Sport Equipment
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
not including Baseball bat and Sport uniform.
See also : Sport Sport II Basketball Jordan
Chronology : 1998
not including Baseball bat and Sport uniform.
See also : Sport Sport II Basketball Jordan
Chronology : 1998
1927 Ruth Glove
2022 SOLD for $ 1.53M by Hunt
A top grade bespoke Spalding Professional leather glove of Babe Ruth from the period 1927-1933 was sold for $ 1.53M by Hunt on November 12, 2022, lot 143. Its Babe Ruth signature is a stamped facsimile.
PSA/DNA considered a possible photo matching on Ruth's hand in 1934 with a stain on the back of his right index finger which may be from tobacco juice. A ca 1927 photo features Ruth with a similar glove.
It has an impeccable provenance from the champion who gave it in worn out condition to Jim Austin, a former MLB player of the St. Louis Browns. It had been treasured by Austin's niece.
PSA/DNA considered a possible photo matching on Ruth's hand in 1934 with a stain on the back of his right index finger which may be from tobacco juice. A ca 1927 photo features Ruth with a similar glove.
It has an impeccable provenance from the champion who gave it in worn out condition to Jim Austin, a former MLB player of the St. Louis Browns. It had been treasured by Austin's niece.
Ruth Glove Given to Jimmy Austin Now Has Possible Photo Match: https://t.co/SCu0r77lQI pic.twitter.com/zXDlFAuEA3
— Sports Collectors Daily (@SportsCollector) November 3, 2022
1965 Muhammad Ali and Liston Gloves
2015 SOLD for $ 960K by Heritage
Throughout its history, the heavyweight boxing championship was the occasion of Homeric fights, sometimes with social challenges. The match between two Black champions on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach was one of the most spectacular, dramatic and important.
The World champion defending his title is Sonny Liston nicknamed Big Bear, a huge destructive force in the ring and a terror by the city. He had won his title by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, a feat that he repeated during the rematch.
Against this exceptional puncher, nobody will bet on the challenger, Cassius Clay. This young man 22 years old had however been the Olympic champion in 1960 but is not yet feared among professionals. He nevertheless dared to greatly annoy Liston in the morning of the match by declaring the opening of the bear hunting.
Taller, younger and more flexible, Clay won the match when Liston could not resume at the seventh round. Aware of his feat and already attentive to his own marketing, Clay immediately trumpeted "I am the Greatest". A few months later he said that his name was a slave's and changed it to Muhammad Ali.
The gloves used by Clay against Liston on February 25, 1964 had almost made him lose the match in the fourth round after he rubbed his eyes without realizing that the gloves were soiled.
These gloves have become one of the most important match used equipment in the history of boxing. They were sold for $ 840K by Heritage on February 22, 2014, lot 80073.
The revenge promised to be stormy. Clay's invectives against Liston had contributed to irritate and weaken the colossus. None of them was welcomed by US officials. Liston's links to organized crime were known. Clay had become Muhammad Ali in the meantime to support a Black radical movement, the Nation of Islam.
The fight took place in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965. Unexpectedly, Ali won by knockout in the first round. The blow by Ali's right arm was terrible but had generated a great confusion. The referee had not counted the knockdown and Liston was suspected of lying down. Indeed, the video does not clearly conclude.
To anticipate a formal investigation which ultimately did not take place, the Maine State Boxing Commissioner immediately seized their pairs of gloves, which long remained in his family. These two pairs originally collected for the risk of scandal remained together. They were sold in one lot for $ 960K by Heritage on February 21, 2015, lot 80063.
The World champion defending his title is Sonny Liston nicknamed Big Bear, a huge destructive force in the ring and a terror by the city. He had won his title by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, a feat that he repeated during the rematch.
Against this exceptional puncher, nobody will bet on the challenger, Cassius Clay. This young man 22 years old had however been the Olympic champion in 1960 but is not yet feared among professionals. He nevertheless dared to greatly annoy Liston in the morning of the match by declaring the opening of the bear hunting.
