This summer, the Knicks are stealing the spotlight from the World Cup.
In New York City, the excitement for the Knicks is eclipsing the usual frenzy for FIFA at the sole Dick’s Sporting Goods outlet. Basketball enthusiasts are finding themselves disappointed as team merchandise sells out rapidly, while soccer gear remains largely ignored.
“Monday was absolute chaos here,” shared Yesenia Peña, a representative at the Glendale, Queens store.
“We received 300 locker room hats, like the ones worn when they clinched their victory, and they were all gone within an hour,” she explained.
“I’ve seen grown men brought to tears,” Peña added.
Die-hard Knicks supporter Ron Rubino snagged his own NBA Finals T-shirt on Wednesday afternoon, wearing a vintage 1999 shirt from the Knicks’ last finals appearance with the slogan, “I still believe!”
â27 years Iâve waited to get a new one,â the 62-year-old said.
Despite being in one of the most diverse and international areas of the world, the Queens Dicks’ gargantuan World Cup merchandise section — featuring Adidas “away” jerseys for various soccer teams and 2026 FIFA World Cup-branded merch — appear to have been all but forgotten.
âYeah, the Knicks are selling more,â the store clerk remarked.
The Queens location was one of roughly 20 sites in the tri-state area to reopen to the public at 10 p.m. following Monday’s 130-93 win against the Cavaliers to a line of customers eagerly waiting for a chance to grab orange-and-blue swag.
Despite getting three different shipments from FedEx daily, the merchandise is consistently running low while emotions are running higher than ever, die-hard Knicks fan Peña said.
âWe might’ve had, like, 20 people out there [Monday night] waiting to buy this shirt,â Peña said, âbecause this is what the players wore.â
This historic postseason scramble serves as a test of the e-commerce market’s ability to sling Knicks gear against brick-and-mortar retailers, Sportico first reported.
Since the Knicks’ last NBA Finals game two decades ago, Modell’s Sporting Goods, City Sports and Sports Authority have all gone out of business, the outlet noted.
Other online retailers, like the NBA’s official e-commerce partner Fanatics, may not ship to New York until June.
âWe are pushing this product because … you gotta be in the in the now, right?” Peña said. This is what’s happening right now.”
The store has been ransacked of nearly all Knicks menswear, she said, with women’s and kids sizes running “very low.
âThey’re emotional,” she said of the fans.
“They come in, and they’re happy,” she said, “and they start talking to strangers because everyone has something in common.”
