the collectors’ community,” Bernstein stated. “Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses the obvious gaps and inconsistencies.”
Josh Bernstein
