Sports fans love gear, and Dallas’ first NBA Finals appearance since 2011 gives supporters the perfect excuse to freshen up their closets.
According to a team representative, the Mavericks’ online merchandise sales increased 164% during the playoffs. From the Western Conference semifinals through the Finals, the team saw a 125% increase.
Some Dallas sports apparel stores, including Academy Sports & Outdoors and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores, opened after hours late Thursday night to sell official locker room NBA championship merchandise after the final buzzer sealed the Mavericks’ victory and secured their place in the Finals. Stores stayed open until around midnight, and some even opened two hours early on Friday morning, to meet fan demand for Mavericks playoff apparel.
Finals merchandise included shirts and hats priced from $35 to $50. Dallas-Fort Worth area stores were lined with blue, black and white clothing that said “Finals” and “Playoffs” — the second time this has happened to fans and retailers in the area in less than a year, since the Texas Rangers reached and won the World Series in November.
Alex Pedraza, a cashier at Academy Sports + Outdoors on Northwest Highway, described the celebratory mood Thursday night: Fans began lining up outside the store before the game ended, and when the clock struck zero, air horns blew, music started playing and people started cheering.
“everyone is [from] “Dallas came together and celebrated together,” Pedraza said. “It felt different than anything I’ve ever felt before… We were all celebrating together and we did this together.”
Pedraza worked from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., returning around 9 p.m. to sell to fans. The store stayed open until about midnight, and would have stayed open until 3 a.m. if rain and flood warnings hadn’t been issued. Pedraza said that during games, a loudspeaker announced each play outside the store, and cheers could be heard from inside the store.
“People are in high spirits. They were ready to party and celebrate last night,” Pedraza said. “It’s good to see how people in this community are doing that … and finally saying Dallas is on top.”
Pedraza said he bought three shirts for himself and his family on Thursday and plans to buy more if the Mavericks win a championship. He was 7 years old when Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks won the team’s first and only championship in 2011 and remembers the celebratory parade.
Academy managers and employees were not allowed to view the merchandise until after the match.
“We don’t get to finally see the items until the final buzzer goes,” said David Nail, manager of Academy’s Northwest Highway store, “so we’re witnessing it just as much as our customers are. As soon as the final buzzer goes, we’ll open the boxes. … It’s going to be a great Christmas for everybody.”
Nail said he recalled that the stores had recently reopened to sell Rangers merchandise and may reopen after hours if the Stars advance. If the Mavericks win the championship title, the Academy will immediately reopen its 12 stores across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a representative said. Dallas Morning NewsNew merchandise will continue to arrive in stores throughout the week.
The shopping rush continued into Friday at The Hangar, the main Mavs and Stars fan shop at the American Airlines Center, with some fans taking the day off work to avoid the crowds and grab some coveted merchandise before they sold out.
Jacob Mesa, a 25-year-old die-hard fan who plans to get a Mavs tattoo on his ankle if Dallas wins, couldn’t think of any gear he was missing other than designer shoes, but he did splash out on an oversized chain and a blanket. Jesse Keanejad, 33, is a lifelong Dallas resident and became a season-ticket holder this season. A win has inspired him to “get more invested in the team,” which means a clean NBA Finals T-shirt and a Doncic jersey for his little cousin.
According to team representatives, the Luka Doncic City Edition Swingman Jersey has consistently been the team’s best-selling item, with the Kyrie Irving Association Swingman Jersey a close second.
Jason Otts, 42, came from Wylie with his brother to see the arena’s Dirk Nowitzki statue and check out the merchandise selection, but the store didn’t have the NBA Finals hats he and his son wanted. Still, he bought three tickets to Game 3 from a friend while he was in the store, continuing his streak of attending Dallas championship games since rooting for the Rangers in Arizona in last year’s World Series.
Some recent transplants to the Dallas area are attracted to the Mavs’ success and want to root for them.
Temachia Hawthorne, 48, of Mesquite, bought NBA Finals T-shirts and other merchandise online after Dallas’ Game 5 win, but was downtown on Friday to buy a Doncic jersey for her young granddaughter. Armie Arca moved to Texas from Florida just three years ago, but drove an hour from her home in Aledo to the American Airlines Center on her day off to buy two Mavs shirts and one Stars shirt.
Arca said the postseason run was truly “the prelude to all those wins.”
