A pair of Air Jordan 11s that Michael Jordan signed and wore during the 1996 NBA Finals has sold at Sotheby’s for a whopping $482,600 USD — almost $100,000 USD more than its estimated auction price.
The size 13.5 shoes feature a “Bred” colorway with black uppers, a white midsole with MJ’s signature, a red outsole and the “Sample FTPS” interior coding. Its provenance stems from Jesse Sluyter, who was a Seattle Supersonics ballboy and worked the team’s home games during the 1996 Finals. He shared that he and his friend both received a shoe each from the basketball superstar, and have come together for the auction.
“Michael Jordan and I got along really well in the Finals and he was very humble and sincere in all of his interactions,” Sluyter said via Sotheby’s, adding that he and Jordan talked about Sluyter’s health during one of the locker room TV interviews. The athlete gave Sluyter two tickets to one of the Finals games and told him to bring his parents. “Later on after Game 5, the equipment manager of the Chicago Bulls asked Michael Jordan who his shoes were going to, he said ‘That ballboy’ (me) and my best friend. After Jordan took care of the media, talked to the coaches, and cared for a Make-a-Wish Foundation child, I asked him if he would sign the shoes. He did it with a smile and said ‘Have a good night.’ I wished him good luck and finished up my work for the night,” he continued.
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominated the Seattle Supersonics and won the Finals series 4-2. This was the first of the team’s second three-peat championship reign, with Jordan taking home the coveted Finals MVP for the fourth time.
