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Basketball has always played an influential role in hip hop and in celebration of the culture’s 50th birthday, the Jordan Brand will honor one of rap’s biggest icons.
Michael Jordan will be partnering with the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation for a special sneaker auction, which will celebrate both Jordan’s iconic No. 23 jersey number and The Notorious B.I.G.
The shoe that’s being sold is the Christopher Wallace x Air Jordan 13 collaboration, which was originally made in 2017 to celebrate legendary rapper The Notorious B.I.G.’s 45th birthday. Sotheby’s is conducting the exclusive auction for the limited 23 pairs and the bidding, which opened today (Jan. 23) at $1, ends on Feb. 3, 2023.
According to HYPEBEAST, the kicks are mostly black along the suede tongues, mudguards and toe boxes. The shoes also have red trimmings. The Brooklyn rapper’s honor can be found on the tongues, which display a silhouette of his face with the lyrics “It was all a dream” on the right shoe and “If you don’t know, now you know,” lyrics from his hit record “Juicy.” Hangtags with Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation branding come with the kicks, and the aglets are fitted with “dream” spell-outs in red font. Lastly, the insoles have black and red plaid patterns that are stamped with “Notorious B” hits on the heels.
Each of the pairs are estimated to sell for between $2,300 and $5,200. All proceeds will go towards the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, which aims to empower inner-city youth with educational learning instruments, grants, mentorship programs and sponsorships.