TORONTO – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the launch of the “NBA 75^th Shop,” a new digital retail experience for fans in Canada that pays tribute to the iconic players and moments that have shaped the growth of basketball and the NBA across the country in celebration of the league’s 75^th Anniversary Season.

Through the NBA 75^th Shop, the league will unveil 13 new, custom-designed products that will initially be released in limited quantities of 75 units or less, at key moments throughout the 2021-22 season.  Five products will be sold for $75 or less.  Fans can visit 75thShop.ca to register their interest and stay up to date on new product releases and on-sale dates.

Products in the NBA 75^th Shop will celebrate the iconic players and moments below:

• Canadian Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891

• The inaugural seasons of the Toronto Raptors, Vancouver Grizzlies and the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the precursor to the NBA

• Wilson, the official NBA game ball for the league’s first 37 seasons, including the NBA’s first-ever game, held in Toronto in 1946.  Wilson has returned as the new game ball partner, beginning with the 2021-22 season.

• The NBA Drafts in Toronto (1995) and Vancouver (1998), the first NBA Drafts to be held outside the U.S.

• The long-standing tradition of NBA games on Christmas Day

• Two-time NBA MVP, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Canadian Steve Nash, the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.  Nash is a member of the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team.

• Eight-time NBA All-Star and former Toronto Raptor Vince Carter

• Former NBA player Damon Stoudamire, the Raptors’ first-ever draft pick in 1995

• Current players Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets) and Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), the two finalists from the 2016 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star to be held outside the U.S.

• The game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals that sent the Raptors to the franchise’s first NBA Finals

• The Raptors’ first NBA Championship in 2019, which marked the first NBA Championship for a team based in Canada

“Reflecting on my time playing in Canada, I was fortunate to witness the passion that Canadians fans have for basketball and the NBA,” said former Raptors guard and current Boston Celtics assistant coach Damon Stoudamire.  “It’s an honor to be recognized among this group of iconic players and Canadian basketball moments, and I hope fans across the country share my excitement around this ‘mighty’ piece of history.”

The NBA 75^th Anniversary Season celebrations in Canada tipped off in September with “NBA Films For Fans created with OLG,” a short film programme featuring five Canadian filmmakers and basketball fans designed to celebrate Canada’s connection to the game in conjunction with the league’s 75^th Anniversary Season.  The five films debuted during a Special Event at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, and the first film – “Born Identities” by Kathleen S. Jayme – launched on Oct. 18 and is available to watch at NBA.com/FilmsForFans.

The NBA’s inaugural season took place in 1946-47 and featured 11 teams.  The NBA’s first game was held in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens on Nov. 1, 1946, when the Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers.  For the latest details on NBA 75 celebrations, including player profiles on each member of the 75^th Anniversary Team, visit NBA.com/75 throughout the 2021-22 season.

For more information, fans in Canada can follow the NBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) also jointly operate the Basketball Africa League (BAL).  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.9 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.