This ball boy built an insane collection of game-worn sneakers in the 80’s
In 2023, a pair of Michael Jordan’s signed 1984 Nike Air Ships - the sneakers he wore as a rookie before the Air Jordan 1 - sold for $282,000 at auction.
They came from the collection of Jason Edelmann, a Detroit Pistons ball boy in the mid-’80s and early ’90s, who spent years constantly asking NBA stars for their game-worn shoes.
Players like Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, and Robert Parish handed over pairs, often signed, simply because Edelmann asked. Jordan even teased him once, saying, “What are you gonna do with them, put plants in them?” before giving him his Air Ships.
In total, 13 pairs from Edelmann’s vault went to auction, and while the prices of the other pairs were not made public, his collection proves that if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
This ball boy built an insane collection of game-worn sneakers in the 80’s
In 2023, a pair of Michael Jordan’s signed 1984 Nike Air Ships - the sneakers he wore as a rookie before the Air Jordan 1 - sold for $282,000 at auction.
They came from the collection of Jason Edelmann, a Detroit Pistons ball boy in the mid-’80s and early ’90s, who spent years constantly asking NBA stars for their game-worn shoes.
Players like Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, and Robert Parish handed over pairs, often signed, simply because Edelmann asked. Jordan even teased him once, saying, “What are you gonna do with them, put plants in them?” before giving him his Air Ships.
In total, 13 pairs from Edelmann’s vault went to auction, and while the prices of the other pairs were not made public, his collection proves that if you don’t ask, you don’t get.