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 alleged doubts 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 soil before making the payment to Heritage. The original deadline for payment was September 25, and Paul was warned that he would lose his rights to the piece if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid amounted to $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein, attorney for Paul de Akerman LLP, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted 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 auction description indicated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of “the original court 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”. In the Heritage description, it was mentioned that the floor had been “trod by three World Championships and by the steps of the most celebrated athlete in the history of American sport”, and that it was used “from the debut season of the United Center in 1994 to the 1998 NBA Championship season” until the 2005-06 season, when the floor was “removed and replaced according to NBA protocol”. The Heritage list also highlighted 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 is justified, adding that the auction house made concessions so that Paul “could conduct any in-person inspection and make reasonable efforts for further review.”It is evident that authenticity is crucial in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses the clear gaps and inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit argues 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 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 auction. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is “no 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, 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 with” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.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 Spokesperson
