WWE’s Logan Paul has filed legal action against Heritage Auctions over the disputed authenticity of a Michael Jordan collectible. On September 25, Paul submitted a motion that resulted in a court granting him a temporary restraining order and injunction. A hearing is scheduled for October 9.
The lawsuit concerns a section of the United Center floor autographed by Jordan. Paul won the item with a bid of $562,555.42, including the buyer’s premium.
At the heart of the dispute is a conflict over the timeline of the piece. Heritage Auctions listed the section as coming from the Chicago Bulls’ court used between 1994 and 1998. However, Paul’s legal filing asserts that a PSA/DNA photo-matching certificate links the wood to the early 2000s. The filing also highlights an Upper Deck certificate supplied by Heritage that covers use from 1995 to 1998, not 1994 as advertised.
According to documents reported by ESPN, Heritage required full payment by September 25. Paul, known as “The Maverick,” alleges the auction house refused to allow him time to investigate the item’s authenticity before demanding payment, warning that failure to pay would forfeit his rights to the memorabilia.
Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP, representing Paul, told ESPN: “It goes without saying that authenticity is everything in the collectibles community. Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that holds up under scrutiny and addresses glaring holes and inconsistencies.”
Heritage Auctions responded with its own statement: “We stand behind every item that we sell. This lot would not have been included for sale at auction unless we were fully confident in its authenticity.”