Michael Jordan's Original 'Shattered Backboard' Air Jordan 1 Sells For $615K
Michael Jordan's original 'Shattered Backboard' Air Jordan 1 sneakers sell for $615K as part of Stadium Goods and Christie's 'Original Air' auctions.
A few of the most historic Air Jordans will be available for auction soon thanks to the latest partnership between sneaker consignment store Stadium Goods and luxury auction house Christie's.
Today, the duo announced its online-only auction event dubbed Original Air: Michael Jordan Game-Worn and Player Exclusive Rarities, which offers a few of the most iconic sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during his playing days as a member of the Chicago Bulls. 11 Air Jordans will be up for grabs including the Air Jordan 7 "Olympics" seen on Jordan's feet at the gold medal game during the Summer Olympics in 1992, the Air Jordan 14 "Chicago" worn during his final practice for the Bulls, and MJ's first sneaker as an NBA pro, the Nike Air Ship.
Fans will be able to view the entire collection at Christies.com/OriginalAir starting July 23 while the auction will take place from July 30 to August 13. The shoes in the auction will be displayed at Christie's New York gallery located on 20 Rockefeller Plaza by appointments only. Additionally, a portion of proceeds from one of the top sales will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
UPDATE (07/23): The complete collection of Air Jordans for Stadium Goods and Christie's "Original Air" auction has been revealed.
As expected with an auction of this magnitude, most of the pieces are either worn in-game or were made exclusively for Jordan himself. Some of the highlights include the original Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" that MJ wore when he shattered the backboard in a Nike exhibition game in Italy (which became the inspiration for a series of "Shattered Backboard" colorways), an Air Jordan 10 in the form of a baseball cleat from his time with the Birmingham Barons, and player-exclusive "Concord" and "Bred"Air Jordan 11s. The full catalog is now open for browsing on Christies.com/OriginalAir with bidding open from July 30 to August 13.
UPDATE (08/13): The results for Christie's "Original Air" auction are in. The auctioneer announced that the rare collection of player-exclusive and game-worn Air Jordans fetched a grand total of $931,875, with the most expensive pair of the bunch being the "Chicago" Air Jordan 1 High worn by MJ when he famously destroyed the backboard in a Nike exhibition game in Italy that sold for $615,000. Check out the full rundown of auction results here.
Game-worn Nike Air Ship, Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 1 "Chicago," Image via Stadium Goods
The "Shattered Backboard" version of the Air Jordan 1 "Chicago," Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 4 "Fire Red," Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 5 "Fire Red," Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 7 "Olympic," Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 10 Baseball Cleat, Image via Stadium Goods
Player-Exclusive Air Jordan 10 "Shadow," Image via Stadium Goods
Game-worn Air Jordan 11 "Concord," Image via Stadium Goods
Player-exclusive Air Jordan 11 "Bred," Image via Stadium Goods
Air Jordan 14 "Chicago," Image via Stadium Goods