Taller, younger and more flexible, Clay won the match when Liston could not resume at the seventh round. Aware of his feat and already attentive to his own marketing, Clay immediately trumpeted "I am the Greatest". A few months later he said that his name was a slave's and changed it to Muhammad Ali.
The gloves used by Clay against Liston on February 25, 1964 had almost made him lose the match in the fourth round after he rubbed his eyes without realizing that the gloves were soiled.
These gloves have become one of the most important match used equipment in the history of boxing. They were sold for $ 840K by Heritage on February 22, 2014, lot 80073.
The revenge promised to be stormy. Clay's invectives against Liston had contributed to irritate and weaken the colossus. None of them was welcomed by US officials. Liston's links to organized crime were known. Clay had become Muhammad Ali in the meantime to support a Black radical movement, the Nation of Islam.
The fight took place in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965. Unexpectedly, Ali won by knockout in the first round. The blow by Ali's right arm was terrible but had generated a great confusion. The referee had not counted the knockdown and Liston was suspected of lying down. Indeed, the video does not clearly conclude.
To anticipate a formal investigation which ultimately did not take place, the Maine State Boxing Commissioner immediately seized their pairs of gloves, which long remained in his family. These two pairs originally collected for the risk of scandal remained together. They were sold in one lot for $ 960K by Heritage on February 21, 2015, lot 80063.
JORDAN Nike sneakers
1
1984 Air Ship
2021 SOLD for $ 1.47M by Sotheby's
Michael Jordan begins his NBA career in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls. From the first weeks, he is considered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time by his success in the basket and his aerial jumps.
Jordan was first equipped in the pre-season with the newly released Nike Air Ship sneakers.
Jordan's success leads to an offer from Nike to design custom sneakers for him. The champion is assisted by the sports agent David Falk, a specialist in trade promotions for NBA players.
From September, Jordan is also equipped with a pair of commercial Nike Air Ship sneakers in the colors of the Bulls, black and red. The NBA bans this non-compliant color scheme on October 18 just before the opening of the season.
An NBA compliant Air Ship pair in white and red was sold for $ 1.47M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2021, lot 23. They are the earliest known NBA game used sneakers of Michael Jordan who presented them to a ball boy of the Denver Nuggets after a game on November 1. They are in size 13 while the matching Jordan measurement should be 13.5 for the right foot.
The custom design includes the lowering of the shoes for bringing the foot closer to the court. Falk coins the trademark Air Jordan for this new line of products, so highlighting that His Airness is jumping from the air in his soles. The Air Jordan 1 model is released on November 17. Nike announces : "The NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately the NBA can't stop you from wearing them".
That release is made in the full colors of Michael Jordan's team, the Chicago Bulls, red, white and black. The NBA had indeed given way in the issue about the colors of his sneakers. The fashion for colorful sneakers was launched in basketball.
A game worn Air Jordan 1 pair marked 850102 TYPS was sold for $ 615K by Heritage on August 21, 2021, lot 80103. TY is the code for the factory in South Korea, PS stands for Player Sample and the six digits are a date code identifying the period January-February 1985. The difference between the PS and the retail version is a lower collar height, at Jordan's request for his comfort.
On May 17, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 560K a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample (PS) shoes in the colors of the Bulls manufactured from February to April 1985 (date code 0204 TYPS), lot 1.
MJ wore that pair in all games until October 1985 when his career was temporarily interrupted by a broken foot.
Michael Jordan severely broke his left foot in the third game of his second NBA season, on October 29, 1985. A pair of sneakers with date code 850102 announced by MEARS as likely the last original Air Jordan 1 game used by the champion was sold for $ 420K by Lelands on January 29, 2022, lot 8.
Jordan missed 64 games in that season. His foot was still painful when he made his NBA come back against the Bucks in Milwaukee on April 1, 1986, and he needed an extra protection.
