Jordan’s autographed – An online auction closed with Michael Jordan’s 1985 autographed Air Nike 1s selling for a record $560,000, adding to a May 17 sports calendar that spans major milestones across baseball, golf, the NBA, and global soccer.
May 17 has long been packed with sports milestones, and this year’s calendar entry ends with a price tag that grabbed attention even in an industry used to big numbers.
In 2020, Michael Jordan’s autographed Air Nike 1s trainers from 1985 sold for a record $560,000 in an online auction.
The day’s list of moments reaches back to the earliest era of American racing and beyond.. In 1875. Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby by one-quarter length over Volcano. with Churchill Downs opening in front of an estimated 10. 000 spectators for the first Derby.. Oliver Lewis rode Aristides, and Ansel Williamson trained him.
Baseball history shows up next.. In 1925, Tris Speaker recorded his 3,000th career hit off Tom Zachry in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators.. In 1970, Hank Aaron added to his legacy with an infield single off Cincinnati’s Wayne Simpson for his 3,000th hit.. Later. in 1979. Dave Kingman of the Cubs hit three home runs and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hit two as Philadelphia beat Chicago 23-22 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field; the game featured 11 home runs. 50 hits. and 109 at-bats.
Other events on May 17 track achievements across leagues and continents.. In 1915. Rhine Maiden won the Preakness Stakes. producing the only Kentucky Derby-Preakness wins by fillies in the same year; the 1915 Derby was won by Regret. who did not compete in the Preakness.. In 1930. Gallant Fox won the Kentucky Derby by two lengths over Gallant Knight to give Earl Sande his third Derby win.. Years later. in 2003. Funny Cide ran away from the field on the turn for home and finished with a near-record 9¾-length victory in the Preakness; that Preakness win was second only to Survivor’s 10-length victory in the first Preakness in 1873.. In 2008, Big Brown, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, won the Preakness Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths over Macho Again.
Golf delivered records on the same date in different eras.. In 1959, Sam Snead set a PGA record for 36 holes at 122.. In 2019. Brooks Koepka fired a 65 (-5) to set a new record for the lowest 36-hole score in a golf major at the PGA Championship at Bethpage State Park; he held a 7-stroke lead. a 36-hole tournament record.
There are also May 17 entries tied to bigger league decisions and championship runs.. In 1969, Baltimore, Cleveland & Pittsburgh agreed to go from NFC to AFC in the NFL.. In 2014. the Houston Rockets advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in 18 years after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers with a 113-100 victory; it was the ninth time in NBA history a team overcame a 3-1 series deficit to win a playoff series.. In 2018. Michigan State University agreed to pay $500 million in claims to 300 survivors of sexual abuse involving Larry Nassar—described as the largest sexual abuse case in sports history.
Elsewhere on the May 17 sports ledger: 1969 also belongs to the NFL reshuffle that moved teams between conferences. while 2008 included an English FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London (82. 752) where Portsmouth beat Cardiff City. 1-0. with Nwankwo Kanu scoring the 37′ winner.. In 2014. an FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London (89. 345) saw Arsenal beat Hull City. 3–2 (a.e.t.). with Aaron Ramsey scoring a 109′ winner.. In 2014, Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund to win the 2013–14 DFB-Pokal.. In 1974, the 18th European Cup ended with Bayern Munich beating Atletico Madrid 4-0 at Brussels.. In 1983, the New York Islanders beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
The thread tying these entries together is that May 17 keeps returning to moments defined by breaking records or changing outcomes—whether it’s Aristides winning the first Derby in a crowded Churchill Downs, a perfect-game pitching feat in 1998, or the Air Nike 1s fetching a record $560,000 in 2020.
Not every May 17 moment was about championships, though.. Some entries reflect how athletes and teams got there.. In 1998. David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.. In 1992. Betsy King captured her first LPGA Championship by a record 11 strokes over JoAnne Carner. Liselotte Neumann and Karen Noble; King’s margin broke the LPGA championship mark of 10 set by Patty Sheehan in 1984.. In 1998. LPGA Championship Women’s Golf at DuPont CC featured a 20-year-old rookie Se Ri Pak who led wire-to-wire to win the first of her 5 majors. finishing 3 strokes ahead of Donna Andrews and Lisa Hackney.
Other entries on this date include 1975. when 23-1 long shot Master Derby—ridden by Darrel McHargue—beat favored Foolish Pleasure by a length in the Preakness Stakes.. In 2000. Australia’s Susie O’Neill broke the oldest record in international swimming by winning the 200-meter butterfly. timing 2 minutes. 5.81 seconds and beating the 1981 mark by Mary T.. Meagher; Meagher’s time was 2:05.96 in Brown Deer, Wis.. In 2003. English FA Cup Final at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (73. 726) saw Arsenal beat Southampton 1-0. with Robert Pires scoring the 38′ winner for Arsenal’s 9th title.. And in 2012. Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia became the first player in Professional Bowlers Association history to win a national or senior tour title in six decades. beating Ron Mohr 220-204 in the PBA Senior Dayton Classic.
By the end of the list, the 2020 sale of Jordan’s autographed 1985 Air Nike 1s closes the day with a reminder that in sports, milestones aren’t limited to fields and courts—sometimes they show up as collectibles, and sometimes they set records in the form of a number that quickly becomes the story.
May 17 sports history Michael Jordan autographed Air Nike 1s 1985 sneakers $560 000 record Kentucky Derby Aristides Sam Snead record Brooks Koepka 36-hole record David Wells perfect game Houston Rockets 3-1 comeback Michigan State Nassar settlement
560k for shoes… rich people are wild.
So the 1985 Air Nike 1s sold for the same amount as like a house??? I don’t even get it, it’s just autographed.
Wait, I thought Jordans were from like 1990s? Also 560,000 seems fake, like they just say autographed and it’s not actually real. Who even checks that stuff?
This May 17 sports calendar thing is random as heck. I got distracted reading about that first Kentucky Derby with 10,000 spectators and now I’m back to shoes lol. Either way, 560k for a pair of sneakers is insane, could’ve bought like 10 pairs at least. Also does it say they sold in 2020 or 1985? I’m confused.