A pair of sneakers worn by Michael Jordan in an NBA game have sold at auction for a record $US1.47 million ($A1.96m) – and they weren’t even Nike Air Jordans.

The game-worn date accounts for the branding difference, as well as much of the worth: Jordan wore the shoes during a November 1, 1984, game against the Denver Nuggets.

That’s the earliest NBA game in his career (his fifth) to produce game-worn sneakers available on the market. It also predated the launch of his Air Jordan brand with Nike.

Auction broker Sotheby’s announced the news on Instagram.

The shoes were originally gifted to a Nuggets ball boy, Tommie Tim III Lewis and were predicted to fetch between $US1 million and $US1.5 million.

The winning bid was placed by collector Nick Fiorella at the Sotheby’s Icons of Excellence & Haute Luxury auction in Las Vegas on Sunday (local time).

The previous record-holder was a pair of Air Jordans worn by Jordan during a pre-season exhibition in 1985 that fetched $US615,000.