Bid For Michael Jordan’s Autographed “Flu Game” Shoes

It was June 11, 1997, and Bill Clinton was still the President of the United States; nobody had heard of Monica Lewinsky (that was still a year off). Michael Jordan and the Bulls were tied 2-2 with Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Jazz, with game 5 in Salt Lake City. Jordan was fighting off a 103 degree fever. You know what happened next.

Jordan would go on to score 38 points, including a huge three-pointer to seal the game for the Bulls as time ticked down. Throw in 7 rebounds and 5 assists and the night cemented MJ’s already-iconic status. The “Flu Game” lives on, furthering Jordan’s already plum resume as the Greatest Of All Time. But now you can actually own the size 13 red-and -black Nike‘s Jordan was rocking during the storied game.

An industrious Jazz ball boy was somehow able to get the game-worn shoes signed by the GOAT before he left the arena that night, and now he’s decided to put them up for auction. That is how you ball boy, kids; although, SI’s Chris Mannix might give him a run for his â€” we’re guessing, loads of soon â€” money.

Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie blog spoke with Grey Flannel, the auction house behind the bidding for the shoes. Michael Russek, the director of operations, told BDL about the story behind the sale:

“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 recently 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,” Russek said. “Mainly, he wants Jordan fans to hear the story and know they are out there and how they were obtained.”

The game-worn kicks for Michael Jordan’s Game 5 of the ’97 NBA Finals “Flu Game” have been autographed and will be bid on as part of Grey Flannel’s December 11 auction catalog.