NBA to open flagship on Fifth Avenue — again

The National Basketball Association is set to open a flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue next week. And according to media reports, it includes lots of attenting-getting flourishes.

The centerpiece of the new three-level store, which comes some four years after the NBA closed its previous flagship on Fifth Avenue, will be a 32-foot-tall basketball net with 31,000 LEDs that reaches up to the second floor, Women’s Wear Daily reported. The net, visible from the street, is topped with sculpture designed to replicate a basketball tread.

Other store highlights as reported by WWD include a 400-sq.-ft. video wall on the main floor that will show show league news, game highlights and social media posts; a chandelier featuring 68 Spalding basketballs; Pop-A-Shot machines; video game kiosks; and interactive screens where customers can find out about their favorite players, teams, game recaps as well as buy NBA tickets and access NBAStore.com. The screens will be located throughout the space. There is also a wall graphic that invites shoppers to “measure up” against some legendary players.

In terms of merchandise, the store will offer some 75,000 units of from 60 licensees, the report said, and include some exclusive and limited-edition product.

Gensler, Kurt Salmon and TAD Associates collaborated with NBA on the development of the store.