Collectibles

A Nike Air Ship Michael Jordan Wore In His Rookie Season Is Up For Auction

August 24, 2023·2 min read·By Christian Cardnuto
A Nike Air Ship Michael Jordan Wore In His Rookie Season Is Up For Auction

Air Jordans are no stranger to the auction block. In just the last year, “The Dynasty Collection” of 6 championship-clinching game-worn shoes, “The Last Dance” Bred 13’s, and even the Reebok warm-up jacket MJ wore on the podium of the ‘96 Olympics became available via Sotheby’s. Now a Jordan-worn artifact that predates the Air Jordan is up for grabs

In the 1984-85 season, MJ wore the Air Ship while the Air Jordan was still under development. Legend has it that when the Bulls visited the Denver Nuggets for the fifth game of the season that year, Jordan blessed a young local ball boy with the white and red Air Ships. T.J. Lewis asked MJ for the shoes during the pre-game shoot-around, a request that was initially denied. However, after the game, Jordan sought out the youngster and gave him the shoes with a personalized signature on them.

In 2021, Lewis put the shoes on the auction block for the first time, and they fetched a record-setting $1.47 million. Now, just two years later, they will once again be up for grabs to the highest bidder. Who knows how much they will grab this time? Maybe Jordan himself will buy them back to put up on the mantle with the rest of his trophies. Whoever the lucky collector is sure to have a piece of basketball and sneaker history added to their collection. Make sure to check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more news on sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. 

Images via SneakerNews

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