National Dog Show 2020 It's Ruff Out There ... But Show Must Go On Even w/ COVID!!!
The National Dog Show is giving us some sense of normalcy in 2020 ... COVID be damned.
The Kennel Club of Philadelphia kept the Thanksgiving Day tradition alive with its annual dog show ... though things did look a little different out there, and understandably so. There was no crowd to cheer on the pooches prancing and strutting their stuff on the floor.
The winner this year -- a Scottish Deerhound named Claire. Congrats to the doggie!!!
And, without a crowd, it looks like the KCP borrowed a page from pro sports teams ... using cutouts of dogs and their owners to fill the seats. Those who bought cutouts were also supporting a great cause ... with proceeds going to the AKC Pet Disaster Fund.
The show -- which aired on NBC after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- complied with COVID-19 safety protocols to pull off the show, which is remarkable in and of itself.
The humans wore masks. As for the dogs ... there's usually around 2,000 competing, but this time around only 600.
Instead of two shows over the course of the weekend ... there was only one show split into two days, which were filmed on November 14 and 15. Despite all of these restrictions ... the show still managed to introduce 3 new dog breeds -- the Barbet, the Belgian Laekenois and the Dogo Argentino.
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White House Prez Guest Houses Getting New HVAC ... $2M in Taxpayer Dough!!!
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It looks like the White House may finally be listening to a recommendation from the CDC ... it's replacing the HVAC systems in some pretty historic buildings.
According to official documents, obtained by TMZ, Uncle Sam is shelling out $1,956,924.38 to replace HVAC systems at the Jackson Place Townhouse Complexes. The townhouses include the President's Guest House, better known as the Blair House, as well as a slew of other townhouses on the block that begins at 700 Jackson Place ... right near the White House.
The CDC has previously issued guidelines to employers on how to protect staff and others to slow the spread of the virus. Among the recommendation includes improving HVAC systems and/or finding ways to increase the percentage of outdoor air that makes up the air inside buildings. The order for the new HVAC systems, according to the doc, was solicited October 27 and it's slated to be completed around January 2022. It's a huge task.
The Blair House -- reserved for former presidents and other dignitaries when they're in town -- consists of 4 distinct buildings merged into one. The property has 119 rooms ... including 14 guest bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. So, yeah ... the work could take a while.
It should be noted ... it's not the first time some of the townhouses have had work done. There was $24k worth of repairs done last year, including a new HVAC system at 726 Jackson Place. There were other upgrades in 2016 costing around $60k ... but nothing along the lines of the $2 million to repair the HVAC systems for the entire townhouse complexes.
For what it's worth ... the White House itself replaced its 27-year-old HVAC system back in 2017.
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Megan Fox Files to Divorce Brian Austin Green
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Megan Fox apparently has a great thing going with Machine Gun Kelly ... good enough that she's decided to pull the trigger and divorce Brian Austin Green.
The actress filed her divorce docs Wednesday after nearly 10-and-a-half years of marriage to the '90210' star. In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Megan asks for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 3 kids and wants to terminate the ability for either her or Brian to get spousal support.
Brian filed a response agreeing to almost everything, he's checked the box for spousal support to still be on the table. Neither has indicated anything when it comes to child support.
There's also a major discrepancy when it comes to their date of separation. Megan says they were done in November 2019 and Brian lists March 5, 2020.
Brian and Megan got married back in June 2010 in Hawaii, and have 3 kids together ... 8-year-old Noah Shannon, 6-year-old Bodhi Ransom and 4-year-old Journey River.
If ya haven't heard, Megan and MGK met on the set of "Midnight in the Switchgrass" earlier this year in Puerto Rico. As you've definitely heard, they REALLY hit it off ... since the movie, she's also starred in one of his music videos and they've been seen together all over Los Angeles.
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Faizon Love There's 'White Arrogance' at Universal ... So I Sued Over Movie Poster
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3:49 PM PT -- Faizon says Universal's blatant decision to remove the only Black stars from the "Couples Retreat" movie poster is another example of "white arrogance" in Hollywood ... and he wishes he would have made a stink about it sooner.
Faizon joined us on "TMZ Live" after filing his discrimination lawsuit against the studio and he said he never got an explanation for why he and his Black co-star, Kali Hawk, were scrubbed from the overseas version of the poster.
He says execs tried to pass the buck in explaining the hard-to-miss change, and tells us the fact they tried to play dumb screams of white arrogance.
