Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over 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 stems from 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 investigate the authenticity of the soil before Heritage requested payment, the original deadline for which was September 25. Records indicate that Heritage informed Paul that he would lose his rights to the soil 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 and counsel for Paul, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions, which was granted on Thursday morning. The date for the hearing on the temporary injunction was set for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The description detailed an 8-by-8-foot section of the “Original Game-Used Court from the 1994-98 United Center.” It 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 indicated that the floor was “honored 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”. The Heritage list also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has had an exclusive association 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 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 obvious gaps and inconsistencies.
Josh Bernstein
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’s certification says the Bulls logo appears different than in photos from the 2001-05 seasons as well. 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 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 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 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 sure of its authenticity.
Heritage Spokesperson
