Logan Paul files injunction against Heritage Auctions over Michael Jordan autographed court section
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Social media influencer and WWE wrestler Logan Paul filed an injunction against Heritage Auctions in Texas district court earlier this week. Specifically, Paul is at odds with the sports memorabilia auction house regarding a piece of memorabilia he bought from the historic Chicago Bulls run of the 90s. The piece in question is a section of the Chicago Bulls court from their 1994-1998 season signed by Michael Jordan.
According to Paul, he was not given enough time to properly investigate and authenticate the item he purchased by the September 25 deadline set by Heritage to solicit payment. Per court documents, Heritage notified Paul that he would lose his rights to the item if he failed to make the payment. Paul’s attorney Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP asked for and was granted a temporary restraining order against Heritage which was granted. A hearing is scheduled for October 9. Paul paid $562,555.42 plus a buyers premium for the court section.
The heart of the matter lies in the authentication process for the piece of court that Paul purchased. Per the Heritage’s listing, the piece that Paul bought is an 8x8 section of the court that includes Jordan’s signature and "Air Jordan," "5X MVP," "6X Finals MVP," "10X Scoring Title" and "HOF 2009." The piece included a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck Authentications, who Jordan has a longtime exclusive relationship with, as well PSA/DNA and Becket authentications. While the authenticity of the autograph and inscriptions are not in dispute, the piece of court itself and whether it was actually from time claimed by Heritage is.
Paul’s injunction alleged that the piece is not from the 1994-1998 time period as Heritage claimed and that it matched the court from 2001-2006. Interestingly, the PSA/DNA authentication documentation supported this claim which countered the authentication provided by Upper Deck. Sports Investor Authentication was also unable to authenticate the item prior to its sale. While Heritage’s director of sports auctions Chris Ivy acknowledged that there was no direct documentation supporting the item came from the 94-98 seasons, they provided an explanation saying the court had been resurfaced and repainted. Heritage also claimed that they gave Paul and his representatives ample time to authenticate the piece. Now it will be up to the courts to decide if Paul’s claim has merit.
