Unauthorized LeBron James merch up for grabs outside Philly’s stadiums and down the Shore
Within days of LeBron James' landmark deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, T-shirt hawkers outside stadiums and along the Jersey Shore were stocked up on unauthorized Sixers gear.
T-shirt hawkers have captured LeBron James’ name, image, and likeness.
The face of the newly minted Philadelphia 76er and all-time NBA legend has already wound up on unauthorized merch outside stadiums and down the Jersey Shore, as seen in social media posts.
“I just know there’s a sixers LeBron tshirt somewhere on the wildwood boardwalk right now,” one X user posted, just hours after the two-year, $8 million contract was confirmed.
The poster followed up a day later.
“coming to you live from the wildwood boardwalk,” they wrote, alongside a photo of two T-shirts with LeBron’s face (likely) photoshopped onto No. 23 Sixers jerseys. The tweet has more than 3,500 likes.
A video from TickPick, a ticketing marketplace, also showed LeBron gear being peddled outside the Phillies’ game Saturday.
For decades, hawkers have been a fixture outside stadiums before and after games and concerts. And at the Jersey Shore, the staple mildly offensive and oft-vulgar garb has taken on its own culture.
These merchandisers aren’t beholden to trademark restrictions, capitalize on fan, not corporate, interests, and press catchy slogans onto cotton at lightning speeds.
That’s probably how King James landed at the Shore before the ink dried on the deal.
Some legitimate retailers, like Mitchell & Ness, were also quick to monetize the moment: A collection of James-Sixers swag went on sale Sunday.
As of the same day, variations of James’ Sixers jersey on the NBA’s official merch site — with a $149.99 price tag — were sold out or nearly gone.
So, perhaps at least for now, the bootleggers may have a leg up on the market.