Every so often, historic Air Jordan sneakers that are tied to a monumental moment in Michael Jordan's illustrious career find their way to the auction block. The latest example is the "Flu Game" Air Jordan 12 that just sold for a staggering $1.3 million.
The original "Flu Game" Jordan 12 that was game-worn and signed by MJ himself was up for auction at Goldin Auctions last month, with bids starting at $500,000. When bidding for the sneaker ended last night, it landed at a final $1,380,000 price tag.
As the story goes, MJ laced up this black and red Air Jordan 12 colorway during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, where he scored a game-high 38 points despite battling flu-like symptoms.
Jordan then gave the sneakers to former Jazz ball boy Preston Truman, who would periodically supply him with his favorite post-game snack after games. Truman kept the sneakers for 15 years before selling them at auction for $104,765 in 2013.
In an episode of the Complex Sneakers Podcast, Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin displayed this "Flu Game" Air Jordan 12, explaining that this is the "most valuable" piece of sneaker memorabilia to date and that he would be surprised if this pair sold for below $4 million on the auction block.
