Michael Jordan’s ‘flu game’ shoes to be sold at auction

Hey, would you like a own a sweaty pair of sneakers from 1997? You would!? Well today is your lucky day, then, because it was announced recently that the Nike shoes NBA legend Michael Jordan wore during the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz will be available at auction this upcoming November.

The game is famous, of course, for being the contest in which Jordan battled both a fever and nausea on his way to a stat line of 38 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. After the win, Jordan evidently signed his sneakers and gave them to a Utah ball boy. For the past 16 years the shoes have been in a safety deposit box, but now they can sit in your home for what will likely be an astronomical price.

Auction house director Michael Russek had this to say about the shoes:

"We were approached by the ball boy because of our affiliation with the Basketball Hall of Fame. He never looked to sell them before now. I think he realized that he was getting a little older and was more curious than anything to see if people still cared about the story. He wants someone else to have them who can display them better, as they’ve sat in a safety deposit box for the last 15-plus years (Ball Don’t Lie)."

If you’re interested in buying the shoes but lack the necessary funds, I’m sure you could collectively raise money to purchase them on…wait for it…Kickstarter. (I’ll see myself out.)

[Source: Ball Don’t Lie]