Michael Jordan’s ‘Flu Game’-Worn Air Jordan 12s Sell for $1.38 Million
This article was originally published on May 9, 2023.
Update June 16, 2023: The original game-worn Air Jordan 12 ‘Flu Game’, laced and signed by Michael Jordan, was up for sale at Goldin Auctions in May, with bids starting at $500,000. Bidding finally came to a close last night, and the final price arrived at $1,380,000. Previously sold for $104,765 in 2013, the Air Jordan 13 ‘Flu Game’ is now in the pantheon of the most expensive Air Jordans ever sold at auction.
The very pair of worn by during his legendary ‘Flu Game’ in the 1997 NBA Finals has surfaced at auction. This is the second time ever that the shoes have been put up for sale and the first time in over 10 years.
As MJ lore goes, Jordan was battling a particularly bad bout of sickness (it was actually food poisoning, so the ‘true’ story goes) during the Finals series, but his grit and determination netted a pivotal Game 5 victory. This broke the Chicago Bulls’ deadlock with the Utah Jazz, eventually leading to Jordan’s fifth NBA championship. He gave the black and red Air Jordan 12s he wore that game to Utah ball boy Preston Truman, who kept the shoes until auctioning them in 2013 – the very first time the famed pair emerged for public sale. They sold for $104,000 at the time, which now seems an absolute steal compared to the $500,000 opening bid that auction house Goldin have listed the pair at.
Full verification of the ‘Flu Game’ AJ12 is supplied, which includes extensive photo matching and authentication of Jordan’s signature on the shoes. A photograph of young Truman next to MJ signing the pair is also included as further proof of authenticity.
Bidding opens for the ‘Flu Game’ Air Jordan 12s on May 13.