guard Nate Robinson to a one-year
contract in July to help fill the Derrick
Rose point guard void until "The
Return," nobody was predicting the
diminutive, gutsy sharpshooter would
be shouldering a large share of the
load for a playoff charge.
Now, the eight-year NBA veteran has
not only claimed a small spot in Bulls
lore, he's helped move a lot more
team merchandise off the e-shelves.
Chicago Bulls gear sales on the team's
official online store are up 60
percent year over year for the month
of May, according to Fanatics Retail
Group Inc., which manages the site.
Nate Robinson has been the top
internal search on the site during the
past week, and his name and
number T-shirts have been the
top-selling items on the site this
month, followed closely by those of
second-year guard Jimmy Butler.
Even shooting guard Marco
Belinelli has popped up as one of
the most popular searches on the site.
Apparel for both Messrs. Robinson and
Belinelli was only made available on
May 7 "due to the increased demand"
for their gear at the online shop, a
Fanatics spokesman said.
While it's been a strong month for
sales, however, the major revenue
boost comes only if the Bulls qualify
for the Eastern Conference Finals or
the NBA Finals.
"Once you get into those hot market
scenarios, that's what really drives
sales," the Fanatics spokesman said.
Mr. Butler, who has turned heads
throughout the season as a key piece
of the Bulls' rotation, is the top-selling
player across the board this month,
followed by Joakim Noah and Mr.
Robinson.
Nate Robinson Bulls apparel is a
novelty purchase. Chicago is his fifth
NBA team, and he will be a free agent
when this season ends.
But he's scored plenty of fans in
Chicago: dropping 34 points and
overtime heroics in a Game Four
win over the Nets; battling the
flu five days later and scoring 18
points to help win Game Six; and
shocking the Miami Heat on May 6
with 27 points and clutch shots down
the stretch in a seven-point victory.
Ten years from now, we'll likely stare
at that random Bulls fan sporting a
shirt with "Robinson" and "2" on the
back, taking a beat to remember
when and who that was. Or maybe our
smartphones will speak to us before
we even have to ask.
Regardless, it will be a reminder of a
happy time in Bulls history.
The Bulls take on the Heat tonight in
Game Three at the United Center.
And for a heartwarming retrospective
look at Mr. Robinson's season with the
Bulls, enjoy this little video from the
folks at ChicagoSide:
Post a Comment