Logan Paul Seeks to Halt Auction Over Authenticity of Michael Jordan Item
The renowned WWE wrestler and social media influencer, Logan Paul, has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The dispute arises from concerns about the authenticity of a section of the United Center floor signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul acquired at an auction. Paul argues that he was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the land before making the payment, which was to be made before September 25, according to court documents. He 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, Paul’s lawyer, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The restraining order was granted on Thursday morning. The hearing on the temporary injunction is scheduled for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description detailed an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Court Used in the 1994-98 United Center Game.” 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 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 and that the auction house made concessions for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the court’s condition “does not match the 1995-1998 court, as a result of the court being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and renovated.” 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 lot. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is no “such documentation… that matches the court 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 itself, 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 match certificate “claims to have matched the item” to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons.It is evident that authenticity is paramount in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve and are entitled to proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein, Logan Paul’s lawyer
