One of the most iconic pieces of NBA memorabilia went up for auction on Wednesday.
The shoes Michael Jordan wore during the famous “Flu Game” from Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals have sold for $1.38 million at Goldin’, a collectibles marketplace, per ESPN.
In one of the most memorable NBA Finals performances ever, Jordan scored 38 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five assists while recording 44 minutes on the court, despite being exposed to inclement weather, in what is known as basketball. Fans as the “flu game”.
Now, the iconic Jordan 12 has brought one lucky collector over $1 million, including a buyer’s premium.
After the game, Jordan gave the shoes to jazz ball boy Preston Truman, who sold them 15 years later for $104,675 at Gray Flannel Auctions. The shoes sold out Wednesday at more than a 1,200% price increase.
“For me, ‘The Flu Game’ is the most iconic game of Michael Jordan’s career, and that’s what everyone is referring to when they talk about toughness and rising to the occasion under difficult circumstances,” said Ken Goldin, owner of Goldin’s Auctioneers. “To me, these are the most important and important pair of sneakers that will ever be sold.”
Despite this claim, the Flow Game shoes aren’t the most expensive pair of Jordan shoes ever sold at auction. This nickname belongs to the Air Jordan XIII Breds worn by the Air Force during the 1998 NBA Finals, which Sold to over $2.2 million in April.