He used a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample sneakers slightly taller than the original model, which were fitted with softer and wider Nike Dunk soles. The right shoe had a production defect : an eyelet was missing on both sides of the tongue, enabling the photo matching of the lacing anomaly along with a white abrasion on the same shoe.
This size thirteen Air Jordan 1 pair of size, date and manufacturing codes 13860304STPS was sold for $ 675K by Heritage on February 26, 2022, lot 80099. The right shoe is autographed by Jordan. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Nike's Air Jordan is a great success story. With a renewal of its models each year, Nike currently has in its catalog the Air Jordan XXXIV. The Nike Jordan cumulative sales have reached 100 million pairs. Michael Jordan is more generally one of the best marketed players in the history of sports, behind Tiger Woods.
Jordan was first equipped in the pre-season with the newly released Nike Air Ship sneakers.
Jordan's success leads to an offer from Nike to design custom sneakers for him. The champion is assisted by the sports agent David Falk, a specialist in trade promotions for NBA players.
From September, Jordan is also equipped with a pair of commercial Nike Air Ship sneakers in the colors of the Bulls, black and red. The NBA bans this non-compliant color scheme on October 18 just before the opening of the season.
An NBA compliant Air Ship pair in white and red was sold for $ 1.47M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2021, lot 23. They are the earliest known NBA game used sneakers of Michael Jordan who presented them to a ball boy of the Denver Nuggets after a game on November 1. They are in size 13 while the matching Jordan measurement should be 13.5 for the right foot.
The custom design includes the lowering of the shoes for bringing the foot closer to the court. Falk coins the trademark Air Jordan for this new line of products, so highlighting that His Airness is jumping from the air in his soles. The Air Jordan 1 model is released on November 17. Nike announces : "The NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately the NBA can't stop you from wearing them".
That release is made in the full colors of Michael Jordan's team, the Chicago Bulls, red, white and black. The NBA had indeed given way in the issue about the colors of his sneakers. The fashion for colorful sneakers was launched in basketball.
A game worn Air Jordan 1 pair marked 850102 TYPS was sold for $ 615K by Heritage on August 21, 2021, lot 80103. TY is the code for the factory in South Korea, PS stands for Player Sample and the six digits are a date code identifying the period January-February 1985. The difference between the PS and the retail version is a lower collar height, at Jordan's request for his comfort.
On May 17, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 560K a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample (PS) shoes in the colors of the Bulls manufactured from February to April 1985 (date code 0204 TYPS), lot 1.
MJ wore that pair in all games until October 1985 when his career was temporarily interrupted by a broken foot.
Michael Jordan severely broke his left foot in the third game of his second NBA season, on October 29, 1985. A pair of sneakers with date code 850102 announced by MEARS as likely the last original Air Jordan 1 game used by the champion was sold for $ 420K by Lelands on January 29, 2022, lot 8.
Jordan missed 64 games in that season. His foot was still painful when he made his NBA come back against the Bucks in Milwaukee on April 1, 1986, and he needed an extra protection.
He used a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample sneakers slightly taller than the original model, which were fitted with softer and wider Nike Dunk soles. The right shoe had a production defect : an eyelet was missing on both sides of the tongue, enabling the photo matching of the lacing anomaly along with a white abrasion on the same shoe.
This size thirteen Air Jordan 1 pair of size, date and manufacturing codes 13860304STPS was sold for $ 675K by Heritage on February 26, 2022, lot 80099. The right shoe is autographed by Jordan. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Nike's Air Jordan is a great success story. With a renewal of its models each year, Nike currently has in its catalog the Air Jordan XXXIV. The Nike Jordan cumulative sales have reached 100 million pairs. Michael Jordan is more generally one of the best marketed players in the history of sports, behind Tiger Woods.
2
1997 Flu Game Shoes
2023 SOLD for $ 1.38M by Goldin
Top champions do not give up under a big ache. In 1935 Jesse Owens famously established three world records and tied a fourth in a span time of 45 minutes despite seriously injuring his back a few days before.
