MELBOURNE – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Fanatics, a digital sports platform and one of the largest global providers of licensed sports merchandise, today announced an expanded multiyear collaboration to open the first brick-and-mortar NBA Stores in Australia beginning this year.  The expanded collaboration builds on the NBA’s existing relationship with Fanatics, which currently operates NBAStore.com – the league’s global e-commerce site – and 21 international NBA Store e-commerce sites.

The first NBA Store in Australia is located at the Emporium Melbourne in Victoria.  The second NBA Store will open in Sydney, New South Wales, in the near future.  The flagship NBA Stores are operated by retail giant Lids – which operates the NBA’s flagship stores in New York, London and Paris, as well as an upcoming store in Berlin – building on Lids’ physical retail expertise to provide fans with an authentic NBA shopping experience.  On Tuesday, Aug. 16, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who is making his first trip to Australia, will visit the Melbourne store and interact with fans.

Both NBA Stores will feature a wide assortment of official NBA and WNBA team and league-branded merchandise and memorabilia, including exclusive hyperlocal NBA products, apparel, jerseys, headwear, sporting goods and collectibles from major brands such as Nike, Mitchell & Ness, New Era and Wilson.  The stores will also offer advanced on-site customization services for fans to personalize jerseys and hats – a signature feature available at multiple Lids retail locations.  Additionally, the stores will feature several interactive experiences, including NBA 2K booths, NBA player height match-ups, and more.  In celebration of Melbourne’s culture, the NBA Store there features a dedicated section showcasing artwork created by a local artist. 

“Lids is thrilled to collaborate with the NBA to bring its first NBA flagship stores to Australia,” said Lids President Brittan Maughan.  “Australia is one of the strongest international markets for the NBA and has a pedigree of producing great players.  Both stores will offer the widest variety of NBA products for fans, who will also be able to individualize their products through custom embroidery on their purchases.”

“The first brick-and-mortar NBA Stores in Australia reflect our continued commitment to engaging fans in Australia, who are among the most passionate in the world,” said NBA Asia Vice President, Global Merchandising Lesley Rulloda.  “We recognize the appetite for all things NBA in Australia, and our collaboration with Fanatics and Lids will help us meet the growing demand for NBA and WNBA team-branded products by offering expansive physical retail spaces for fans to come together and celebrate their shared love of the game.”

There are more than 400 NBA-branded retail stores and attractions worldwide that serve as the league’s official destinations for fans around the world.  NBA fans in Australia can continue to shop online at NBAStore.com.au – the official online NBA Store in Australia operated by Fanatics – for NBA products featuring all 30 NBA teams.

For a full list of Fanatics’ global partners, visit www.fanaticsinc.com.  For more information about the NBA, fans in Australia can visit The Sporting News Australia and follow the NBA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Fanatics
Fanatics, Inc. is the ultimate one-stop sports fan destination that ignites and harnesses the passion of fans and maximizes the presence and reach for preeminent sports partners globally.  Leveraging long-standing relationships with more than 900 sports properties, a database of more than 80 million consumers worldwide and a trusted brand name, Fanatics is furthering its innovation across the sports landscape by building the leading global digital sports platform, complete with offerings including licensed merchandise, trading cards and collectibles, digital collectibles and NFTs, and online gambling and iGaming.

About Lids
Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico through almost 2,000 retail locations.  Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group carries officially licensed and branded gear aimed at empowering customers to represent their unique and individual style, team, passion and fun.  Lids Sports Group operates stores under the Lids, Locker Room by Lids, Fanzz, Yankees Clubhouse Shops, Dodgers Clubhouse, Cardinals Clubhouse, and numerous other nameplates.  Lids also has locations within select Macy’s department stores nationwide.  To find a retail location near you visit blog.lids.com or join the #LidsLoyal on Instagram (@lids), Facebook (@lids), Twitter (@lids), or LinkedIn.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, 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 200 countries and territories on all seven 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 2.1 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.