Lakers Set Champs Sale Record
CNBC Sports Business Reporter
The Los Angeles Lakers might have won four championships over the last decade, but its fans certainly didn't act like it.
They apparently didn't care about the economy either.
Sales from the NBA Store in New York City and on NBAStore.comreveal that the Lakers obliterated the previous 48-hour record for championship merchandise sales. In fact, Lakers fans bought so much gear that league officials said that sales doubled the record that was previously held by last year's Boston Celtics.
Linda Choong, the NBA's senior vice president of global retail development, attributed the rise in sales to the global nature of the fan base. Not only the star in Kobe Bryant, but the popularity of Pau Gasol contributing to significant sales from Europe.
"In the first 24 hours, we took orders from over 35 countries," Choong said. "Lakers gear was bought from places like Austria, Korea, Netherlands, Sweden and the Bahamas."
The NBA even got orders from Malta, Malaysia and a place called Virgin Gorda.
The best selling items were predictably the locker room hat and t-shirt. A new item, the authentic championship towel, was in the top five.
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