Faizon's wishing he raised a fuss way back when, because he thinks John Boyega fell victim to the same stunt on a 'Star Wars' poster.
It's pretty interesting to see Faizon lay out his suit in his own words ... and he's also got a few jokes.
Faizon Love claims he was scrubbed from a movie poster just because he's Black ... and now he's suing Universal over it.
The actor filed the lawsuit Wednesday, accusing the studio of racial discrimination for removing him from an overseas version of the "Couples Retreat" poster ... while leaving the rest of his white costars in it.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Faizon claims his name and image were erased from the poster when the movie was released outside of the U.S. He says Universal had no issues featuring Black actors in the film, but claims the studio decided to segregate white and Black talent when it came time to market to an international audience.
Faizon says he let the snub slide at first ... claiming the film's producer, Scott Stuber, promised him the overseas poster would be taken out of circulation and Universal Pictures chairman at that time, Adam Fogelson, promised he'd throw a few roles Faizon's way.
However, in the lawsuit, Faizon claims the poster without him is still being used and he never got those acting gigs he says he was promised
We reached out to Universal, which declined to comment.
Originally Published -- 1:37 PM PT
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Ryan Garcia I'll KO Luke Campbell 'Within 3 Rounds' ... I Guarantee It!!!
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Here's a pretty solid betting tip for all you boxing (and gambling) fans ...
Ryan Garcia says he's "100% sure" he'll knock out Luke Campbell in the first 3 rounds of their January fight ... adding, "I'm very, very, very sure of that."
King Ryan talked all sorts of trash about his opponent on Kevin Hart's "Cold As Balls" YouTube series ... explaining why he believes the fight could propel him to global stardom.
In fact, the 22-year-old told Hart it's downright "the biggest fight of my life so far."
"This is going to put me on, you know, that level where I get that respect," Garcia said. "I think this fight will solidify me as probably one of the best in the world right now."
Ryan is clearly oozing confidence over the upcoming fight ... and perhaps rightfully so, the dude is now 20-0 after knocking out Francisco Fonseca in the 1st round of his last tilt in February.
There's more ... Ryan also talked about his friendship with Canelo Alvarez -- and how they're still on great terms despite Canelo's messy split with promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who still reps Ryan.
"We’ve got the best relationship," Garcia said of Canelo. "We might not have the same language -- he speaks Spanish -- but, man, we get along so good."
Oscar has previously told TMZ Sports he thinks he can bring Ryan a $700 MILLION fight contract one day ... so yeah, no need to burn that bridge, right!?
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Michael Jordan Donates $2 Million to Food Shelter ... 'An Incredible Gift'
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Michael Jordan is feeling the holiday spirit -- the NBA legend just donated $2 MILLION to help feed people in need!!!
"In these challenging times and in a year of unimaginable difficulty due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to pause and give thanks," Jordan said.
"I am proud to be donating additional proceeds from 'The Last Dance' to Feeding America and its member food banks in the Carolinas in Chicago to help feed America’s hungry."
An incredible gift to be thankful for – NBA legend Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to help our neighbors facing hunger! #TheLastDance
— Feeding America (@FeedingAmerica) November 25, 2020 @FeedingAmerica
Every action makes a difference. Join Michael & visit https://t.co/ExF6iX3wr7 to learn how you can donate or volunteer this holiday season. pic.twitter.com/UVUFQlbe0p
Of course, "The Last Dance" documentary was wildly successful -- it's very cool to see MJ using that extra cash to help the less fortunate have a nice holiday.
The people at Feeding America -- which touts itself as "the largest charitable food assistance network in the U.S." -- were stoked to receive MJ's gift.
"An incredible gift to be thankful for -- NBA legend Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to help our neighbors facing hunger!"
Feed America says it works with 200 food banks and 60,000 food partners across the country -- and they're encouraging everyone who can help to pitch in!
Jordan has been super charitable this year -- back in June, he ( along with Jordan Brand) pledged $100 million over the next decade to fight racial inequality.
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White House Gift Shop Out With the Old, In With the New ... Whether Trump Concedes or Not!!!
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President Trump still hasn't conceded, but The White House Gift Shop can certainly read the writing on the wall ... it's slashing prices to unload some Trump merch.
The gift shop website is now offering several Trump-centric products at a discount -- some up to 50 percent. Most of the items can be found in the "Our Featured Products" section.
Here's a list of what's on sale ...
