Michael Jordan’s UNC game-worn sneakers sell for big money in recent auction

Aug 31, 2022 - 7:37 PM

When people think of the name Michael Jordan, there are three primary things that they think of immediately: basketball, shoes, and Space Jam. Alright, so that last one can be swapped out for a few other things, but there is no doubt that the foundation that the Jordan brand was built on was Michael Jordan’s shoes that he wore during his playing days in the NBA. It is for this reason that the shoes that were actually worn during games usually sell for a ton of money, which is exactly what happened again during a recent auction.

Heritage Auctions of Dallas, TX auditioned off a pair of used Converse high-tops that Michael Jordan wore during his freshman season at UNC. The 40-year old pair of shoes sold for a whopping $120,000, which if you can believe it is a fairly low price compared to some of his other shoes that have been auctioned off in the past. Per Jimmy Tomlin of High Point Enterprises, at least half of the proceeds from the shoe sale will be given to the Carolina basketball team.

Mary Eliza Duckett of High Point, NC is the woman that is responsible for auctioning off MJ’s shoes. They were given to her by her brother-in-law and former student manager of the 1982 national championship team, Chuck Duckett. Bear in mind that this was Jordan’s freshman season, so Duckett likely didn’t realize what he was being gifted by the future GOAT. Now the converses are in the possession of a very lucky owner, and Carolina basketball received a very charitable gift in the process.

I do not say this lightly, but it’s hard to think of many athletes that have had their memorabilia come with as hefty of a price tag as Jordan’s has over the years. Just last year a pair of Nike Air Ships sold at an auction for $1.47 million, and his 1998 NBA Finals jersey was going for a staggering $5 million. With that in mind, it’s incredible that the buyer of the UNC converses didn’t have to pay more than they did, and I’m a little jealous that I didn’t have $120,000 burning a hole in my pocket. Maybe next time, right?

Anyways, what do you think of the GOAT’s latest auction item? Let us know in the comments below.