Michael Jordan's great feat in pain was the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Finals.
Jordan was lying curled and sweating in his hotel room. He will later acknowledge a food poisoning. The stakes were major as his Chicago Bulls were tying 2-2 with the Utah Jazz. Against all advices he wanted to play. He got out of bed just in time.
After a slow start he scored 17 points, reducing from 16 to 4 points the lead of the Utah. The tired champion remained in the bench during the third quarter. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter including a three point shot at 88-85 with 25 seconds remaining. After the Bulls won by 90-88, Jordan collapsed in the arms of a teammate. His feat is known as Jordan's Flu Game. The Bulls won the Finals 4-2.
The Air Jordan 12 of the Flu Game were presented by Jordan with the socks inside to a ball boy of the Utah who had helped him in the morning. The ball boy cleverly had photographed the moment in the locker room when Jordan signed his shoes for him.
He consigned the pair at Grey Flannel where they were sold for $ 105K on December 12, 2013. It was sold for $ 1.38M by Goldin on June 15, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The sneakers have been photo-matched.
Michael Jordan's great feat in pain was the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Finals.
Jordan was lying curled and sweating in his hotel room. He will later acknowledge a food poisoning. The stakes were major as his Chicago Bulls were tying 2-2 with the Utah Jazz. Against all advices he wanted to play. He got out of bed just in time.
After a slow start he scored 17 points, reducing from 16 to 4 points the lead of the Utah. The tired champion remained in the bench during the third quarter. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter including a three point shot at 88-85 with 25 seconds remaining. After the Bulls won by 90-88, Jordan collapsed in the arms of a teammate. His feat is known as Jordan's Flu Game. The Bulls won the Finals 4-2.
The Air Jordan 12 of the Flu Game were presented by Jordan with the socks inside to a ball boy of the Utah who had helped him in the morning. The ball boy cleverly had photographed the moment in the locker room when Jordan signed his shoes for him.
He consigned the pair at Grey Flannel where they were sold for $ 105K on December 12, 2013. It was sold for $ 1.38M by Goldin on June 15, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The sneakers have been photo-matched.
3
1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Sneakers
2023 SOLD for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's
The 1998 Finals were a key event in NBA history, opposing the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, who had hitherto made his whole NBA career with the Bulls, won the Most Valuable Player award of the Finals and his sixth NBA championship.
Game 1 of the 1998 Finals was lost by the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The road jersey worn by Michael Jordan in that Game was sold for $ 10M by Sotheby's on September 15, 2022, lot 1.
Two days later in the same venue, Game 2 was a must win for the Bulls. Utah was so hostile to their visitors that Jordan's kids did not attend. It was won by the Chicago Bulls 93-88, with Jordan scoring 37. The series was thus tied 1-1 at that time.
The current model of the Nike Air Jordan sneakers was the number XIII, featuring a holographic eye and an outsole resembling a panther paw in a reference to the agility of a cat.
The size 13 black and red pair worn by Jordan in the second half of Game 2 was silver signed on both toes by him in the locker room and gifted to the ball boy as a reward for having retrieved a jacket. They are the only pair worn by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals that have been photo-matched by MeiGray Group.
It was sold for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's on April 11, 2023, lot 1.
Game 1 of the 1998 Finals was lost by the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The road jersey worn by Michael Jordan in that Game was sold for $ 10M by Sotheby's on September 15, 2022, lot 1.
Two days later in the same venue, Game 2 was a must win for the Bulls. Utah was so hostile to their visitors that Jordan's kids did not attend. It was won by the Chicago Bulls 93-88, with Jordan scoring 37. The series was thus tied 1-1 at that time.
The current model of the Nike Air Jordan sneakers was the number XIII, featuring a holographic eye and an outsole resembling a panther paw in a reference to the agility of a cat.
