Michael Jordan hung up his boots (or Air Jordans, in this case) for the third and final time on 16 April 2003. His legacy within the sport speaks volumes over 20 years later, with the wider public frequently referring to him as the GOAT of basketball. Until today, his line of shoes—the Nike Air Jordan—continues to be one of the most popular shoes of all time, with many iconic models such as the AJ1s fully transitioning into a lifestyle statement.

With recent pop-culture retellings of his career such as Netflix’s The Last Dance and AIR movie, MJ’s fame has once again skyrocketed among today’s youth. This has caused a new euphoria among fans looking to collect memorabilia from His Airness’ incredible playing career. There’s been a lot of crazy auctions, but none more so than this game-worn Nike Air Ship.

Not only was it game-worn, it’s actually one of the earliest Michael Jordan NBA gear ever. Only five days after signing the historic Nike endorsement deal, Jordan put these Nike Air Ship on for his fifth-ever NBA game. It came in a white-and-red color blocking, one that sneakerheads will be familiar with 39 years on. These are now on auction over at Goldin 100, and those that are familiar with MJ’s memorabilia would be familiar with the record-breaking US$1.47 million sale a couple of years back.

Former Denver Nuggets ball boy TJ Lewis, the original owner of these shoes, explained that he received them from His Airness himself after the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Denver Nuggets. While MJ was initially reluctant before the game when he was first asked, he later changed his mind and hand-signed the shoes before passing them to TJ Lewis after the match.

As mentioned above, these were first sold by TJ Lewis via Sothebys in 2021 for US$1.47 million, which was then the highest ever sum paid for game-worn shoes. Now, it’s back up for auction via Goldin 100, which will stretch on until 14 September.

As of writing, the auction price sits at US$160,000. There’s high expectation that these will eclipse the previously sold amount, and might just take its rightful crown back as the most expensive game-worn shoes, ever. It’ll be fun to keep track of the auction, and for those who have the wallet for it, you can find the auction link here.

In other NBA-related news, check out Anthony Edwards’ first adidas signature shoe. You can also shop the latest Nike Air Jordans on the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below.

Images via Goldin 100