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Sprite Unveils Commemorative Can For Cavaliers, LeBron James After Championship

Sprite will celebrate the Cavaliers' NBA championship "with a 16-ounce commemorative can available at various retailers in Ohio this week," according to Warsmith & Byard of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. The green Sprite can -- revealed yesterday by Coca-Cola -- features Cavaliers F LeBron James "wearing a Sprite-yellow basketball jersey, white arm sleeve and white headband and holding a yellow and green basketball." The can reads, "LeBron James 2016 Champion. Obey Your Thirst." James has had a deal with Sprite since '03. Sprite yesterday also "launched a social media campaign called #DapTheKing." Sprite hopes that fans will "record videos of themselves performing celebratory LeBron-style handshakes and post them on social media using hashtag #DapTheKing and tagging @Sprite" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/21). Meanwhile, CNBC's David Faber noted Nike was "quick to capitalize on the win" with a new ad that aired shortly after Game 7 ended. Events Solutions International CMO Mike Jackson called Nike an "iconic brand" and said, "Their positioning is really not so much anymore about selling product, it’s about creating this kind of movement. The fact they had that ad ready -- ‘Believe,’ which really captured consumers all over Cleveland -- keeps putting them in the hearts and minds of consumers” ("Squawk on the Street," CNBC, 6/20).

SHIRT OFF HIS BACK
: In Cleveland, Janet Cho notes local T-shirt companies "are printing new NBA Championship designs as quickly as they can, and hint that some new designs could be created for the citywide celebratory parade" tomorrow. CLE Clothing Co. Owner Mike Kubinski had "barely put out 300 of his newest T-shirt, a grey design with 'World Champs: Won & Golden,' when it sold out within hours." Kubinski yesterday "had to deliver a second batch of those T-shirts in the afternoon." Meanwhile, Fresh Brewed Tees has "at least 10 Cavs' championship-related designs, ranging from 'Two WON Six' and 'Curse Reversed' to 'Cleveland Never Quits' and 'Won Before I Died.'" Akron-based Rubber City Clothing "offered these takes" on James' roots: "Cleveland Scores a Championship: Akron Gets the Assist" and "You're Welcome Cleveland, Love Akron" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/21). In Columbus, Tim Feran notes 17 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in Ohio were open until 2:00am ET yesterday morning and reopened at 6:00am. The demand for championship shirts "was so fierce in Ohio, especially in the Cleveland area, that the various print shops authorized to produce Cavs championship shirts began working non-stop after the game ended and will continue cranking out merchandise for the next two or three days" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/21).

BOBBLE BABY BOBBLE: In Cleveland, Marc Bona noted the National Bobblehead HOF in Milwaukee is making a series of Cavaliers '16 NBA championship bobbleheads "available for presale." A dozen limited-edition bobbleheads, which start at $30 each, "are expected to arrive in November." Most are 8 inches tall. In each one, the players "are holding a replica of the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy." The depictions "will show dark jerseys -- like the ones worn" in the Cavs' clinching Game 7. However, National Bobblehead HOF Founder & CEO Phil Sklar said that they "might be available in red as well." Sklar added that they will be "numbered to 2,016 for each player, though some -- like James -- might have a higher production" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/20). 

LIMITED-TIME ONLY: Panini America yesterday used its Panini Instant real-time trading card platform to produce cards honoring players and best performances from the NBA Finals. The cards are available to order for just 48 hours. The 15 cards in the NBA Finals set feature players from both the Cavs and Warriors, including James, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green (Panini).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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