The NBA has unveiled a new clothing line "displaying area codes on some merchandise," but there is "no mention of ‘305’ on Heat apparel,” according to Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. The league instead is “displaying only Miami's secondary area code, 786, on Heat merchandise.” An NBA Store employee on Tuesday confirmed that 786 "was the only area code available" on Heat gear. The employee was unaware if there were "plans to include more numbers in the future or why 305 was excluded.” Heat Senior Dir of Group Business Communications Lorrie-Ann Diaz said, “We knew the NBA was making area code shirts but we weren’t aware that they had ultimately selected the 786 area code” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/25). In Miami, Kyle Munzenrieder wrote the NBA is “usually pretty shrewd at business and marketing, and yet somehow they've manage to screw the pooch” when it comes to the area codes merchandise. The Heat's area code range “only includes four items” -- hoodies for men and women, and adult- and youth-sized T-shirts. The clothes “appear to only be available at the moment on the NBA's online store, and not, notably, on the Heat's own online store.” This “isn't quite as bad" as when New Era accidentally featured Miami's skyline on the Jaguars' draft hats, but "somehow it feels like an even dumber mistake” (MIAMINEWTIMES.com, 11/24).
