Logan Paul Questions Authenticity of Collectible Signed by Michael Jordan
The renowned WWE wrestler 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 was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the floor before making the payment to Heritage Auctions, which was originally due on September 25. Records indicate that Paul was warned 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 attorney, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and the date for the hearing on the temporary injunction was set for October 9.Heritage Auctions promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “original floor used in the 1994-98 United Center games.” 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 stated that the floor had been “consecrated by three World Championships and the steps of the most celebrated athlete in the history of American sports” and that it had been 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 description 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 the auction house does not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that concessions were made so that Paul “could conduct any in-person inspection and make reasonable efforts for further review.” Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the state of the floor “does not match the floor from 1995-1998, as a result of the floor being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” 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 auction. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is “no documentation… that matches the floor from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo identification company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo matching attempts were only with the Bulls logo, not 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 photographic match certificate “claims to have matched the item” with the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.Authenticity is paramount in the world of collectibles. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses obvious inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
