Logan Paul Disputes Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action centers 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 records, Paul was not allowed to investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, the original deadline for which was September 25. The court informed Paul that he would lose his rights to the piece if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid was $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein, 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 a hearing date for the temporary injunction has been 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 “Original Game Used Court 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 publication indicated that the floor had been “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 “retired and replaced according to NBA protocol”. Heritage’s publication 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 has merit, adding that the auction house made concessions to Paul “to accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”“It goes without saying that authenticity is everything in the collector community,” Bernstein stated.
Josh Bernstein
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 renovated.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification says the Bulls logo appears different than in 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 documentation matching 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 itself, not the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its photo matches.” The lawsuit acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photographic matching certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.“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 certain of its authenticity.”
Heritage Auctions