The President Trump American Flag Pin, regular price $24.95, is now $15.95. The pin has "45th President of The United States, Donald J. Trump" engraved on the backside.
2018 ornaments -- just in time for Christmas -- are half off. One package which is normally $350 is now available at $175, and a smaller package normally $100 is on sale for $50. In both cases, the ornaments are engraved with "New leadership, new era, new generation, new hope" on the front, and "North Korea peace talks in Singapore,” "Dow at highest levels in U.S. history" and other accomplishments on the back.
And, of course -- Trump's red hats. Both the "Keep America Great" and "Make America Great Again" styles are marked down to $34.95 from $37.95.
Meanwhile, the WH shop is also promoting the pre-order of Inauguration Coins featuring the 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The coin is priced at $100, and it says it will ship on Jan. 1 in advance of the Inauguration on Jan. 20.
So, there you have it -- whether Trump concedes or not, the gift shop has spoken.
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Kanye West to Chris Brown Yo, You're Awesome ... Here's a YEEZY truck, go off-roading!!!
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Chris Brown is the proud new owner of a massive tank-like vehicle that could probably survive an apocalypse -- and it's all thanks to a generous Kanye West.
Sources tell us Ye had a special delivery for CB Tuesday ... sending over his manager, Bu Thiam, and other personnel to drop off a YEEZY Truck at Chris' Tarzana home. The gift made a grand entrance as it rolled through Chris' gates.
We're told there was no other reason for the gift other than Kanye wanting to honor Chris' career and talent while he was still here -- so he penned a hand-written letter to that effect, saying ... "Congratulations to Chris brown, 20 years in the game you have overcome many hurdles and obstacles, you deserve the recognition for all the hard work you have put in." Kanye himself wasn't there for the handoff.
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Chris seemed pretty stoked about the gesture -- he thanked Ye on camera, and then later posed with the YEEZY Truck on his driveway.
Now, for the record ... this beast of a machine you're seeing here is actually a SHERP ATV. Kanye's been using a lot of them at his properties lately and seems to have piggybacked on Teslas' Cybertruck hype with a nickname of his own.
These things are used for extreme travel -- it can maneuver through mud, ice, snow, mountainous terrain ... you name it. A new one can retail anywhere in the ballpark of $120k too -- so they don't come cheap at all.
We know Chris has enjoyed himself some ATV time out around those parts before -- so hopefully he can put this thing to good use.
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'Kissing Booth' Star Joey King Sued Over Car Wreck ... You Busted My Car and My Shoulder!!!
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Actress Joey King crashed into another car and is taking ZERO responsibility ... so claims a man now suing her.
Parviz Mohammady is suing the 'Kissing Booth' star, claiming he was driving in the L.A. area back on February 13 when Joey merged into his lane and collided with his car. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Parviz sustained damage to the right side of his car and suffered injuries from the crash.
Parviz's attorney, Kamelia Jalilvand, tells TMZ ... Parviz was driving northbound when Joey -- who also earned critical acclaim for her role in the Hulu crime series "The Act" -- pulled out of a metered parking spot and plowed into Parviz's car. You can see the damages Joey's car suffered on the driver's side.
Kamelia tells us her client suffered a tear in his shoulder ... and says a preexisting condition made the shoulder injury even worse, requiring surgery. We're told after the collision, Parviz and Joey exchanged insurance info. No cops were called but Kamelia claims he still hasn't gotten compensated for the damage ... so now he's going after Joey in court.
Kamelia says, "Due to the collision, Mr. Mohammady sustained significant injuries, which necessitated surgical intervention. We hope that through the lawsuit, Ms. King will accept responsibility and compensate our client for his damages."
Parviz is suing for unspecified damages. We've reached out to Joey, so far no word back.
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Lori Loughlin Pays Off $150k Fine in Bribery Scandal Mossimo Pays Up, Too
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Lori Loughlin and her hubby remain behind bars serving out their sentences in the college admissions bribery scandal but at least they've checked one thing off their to-do list ... paying their fines.
According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Lori satisfied the $150k fine she was obligated to pay as part of the plea deal she struck back in October. Mossimo also ponied up for the $250k fine levied on him when he pled guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud.
As we reported ... Lori was sentenced to 2 months in prison after agreeing to plead guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. She also was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. She started serving her sentence last month.
Mossimo got 5 months behind bars, 250 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. He started serving his sentence -- with a new look -- last week.
