“A lot of tourists come through here, so there’s definitely strong demand for international players’ jerseys,” Brian tells me inside the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Outside, Fifth Avenue is packed.
There’s something about Manhattan that makes you feel like you’re standing at the center of the world – caught up in this giant wave of energy, everyone moving with it.
It’s around noon when we walk into the store. There are plenty of people inside, but compared to the chaos on Fifth Avenue, it almost feels calm.
The first thing you see?
Knicks jerseys.
Jalen Brunson front and center, followed by OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“More or less the same,” Ray, a young employee with an earring, tells me when I ask whether jersey sales have gone up since the Knicks won the championship.
He must see the look on my face, because he smiles and quickly adds:
“But that’s a good thing! They always sell really well.”
Wemby Sold Out, Jokić Upstairs
Jerseys go for $140.
Not just the Knicks ones. There’s LeBron James – and it still feels strange seeing that name on a Sixers jersey – Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry and plenty of others.
Two names are conspicuously missing from the busiest part of the store: Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
You can find them upstairs, tucked away in a corner.
Victor Wembanyama?
Nowhere to be found.
“Sold out!” Ray explains.
He’s more willing than Brian to put some numbers on things.
“I’d say we sell around 200 Wembanyama jerseys a month. Dončić does really well, too. Jokić has slowed down a little lately.”
The Knicks’ championship run has also brought plenty of new merchandise. Championship caps go for $45 to $50, while T-shirts are $50.
MJ Is Still MJ
Upstairs, the first thing that catches my eye is a collection of throwback Knicks jerseys.
Patrick Ewing. Latrell Sprewell. And… Jeremy Lin.
Linsanity still sells.
His jersey goes for $155.
Then I overhear one guy talking to his friend as he points to a black Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey.
“I think this is the coolest jersey ever.”
Price?
$250.
Brian tells me it’s the store’s best-selling jersey. Still.
“MJ is MJ,” I say.
Brian nods.
“A lot of people ask for Stockton, too,” he adds.
For seasoned NBA fans – let’s not say older ones – this floor is a feast.
Scottie Pippen. Toni Kukoč. Even a Kevin Durant Seattle SuperSonics jersey from his rookie season.
That one goes for $165, the same price as Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers jerseys.
Better Than a Candy Store
“Who’s your favorite NBA player outside of the Knicks?”
I overhear two friends talking as I wander around and come across a hoodie covered in the logos of all 30 NBA teams.
Price: $120.
“Gotta say Kobe,” comes the answer.
Nuggets hoodies. Mavericks. Suns. Eighty dollars each.
Then a little boy spots a row of jerseys.
“Dad, look at this!”
He’s not pointing at any one of them. He’s pointing at all of it.
I know the feeling.
Forget the candy store. For an NBA fan, this is the real thing.
“Enjoy the US Open,” Ray calls out as I leave, while a line slowly starts to form at the register.
Maybe I’ll come back for a jersey.
We’ll see.
