Logan Paul Questions Authenticity of Michael Jordan Piece and Takes Legal Action
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 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 documents, Paul was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the piece before Heritage Auctions requested payment, which was originally due on September 25. Paul was informed by Heritage 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 of Akerman LLP, Paul’s attorney, sought a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning. The hearing date on the temporary injunction has been set for October 9.Heritage Auctions promoted the piece as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display.” The item description detailed an 8-by-8-foot section of the “original floor used in United Center games from 1994-98.” The piece is signed by Jordan and includes 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 Auctions spokesperson stated that they do not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that the auction house made concessions for Paul to “accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.”It is evident that authenticity is fundamental in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the condition of the piece “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’s certification indicates that 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 documents, 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 itself, 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.
Statement from Heritage Auctions
