Logan Paul Disputes Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item Acquired at Auction
WWE star and recognized social media influencer, Logan Paul, has filed a request for a restraining order in a Texas district court against Heritage Auctions. 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 alleges that he was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment. The original deadline for payment was September 25, and 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 and Paul’s lawyer, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and the hearing on the temporary injunction is scheduled for October 9.Heritage 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 1994-98 United Center Game Used Floor.” 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 also indicated that the floor was “used from the United Center’s debut season in 1994 through the 1998 NBA Championship season,” and that it was “removed and replaced according to NBA protocol” in the 2005-06 season. 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 request has merit, adding that the auction house made concessions to Paul “to accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”Authenticity is paramount 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
Paul’s request 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 refinished.” According to the request, PSA’s certification says the Bulls logo appears different than in photos from the 2001-05 seasons. After Paul won the lot, Bernstein requested documentation from Heritage. In emails found in court records, 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 request acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photo match 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.We stand behind every item we sell. This lot would not have been included in the auction unless we were fully confident in its authenticity.
Heritage Spokesperson
