NBA on Patrol for Cheap Miami Heat Merchandise

Submitted by Anonymous on June 20, 2013 - 4:03pm

While LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat are in a wild 2013 NBA Finals series with the San Antonio Spurs, league officials have their hands full off the court in Miami confiscating fake gear.

National Basketball Association representatives said Thursday they have seized 900 pieces of knock-off merchandise inside American Airlines Arena during the Finals, reports the South Florida Business Journal.

The NBA makes a fortune off of their official licensed merchandise, selling Miami Heat jerseys for just shy of $100. The price tag didn't stop shoppers Wednesday. When the sun rose after the Heat's sizzling come-from-behind win late Tuesday, the official fan store inside the downtown arena was packed with Heat faithful flocking to buy "White Hot" wear. The must-have item for women was a tank top with "Believe" studded across the front, similar to the type worn by Chris Bosh's wife. The tank top runs for $40. That's cheap next to a hooded sweatshirt, which fetches up to $135.

NBA officials saidcounterfeiters may have a big market for their lower cost items due to the prices. But, they claim, fake merchandise rips off the consumer in the end, because they are often poorly made.

As the Miami Heat take on the Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals Thursday at 9 pm, the official Heat store will most likely be full of White Hot fans.

Comments are now closed.