Marketplace Round-Up

Warriors Playoff T-Shirt Top Seller On NBA’s Online Store

NBA Marketing Communications Manager Kristin Conte indicated that the Warriors’ official playoff T-shirt is “now the top seller at the NBA online store.” The amount spent on Warriors gear is up 126% in the playoffs compared with the regular season (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/12). ESPN’s Mike Tirico said the yellow “We Believe” shirts being given away at Warriors home games “are going online for $60” (“NBA Shootaround,” ESPN, 5/11).

SOLE OF THE GAME: After a report that the Nike Dunk High Premium UTT LE, a new shoe bearing the name of former Negro Leaguer Josh Gibson, was not available for sale in his hometown near Pittsburgh, “Nike rushed the black, blue and red sneakers” to two local retailers. One store received nearly 40 pairs of the $90 shoes and 15 matching jerseys for $75 with Gibson’s name and number; the other received six pairs of the shoes (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/12).

ROCK & ROLL: In N.Y., Steve Friess notes Anheuser-Busch “is the engine behind” the USA Rock Paper Scissors League, which hosted 300 finalists in Las Vegas this past weekend and awarded a $50,000 prize. Beer distributors “organized tournaments at bars around the country, producing regional finalists, and the company put up the prize money and paid for each finalist and a guest to fly to Las Vegas for three days.” ESPN will televise the finals (N.Y. TIMES, 5/14).