'Pawn Stars' guest brings rare Michael Jordan statue but he won't settle for less than $10,000

Among sellers on "Pawn Stars," there are people who turn up with sports memorabilia as well as items belonging to legendary musicians. Michael Jordan is a brand in himself, and even sneakers associated with his name are one of the most sought-after in the market. It has been reported that the American flag worn by the Chicago Bulls champion during the 1992 Olympic gold medal ceremony earned a whopping $1.8 million at an elite Sotheby's auction. Jordan's jersey from the iconic 1996-97 NBA season fetched a staggering $4.7 million. In 2022, at an astounding $10.1 million, one of his other jerseys from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals went up for auction as one of the most costly game memorabilia. Hence, when a bronze bust of the legend was brought to "Pawn Stars," Austin Russell aka Chumlee, jumped at the offer. 

"You can kind of tell this is a Bulls jersey without reading the 'Bulls.' So pretty cool little flavor touch right there," Chumlee gushed while showcasing a rare marking on the bronze bust. The Jordan collector informed that he wasn't aware how much the memorabilia would earn, but expected it would fetch him a decent $10,000. "The only thing I know is that I believe it's made out of bronze. I'm actually a big collector when it comes to Michael Jordan pieces. It's an item that you just don't see every day, and I just had to have it in my collection. I'm hoping to get $10,000 for my Michael Jordan statue," he said. 

Chumlee went into a brief detailing about Jordan being a respected figure among the top sportsmen in the country. He also highlighted the NBA legend's career and his success with the home brand 'Air Jordans' after striking a lucrative deal with Nike. The Jordan collector went on to disclose that he purchased the rare bronze bust from another art enthusiast, "I purchased it in 2017 from an individual who bought it at an auction back in the '90s. The only thing I know is that there are only ten in the world." Chumlee then went on to look for the 'artist proof,' a unique signature that determined the authenticity of the sculpted piece. 

"95, artist proof 3 of 10. OK, so, if you have a bust, if you have a piece of art, you want the artist's proof, the AP," he said. "It's all going to depend on who made this," Chumlee added, speculating before shelling out $10,000 for an unknown artist. So it was obvious that he wanted the rare bronze figure to be examined by his close friend and art expert, Patrick Downing. "The artist is Sean Joyce. He's actually a California-based artist. He's from Connecticut, but he works out of Hollywood," Downing revealed. He also disclosed that Joyce was famous for his 80s film set artwork, including 'Golden Child,' 'Willow,' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula.'"

Downing confessed that Joyce's depiction of famous personalities wasn't a big hit in the market, and hence, the particular bronze bust sold for a mere $1,500 when it was created. "So based on auctions of his other works, the value is at $6,000," the art expert concluded. "Would you take $3,000 for it?" Chumlee offered the seller after noting that the Jordan bust wasn't much of a collector's item. "I think as of right now, I'll just hang on to it," the collector said while politely declining the offer.