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Peyton Manning Hosting Game Show Reboot ... 'College Bowl' Is Back!!!
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Peyton Manning stiff-armed the "Monday Night Football" gig ... but the future Hall of Fame QB found a show he's down to host -- a reboot of the 1960's game show, "College Bowl."
44-year-old Manning has signed on to host the 10-episode season of the once super-popular game show ... a quiz show which pits college students from different universities against each other.
The prize??
Well, SCHOLARSHIP $$$$!!!
The 2x Super Bowl-winning QB is pumped for the new gig (and the loads of prize money they're goin' to give away), saying ... “I’ve always loved intense college competition, so I’m thrilled to be part of the team bringing back ‘College Bowl.”
“Having personally seen the profound impact scholarships can make on deserving students, I can’t wait for the moment when we get to award life-changing scholarships to the winning team,” Manning says.
And, while Peyton is hosting the show -- which originally aired CBS and then NBC until 1970 -- he's also getting some help from his brothers, Eli and Cooper ... who are reportedly serving as Executive Producers.
It's unclear exactly when the show will premiere ... but add another Bowl to Manning's resume!!
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Tracy Morgan We All Gotta Help This Year!!! Turkey Time in the Bronx
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Tracy Morgan says we all need to do our part to help those less fortunate this year ... and he's walking the walk.
"The Last O.G." star showed up at the Mott Haven Community Center in the Bronx Tuesday to lend a helping hand with the giveaway of 1,200 turkeys by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.
As you can see ... a long line of folks in need waited to get their bird for Thanksgiving, and Tracy was a pleasant surprise ... especially for one lady.
Other than one wild turkey trying to escape, the giveaway went smoothly for the comedian ... but he wasn't done. We're told after an hour at the community center, he hit up 2 more spots to help out even more.
Tracy also volunteered with the Food Bank for New York over the weekend, doing the same thing to help an estimated 2 million New Yorkers who are hungry this holiday season.
That's roughly a 500k increase from a normal year without a pandemic, so like Tracy tells us ... at times like these, people need all the help they can get.
We've seen that giving vibe plenty in recent days -- French Montana also handed out turkeys in the Bronx, and Tyler Perry Studios held a massive food drive giveaway in Atlanta.
Dr. Dre, Nick Cannon and others did the same in Compton as part of the Feed Your City Challenge, and it's pretty evident ... charity is still a top priority in 2020.
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Netflix Yanks 'Chappelle's Show' ... At Dave's Request
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Dave Chappelle just flexed his industry muscles big time -- he asked Netflix to pull his old Comedy Central sketch show from their service ... and they actually did.
The comedian broke the news Tuesday in a new stand-up segment he posted called 'Unforgiven' -- where, in front of a live audience, he talked about how he recently called up Netflix and told 'em how displeased he was that they were streaming 'Chappelle's Show.'
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In his act, Dave recounts how it went down. Long story short, he says he has no say, rights or rights to revenue over the show -- it belongs to Comedy Central, which belongs to Viacom -- and that it's perfectly legal for Viacom to do what it wants with it since he signed a deal years ago. But, he also asks ... is that right?
Apparently, Dave posed that question to Netflix as well -- and the honchos either agreed with him, or just wanted to keep him happy. Either way, "Chappelle's Show" is off the platform ... something they didn't legally have to do.
It speaks to the relationship Dave shares with Netflix -- he's churned out special after special with them for a few years now ... which have been wildly successful.
Clearly, Netflix respects him enough to honor his wishes and to keep that partnership going. Dave forecasted his frustration about Netflix and HBO Max landing rights to stream 'Chappelle's Show' in his SNL monologue just earlier this month.
He made it clear then ... he didn't make a dime off the licensing deals, and worked the revelation into a bit about being bought and sold like a slave.
BTW, HBO Max is still streaming 'Chappelle's Show' right now. Unclear if they're planning to follow suit -- but based on Dave's history with the network ... he's probably not holding his breath.
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MMA Champ Uses $1 Million Prize Money To Feed Thousands In Argentina
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No fancy car. No fancy Rolex -- MMA fighter Emiliano Sordi spent his $1 MILLION prize money on something much more important.
HE USED EVERY CENT TO FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE IN HIS HOME COUNTRY!
Amazing, right?!
The 29-year-old earned his $1 mil check by winning the Professional Fighters League light heavyweight season and playoffs in 2019. Dude can fight.
