The day before the NBA lockout began, we showed you what NBA.com was going to look like. But one facet of the site that no one was really talking about was NBAStore.com – your one-stop shopping destination for all your NBA gear needs. And with the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City having been closed since February, NBA fans searching for their favorite player’s jersey were in limbo.
So with NBA.com in full lockout mode, and no images or video to be seen, you might think that jerseys with NBA players’ names on them would be off limits, right? Think again. According to Mike Bass, Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications who oversees all business and marketing communications for the NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League, you can currently buy a Ricky Rubio replica, Dirk Nowitzki authentic or other current NBA player jerseys on NBAStore.com and that’s lockout kosher.
“We have a separate agreement with the players union related to merchandise,” says Bass, “and we have an obligation to continue selling.”
But what about the rookies?
“Based on the uncertainty surrounding our collective bargaining agreement, adidas is not yet offering rookie jerseys.”
Or are they? As you may know, you can go onto NBAStore.com and customize your own jersey if you’d like. So my next logical question was whether or not rookie names would go through in customization. The answer is yes.
Want a Kyrie Irving maroon Cavs jersey? Do it. How about a Jimmer Fredette purple Kings uni? All yours. And if you need help, here’s a compilation of all the numbers that the NBA’s incoming rookies will be wearing this season.
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