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The NBA Store is a series of officially licensed retailers which sell merchandise for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The most prominent of these stores was located in the United States on Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York. There are two other locations in Beijing, China. The New York location sold many basketball related items and featured several attractions; it was often visited by transient players, celebrities, and political leaders. It also served as a headquarters for the NBA where the association hosts charity events. Since opening its first store in 1998, the NBA has seen increasing business opportunities in foreign markets mainly due to the influx of new international players. The biggest growth has been in China, where players Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, combined with the interest generated by the 2008 Summer Olympics, created enough demand to open two new stores. The NBA has also expanded into games like Second Life where it created a virtual NBA Store in 2007. The original Fifth Avenue store closed on February 13, 2011. The league temporarily relocated the store in a smaller space at 590 Fifth Avenue. The league is searching for a new permanent location. ==New York City== Established in the fall of 1998, the store offers free video games, a regulation basketball court, and other attractions like a life-size Shaquille O'Neal bobblehead.〔〔 Among its many products, the store sells current NBA & WNBA jerseys, replica jerseys of retired players, footwear, collectibles, photography, and other gifts.〔 It has several departments, such as a home section, where customers can buy items like pillows, plates, and other NBA related items.〔 NBA employees, including players, receive a 30% discount on their purchases. The most expensive item for sale is a $75,000 signed "framed photo collage" of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Construction involved removing beams to make space for an 36-by-54-foot hole in the bottom three floors of the existing 41 story building. Steve Candeloro has been the store's concierge since it opened in 1998.〔 The store is frequently visited by celebrities, tourists, and NBA players who are in town to play the New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets.〔〔 The NBA Store has been visited by important guests such as former President Bill Clinton, and the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who received a personal tour by NBA Commissioner David Stern. The store is also host to The NBA Store Concert Series, concert events where musical artists perform at the store's half court; some previous performers include: Michelle Branch, Destiny's Child, Run DMC, and Aaron Carter. The NBA Store in New York City allowed its customers to rent areas for birthday parties or other private celebrations and has hosted charity events in the past. During Christmas 2006, the wife of NBA player Dwyane Wade volunteered at the NBA Store Holiday Toy Drive. The New York Knicks regularly held events like Autographs for Supplies at the NBA Store where New York players like Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, and WNBA's Kym Hampton meet fans and signs items in an effort to raise school supplies for children and stress academics.〔 〕 In 2007, the store held a fashion exhibition to celebrate the Casual Male Retail Group acquisition of the men's big & tall clothing company ''Jared M.'', a company popular among athletes and celebrities for its custom sportswear; several NBA players were happy to show their support since the founder had fitted many of them in the past. In 2007, the most sold team paraphernalia were from the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and the 2006 NBA champions the Miami Heat. The following year, the Lakers and Knicks retained their top spots, but the Heat were replaced by the new 2008 NBA champions the Boston Celtics. The NBA Store's main outlet in New York was closed in February 13, 2011 due to high rent. "The amount of dollars the landlord is requiring from the next tenant, we couldn't find a way to make it work," NBA executive vice president of global merchandising Sal LaRocca said. While the league searches for a new location the store operated temporarily at 590 Fifth Avenue until August 2015. The store will reopen at its new permanent location at 545 Fifth Avenue in Winter 2015.〔(NBA.com ) Autumn 2011 in New York〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「NBA Store」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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