Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over Authenticity of Michael Jordan Collectible
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 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 alleges that he was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the ground before making the payment, which was due before September 25. He was informed that he would lose his rights to the object if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid for the piece was $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP and Paul’s attorney, 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 has been set for October 9th.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of “the original court used from the 1994-98 United Center.” 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 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 everything 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,” stated Bernstein.
Josh Bernstein
Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the floor 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. 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 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. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.“We stand behind every item we sell,” said Heritage, reiterating that the floor was acquired directly from the Bulls. “This lot would not have been included in the auction sale unless we were completely sure of its authenticity.”
Heritage Spokesperson
