Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals 'The Last Dance' game-worn and autographed Air Jordan XIIIs set a new record, fetching $2,238,000 at Sotheby's. This sale surpasses Kanye West's $1.8m 'Grammy Worn' Yeezys, making them the priciest sneakers ever auctioned.

The timing of the sale coincided with the release of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's film 'AIR,' a must-see for fans of Netflix's 'The Last Dance.'
These iconic sneakers graced MJ's feet during the second half of Game 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. Widely known as Michael Jordan's "Last Dance" season, this NBA Finals series was the most watched and ranked among the most outstanding performances in NBA Finals history, along with LeBron's memorable block on Andre Iguodala.

Besides the prominent silver signatures, the shoes boast exceptional provenance. According to Sotheby's, these are the only NBA Finals game-worn sneakers - from any of Jordan's six Finals series - to be authenticated and photo-matched by The MeiGray Group, the NBA's official authenticator. They also represent the sole pair from the 1998 NBA postseason to be photo-matched by MeiGray.

The tale of how these signed sneakers reached their current owner is quite fascinating. Sotheby's reveals that after a ball-boy returned Jordan's lost jacket, he asked MJ for his shoe post-game. In gratitude for the boy's honesty, Michael signed each shoe in the locker room after Game 2 and handed them over.

Jordan would famously nail 'The Shot' in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, donning a pair of Jordan XIVs. One can only speculate what those sneakers would fetch in today's market. In comparison, a practice pair sold for $20,000 through Christie's in August 2020.

You can explore more of Sotheby's remarkable VICTORIAM sales, including a $508,000 game-worn Michael Jordan 1998 'The Last Dance' Chicago Bulls signed jersey, matched to two games, via the link below.