The size 13 black and red pair worn by Jordan in the second half of Game 2 was silver signed on both toes by him in the locker room and gifted to the ball boy as a reward for having retrieved a jacket. They are the only pair worn by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals that have been photo-matched by MeiGray Group.
It was sold for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's on April 11, 2023, lot 1.
4
1991-1998 NBA Finals Sneakers
2024 SOLD for $ 8M by Sotheby's
The Chicago Bulls entered and won their first NBA finals in 1991 with Michael Jordan elected Most Valuable Player of the event. Prior to the match a Public relations executive of the club had asked the champion for an individual game worn sneaker should the Bulls be victorious. So did Jordan.
The same wins happened again in 1992. An amused Jordan considered that his gift should become a tradition and presented a game worn shoe from that final to the same club officer. A photo was made of the smiling champion with one shoe missing.
The story was repeated in 1993. After a two year gap the Bulls had three further finals wins, in 1996, 1997 and 1998, with Jordan each time elected the MVP. New presentations of shoes were made.
The full set of six sneakers is made of Nike Air Jordan VI, VII, VIII, XI, XII and XIV, one of each. It was sold for $ 8M by Sotheby's on February 2, 2024, lot 4. It is accompanied by the 1/1 of the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 photos.
The same wins happened again in 1992. An amused Jordan considered that his gift should become a tradition and presented a game worn shoe from that final to the same club officer. A photo was made of the smiling champion with one shoe missing.
The story was repeated in 1993. After a two year gap the Bulls had three further finals wins, in 1996, 1997 and 1998, with Jordan each time elected the MVP. New presentations of shoes were made.
The full set of six sneakers is made of Nike Air Jordan VI, VII, VIII, XI, XII and XIV, one of each. It was sold for $ 8M by Sotheby's on February 2, 2024, lot 4. It is accompanied by the 1/1 of the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 photos.
1998 Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball
1999 SOLD for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's
The home run is the feat around which the rules of baseball were established. In the modern history of that sport, the two most important records have been broken.
The highest number of homers in a single season was 61 by Roger Maris in 1961. Mark McGwire broke this record at 70 homers in 1998 and Barry Bonds at 71 homers in 2001.
The 70th homer ball of 'Big Mac' was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999. It was reported post sale by CBS News.
The largest number of homers scored in the major leagues during a career had been 755 by Hank Aaron in 1976. Barry Bonds equaled and then exceeded this record in August 2007. On September 5, 2007, Bonds scores his 762nd and last major league homer. He is suspected of doping and cannot get a contract for the next year.
These two players were not elected at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2010 McGwire confirmed that he had used doping substances for most of his career. Bonds always denied a similar practice.
The highest number of homers in a single season was 61 by Roger Maris in 1961. Mark McGwire broke this record at 70 homers in 1998 and Barry Bonds at 71 homers in 2001.
The 70th homer ball of 'Big Mac' was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999. It was reported post sale by CBS News.
The largest number of homers scored in the major leagues during a career had been 755 by Hank Aaron in 1976. Barry Bonds equaled and then exceeded this record in August 2007. On September 5, 2007, Bonds scores his 762nd and last major league homer. He is suspected of doping and cannot get a contract for the next year.
These two players were not elected at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2010 McGwire confirmed that he had used doping substances for most of his career. Bonds always denied a similar practice.
2000-2001 Tiger Woods Clubs
2022 SOLD for $ 5.2M by Golden Age
Tiger Woods won in 2000 the US Open, the British Open and the PGA championship. When he added his victory in the 2001 Masters, he became the first modern golf champion to be the current holder of the four major championships. This feat is referred as the Tiger Slam.
He had used the same set of clubs for these four victories. A set of eight of these Titleist irons of reference 681-T plus one pitching wedge and two sand wedges was sold for $ 5.2M by Golden Age on April 9, 2022, lot 1. They were illustrated post sale by Golf Planète. The irons are numbered from 2 to 9.
