Logan Paul Sues Heritage Auctions Over Michael Jordan Item Authenticity
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul has filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions in a Texas district court. The legal action focuses on concerns about the authenticity of a section of the United Center floor, signed by Michael Jordan, which Paul acquired at an auction. According to court documents, Paul was not allowed to verify the authenticity of the soil before making the payment to Heritage. The original deadline for payment was September 25, and Paul was informed that he would lose his rights to the object if he did not meet the deadline. Paul’s winning bid for the piece was $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium. Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP, Paul’s legal counsel, requested a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions. The temporary restraining order was granted on Thursday morning, and a date was set for the hearing on the temporary injunction for October 9.Heritage promoted the floor as “the ultimate Michael Jordan display piece.” The item description stated that it was an 8-by-8-foot section of the “original used floor from the United Center from 1994-98.” It was signed by Jordan and included the inscriptions “Air Jordan”, “5X MVP”, “6X Finals MVP”, “10X Scoring Title” and “HOF 2009”. Heritage’s publication also mentioned a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentication, with whom Jordan has maintained an exclusive partnership for a long time, and third-party authentication from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. A Heritage spokesperson stated that they do not believe Paul’s claim has merit, adding that the auction house made concessions to Paul “to facilitate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for further review.” “We stand behind every item we sell,” Heritage reiterated, reiterating that the floor was acquired directly from the Bulls. “This lot would not have been included in the auction sale unless we were fully confident of its authenticity.” Paul’s lawsuit alleges that the floor’s condition “does not match the 1995-1998 floor, as a result of the floor being replaced or, as Heritage claims, repainted and refinished.” According to the lawsuit, PSA certification says the Bulls logo appears different than in photos from the 2001-05 seasons. Bernstein requested documentation from Heritage after Paul won the lot. In emails found in court records, Heritage’s sports auction director, Chris Ivy, acknowledged that there is “no documentation matching the floor from the 1998-99, 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 seasons” and that the photo-matching company Sports Investors Authentication “was unsuccessful because the photo matching attempts were only with the Bulls logo itself, not the wood grain, which is what PSA used for its provided photo matches”. The complaint acknowledges that the Upper Deck certificate refers to the years 1995-98 and that the PSA/DNA photo-matching certificate “claims to have matched the item with” the 2001-02 to 2005-06 seasons. Upper Deck, Beckett, and PSA could not be immediately reached for comment.“Authenticity is paramount in the collector community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that withstands scrutiny and addresses obvious inconsistencies.”
Josh Bernstein