Source: BroBible
Summary
A former NBA ball boy is suing over a Kobe Bryant rookie-season playoff sneaker sale that he claims cost him $200,000. The shoes, signed by Bryant, were expected to sell for $300,000 but fetched only $99,000 after an ownership dispute. Preston Truman alleges the disruption led to a lower final sale price. The sneakers were part of a 1997 playoff game where Bryant famously shot four airballs. Truman previously sued over Michael Jordan sneakers, which later sold for $2.2 million.
Our Reading
The habit gets a new name.
Collectibles become courtrooms.
Old sneakers spark new lawsuits.
Legends turn into legal battles.
Money talks, but only if you’re lucky.
Author: Evan Null
The Kobe Shoes Auction Got Stopped At The Worst Possible Time
The shoes already had everything collectors generally want.
They came from Kobe Bryant’s rookie season, were signed by him, and were tied to one of the defining early moments of his career. The 18-year-old famously shot four airballs late in an elimination loss to Utah before eventually turning the failure into part of his legend.
The Heritage listing confirms Truman received the Adidas shoes directly from Bryant while working for the Jazz and ultimately watched them sell for $99,000 in August 2023.
Truman says that number should have been much higher.
His lawsuit alleges Jason Silverstein previously purchased a 30% fractional interest in the sneakers before Truman bought that stake back for $30,000 in March 2023. Days before the Heritage auction was scheduled to close, however, the auction house received a letter claiming somebody else still owned an interest in the shoes.
This Is Somehow Truman’s Second Giant Sneaker Lawsuit
The Kobe dispute would already be weird enough on its own.
Then Michael Jordan enters the story.
Truman also received Jordan’s signed Air Jordan XIII “Bred” sneakers after Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals while working in Utah. He eventually sold those shoes for $215,000 in 2020 and later sued parties involved in that transaction, alleging he had been pressured into accepting an unfair price.
Those exact shoes were subsequently sold through Sotheby’s for $2.238 million in 2023.
A Utah judge ruled against Truman in that case and ordered him to pay legal fees, a decision he has appealed. GWC Holdings, Silverstein’s company, is also involved in separate litigation connected to ownership of the Jordan shoes.
Money Talks, But Only If You’re Lucky
Now Truman alleges that an existing legal fight provided part of the motivation for the ownership challenge involving his Kobe sneakers.
Silverstein and GWC have not been found liable for Truman’s newest allegations, and the case remains pending.
The post Former NBA Ball Boy Says Fight Over Kobe Bryant’s Shoes Cost Him Over $200,000 appeared first on BroBible.
It’s not just the shoes that are worn out. It’s the entire system of collecting, selling, and fighting over them.
Truman’s story is a reminder that even the most iconic moments can end up in court.
