Portraits of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan’s Sneakers, and More Sports Memorabilia Now For Sale
Die-hard sports fans don’t have much longer to bid on a number of treasures on offer—including sneakers worn by Michael Jordan—as part of the Christie’s Gamechangers series of sales. Currently, the auction house is hosting a private sale called “For the Love of the Game: Sports in Modern and Contemporary Art,” which includes items like a Polaroid of soccer star Pele taken by Andy Warhol and a Nike ad featuring soccer star Slaviša Žungul shot by Jeff Koons. This sale ends on August 14; the two other sales occurring end on August 11 and August 13, respectively—and are open to the public for bidding.
The “Original Air” sale (on until the 13th) features 11 pairs of sneakers, at least six of which were worn at games or practices by legendary basketball star Michael Jordan. The others are rare Air Jordan models such as the Air Jordan 10 PE baseball cleats, which Jordan wore when he briefly played in the Minor League in 1995. Three of the pairs of shoes are signed by the six-time NBA championship winner, who played for most of his illustrious career with the Chicago Bulls.
The third sports-related Christie’s sale is called “The Athlete: Photographs by Walter Iooss Jr.” It features 38 images by the noted sports photographer of Jordan (including two of him mid-slam-dunk), Shaquille O'Neal (complete with his size 22 footprint stamped on the photograph in ink), Kevin Garnett, Joe Namath, Joe Montana, the late Kobe Bryant (who died in a helicopter crash in January of this year), and more athletes. The pictures date back to the 1960s, when Iooss began shooting sporting events. He would eventually become a go-to photographer in sports, shooting both action shots and intimate portraits. In the press release about the sale, Jordan sings his praises: “From what I can tell, Walter has never taken a bad shot of anybody or anything. Years later, working together on Rare Air, we had become so comfortable around one another that I barely had to look up. You don’t have to perform for Walter.”
If Jordan’s words reflect the sports world’s respect for Iooss, the feeling is mutual. “All of these images are favorites,” Iooss tells AD. “Athletes have altered fashion, what shoes we wear, what music we listen to, what number you want to wear, and created a world you can escape to while watching sport. [Muhammad] Ali influenced us in many ways, politically, in race relations, and his stance against the Vietnam war. NBA players do this better than any other athletes in sport.”
When one looks at his images, it’s clear that he wasn’t just out to capture feats of athleticism, but moments in time and culture. “The decisive moment is 1/500th of a second, when time stands still, and has been my life. You create a moment in history that no video can match. Athletes with their beautiful form, looks, and grace, make my job easy.”
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
