In a legal dispute about the authenticity of a section of a United Center floor signed by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, boxer Logan Paul, who won an auction for what was marketed as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece,” has filed an injunction against Heritage Auctions.
According to ESPN, the popular YouTuber filed the paperwork in a Texas courtroom after he claimed that the auction house did not allow him to investigate the authenticity of the floor that was auctioned. The lawsuit states that the court’s condition “does not match the court from 1995-1998, as a result of the court either being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and resurfaced.”
Paul says that Heritage informed him that if he did not initiate payment (his winning bid was $562,555.42) before Sept. 25, he could lose the rights to the item.
“It goes without saying that authenticity is everything in the collectibles community,” Josh Bernstein, Paul’s attorney, said in a written statement to the media outlet. “Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that holds up under scrutiny and addresses glaring holes and inconsistencies.”
Bernstein asked for and received a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions, as the motion was granted on Sept. 26. The next court date for the temporary injunction has been scheduled for Oct. 9.
A spokesperson for the auction house stated that it does not believe the boxer’s injunction has any merit. Heritage claimed it made allowances for Paul “to accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for additional review.”
“We stand behind every item that we sell,” Heritage said. “This lot would not have been included for sale at auction unless we were fully confident in its authenticity.”
The original listing described the floor as an 8-by-8-foot section of “1994-98 United Center Original Game Used Court,” which was signed by Jordan and includes the inscriptions
“Air Jordan,” “5X MVP,” “6X Finals MVP,” “10X Scoring Title,” and “HOF 2009.” It was also listed with a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, as well as third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services.RELATED CONTENT: Hall of Fame College Basketball Coach George Raveling Dies At 88