The provenance is impeccable. When Titleist presented a new set of equipment to the champion in 2001 after the Masters, the Tiger Slam equipment went to be owned by a vice-president of that brand who sold it at auction in 2010 to the 2022 consignor. Many photo-matches from the 2000-2001 season are announced, and the set fully matches a description in a period magazine including a slightly modified angle in a wedge.
The 1930 Grand Slam of Bobby Jones had been made of the Amateur Championship in Scotland, the British Open, the US Open and the US Amateur, all being won in the same calendar year.
He had used the same set of clubs for these four victories. A set of eight of these Titleist irons of reference 681-T plus one pitching wedge and two sand wedges was sold for $ 5.2M by Golden Age on April 9, 2022, lot 1. They were illustrated post sale by Golf Planète. The irons are numbered from 2 to 9.
The provenance is impeccable. When Titleist presented a new set of equipment to the champion in 2001 after the Masters, the Tiger Slam equipment went to be owned by a vice-president of that brand who sold it at auction in 2010 to the 2022 consignor. Many photo-matches from the 2000-2001 season are announced, and the set fully matches a description in a period magazine including a slightly modified angle in a wedge.
The 1930 Grand Slam of Bobby Jones had been made of the Amateur Championship in Scotland, the British Open, the US Open and the US Amateur, all being won in the same calendar year.
2004 Kobe Bryant Locker
2024 SOLD for $ 2.9M by Sotheby's
Opened in 1999 and renamed crypto.com arena in 2021, the Staples Center is the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant made his whole career with that club, from 1996 to 2016.
The champion used for his home games in the second part of his career a locker identified by a nameplate in white lettering on purple. The piece of furniture in wood and metal 2.50 m high has been photo-matched by MeiGray with eleven images from 2004 to 2016, including a showering of champagne on him after his final game. The nameplate has been authenticated by Sports Investors Authentication.
It was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on August 2, 2024, lot 1. A portion of the proceeds was to benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
The champion used for his home games in the second part of his career a locker identified by a nameplate in white lettering on purple. The piece of furniture in wood and metal 2.50 m high has been photo-matched by MeiGray with eleven images from 2004 to 2016, including a showering of champagne on him after his final game. The nameplate has been authenticated by Sports Investors Authentication.
It was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on August 2, 2024, lot 1. A portion of the proceeds was to benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
2022 Aaron Judge Baseball
2022 SOLD for $ 1.5M by Goldin
Roger Maris broke in 1961 the MLB record of the number of home runs in a single season, with 61 homers. He was playing in the American League with the New York Yankees beside the star player Mickey Mantle.
His feat had been overcome six times by players of the other league of the MLB, the National League, with the highest total of 73 by Barry Bonds in 2001. The ball of the 70th homer scored in 1997 by Mark McGwire in 1997 was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999.
Maris's American League record was overcome on October 4, 2022 in Arlington TX by another player of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, with a 62nd homer in his last MLB game of the 2022 season.
Unlike bats or jerseys which are owned by players or teams, a ball is the immediate property of whoever catches it.
A fan managed to catch the AL record setting ball, which is authenticated by markings made in black marker by the MLB before the event. He consigned it to Goldin for sale on December 18, 2022, lot 1. It was sold for $ 1.5M.
His feat had been overcome six times by players of the other league of the MLB, the National League, with the highest total of 73 by Barry Bonds in 2001. The ball of the 70th homer scored in 1997 by Mark McGwire in 1997 was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999.
Maris's American League record was overcome on October 4, 2022 in Arlington TX by another player of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, with a 62nd homer in his last MLB game of the 2022 season.
Unlike bats or jerseys which are owned by players or teams, a ball is the immediate property of whoever catches it.
A fan managed to catch the AL record setting ball, which is authenticated by markings made in black marker by the MLB before the event. He consigned it to Goldin for sale on December 18, 2022, lot 1. It was sold for $ 1.5M.