Now, Sordi -- AKA "He-Man" -- is revealing how he spent the dough ... and it'll warm even the coldest of hearts.
The Argentinian fighter says the COVID pandemic has been especially brutal in his home town of Rio Cuarto -- and in an interview with the Hablemos MMA podcast on Monday, he explained why he felt compelled to step up and help.
"Everything here is very rough," Sordi said (via MMA Junkie). "The economy is very bad. The situation is looking very ugly."
"We started giving food to about 300 people and we got to a point where we gave food to 3,000. So economically, I didn’t enjoy any of [the $1 million prize]."
Sordi said he worked with the city to obtain the proper permits to deliver food throughout the area via pickup truck from March through August ... and the operation grew as time went on.
"I didn’t buy anything. I didn’t go on vacation. I mean, I was locked at home. But I used those resources to help people who were going through a rough time."
Emiliano (22-8) says despite his efforts, there are still folks in need ... but he understands he's made an impact with what he's done so far.
"I did what I could," Sordi added. I invested my money in something that brought me satisfaction and it was just that: helping those who were hungry. And to this day, there’s people who are still living in hunger."
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Ricky Schroder Calls Cops Over Online Attacks ... After Helping Kyle Rittenhouse Post Bail
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Ricky Schroder's getting so much hate for helping accused murderer Kyle Rittenhouse make bail, he reported it to cops ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... deputies responded to a call from Schroder Sunday and stopped by his home to review various negative social media posts directed at the "NYPD Blue" actor.
While they weren't life-threatening, some of the comments were pretty nasty ... "Tbh thought he was dead. Would've been better," "This was a racist move pure and simple," and "Ricky Schroder can shove that silver spoon right up his own ass."
Celebs including Bette Midler weighed in too, saying, "Who knew he could be so malevolent?"
We're told cops determined none of the online comments rose to the level of a criminal threat ... so the officers just took a suspicious circumstances report and left.
Our sources say Schroder will be in contact with authorities if things escalate, and we're told police are monitoring the situation.
As we reported ... Schroder donated $150k to the 17-year-old's bail fund, which the teen's attorney, Lin Wood, said helped them post $2 million bail to get Rittenouse out of jail while he awaits trial for murder.
Some of the outcry is obviously harsher than others ... but you get the idea.
As for Rittenhouse ... he's accused of shooting and killing 2 men and wounding a third during the protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. He's claiming he acted in self-defense.
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Michael Jordan Air Jordans from '91 Finals Hit Auction ... Expected to Fetch $750k
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Michael Jordan collectors are gonna LOSE THEIR MINDS -- because some of the most coveted shoes from his career are hitting the auction block for the first time ever.
First, check out the black and red Jordans that MJ rocked during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in 1991 ... the year Jordan won his first NBA championship.
The kicks were signed by MJ and gifted to Sonny Vaccaro -- the former Nike executive who signed His Airness to his first sneaker deal.
And now, Vaccaro is putting them on the auction block through Goldin Auctions, where the shoes are expected to fetch between $500k and $750k!!!
"In my 6-decade career in basketball, I was fortunate to spend 7 years working together with Michael Jordan during my time at Nike, and these Air Jordans represent the moment that he became the most iconic athlete on the planet, as well as the culmination of my career and friendship with Jordan," Vaccaro said in a statement.
"Worn during his very first NBA Championship with the Bulls, and the first for Nike with Jordan, the sneakers were a gift from Jordan to commemorate this amazing achievement."
"The sneakers have remained in my collection for 30 years, and as Jordan’s legacy has only grown as the undisputed greatest of all time, I feel that now is the time to share them and their story with a new generation."
There's more ... Goldin Auctions also MJ's 1985-86 game-used Air Jordan Dunk Sole Sneakers -- 1 of only 5 pairs known to exist!
Goldin says these are the first pair to ever hit the public auction block -- and are expected to hit the $800,000 mark!
"The sneakers are a classic pair of red and white Air Jordans worn during Jordan’s second season, which have the black Nike swoosh logo on each side and the original Air Jordan logo on the ankle," Goldin says.
"Jordan returned from injury during the March 15th, 1986 game against the Milwaukee Bucks after recovering from his broken foot, and he wore variations of the Air Jordan 1s for the remainder of the season."
The shoes also contain a Nike code which show the letters "PS" -- which means they were a "Player Sample," not made for the masses.
Bottom line ... MJ memorabilia is still in super high demand -- and someone is gonna get a sick Christmas present.