Michael Jordan Mansion -- AUCTION POSTPONED

Michael Jordan's Chicago-area mansion was PULLED OFF the auction block today ... but the sellers insist it's NOT due to lack of interest.

Jordan's people had been promoting the auction for weeks -- and even made an 8-minute infomercial to try to stoke interest in the 56,000 square foot property.

But moments before the auction was set to begin, the people in charge of the event announced the auction will be postponed until December 16.

The President of Concierge Auctions issued a statement saying, "While many bidders are already financially qualified and registered, others requested more time to visit the property and consider the purchase. In the best interest of our clients, we agreed to extend the auction date in order to allow them to do so."

The Prez added, "The interest [in the mansion] has been even stronger than we anticipated."

The home has been on the market for a while -- MJ tried to sell the place back in 2012 and asked for $29 mil ... but got no takers ... so he dropped it to $21 mil. Still, no one bit.