He first spotted it about four years ago, and just bought it recently with plans to keep it long-term, but there’s trouble on the home front.
“Me and the Mrs. are moving into a new place,” said Reimer. “So Michael Jordan was a deal breaker.”
There’s nowhere to put the statue, so it has to go.
Right now, the likeness of the Chicago Bulls great is tucked away in a friend’s laundry room.
Reimer has no idea where the statue originates, but there are several out there, all with the wrong number on his jersey.
One of them famously appeared on the TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live several years ago.
Like Reimer’s, the statue that appeared on Kimmel’s show displayed the number 32.
Jordan wore, the number 23, and later the number 45 for the Bulls, but never 32.
On the back, the jersey reads ‘NBA’ above the number where the name would usually appear.
The Kelowna collector is fairly certain the discrepancy was to skirt copyright infringement issues, but no one seems to know for sure.
“Who knows what it is,” he said. “I just know it’s a cool piece to have no matter what.”
As for the true identity the statue represents, Reimer says it’s obvious.
“To the naked eye, anybody that knows,” he said, “it’s Michael Jordan.
Still, some disagree, and they’re willing to argue about it online.
That’s one of the reasons the Facebook Marketplace ad to sell the statue is getting so many clicks.
“I knew it would be a bit of an attention thing with it,” said Reimer, and everyone seems to have an opinion.
“It’s just a million messages,” he added. “I was quite surprised how many people took an interest to it.”
And offers are coming in.
“A lot of people are from out of town wanting to come and pick it up,” he said, but nothing concrete.
The $5k price tag seems to be firm.
“Whoever wants to come and grab it,” he said.
Reimer is no stranger to the sale of curiosities.
He runs the Rutland Flea Market that’s held Sundays at the Rutland Centennial Hall.