When FAO Schwarz shuttered its doors last July, every grown man’s dream of recreating the piano scene from Big went with it.
Good news. No, the world’s most storied toy store is not reopening — but something even better just arrived.
The NBA just pulled back the curtain on a sprawling, 25,000-square-foot flagship at the corner of 45th and 5th — just look for the 32-foot, full-color LED basketball net. Can’t miss it.
We swung by to check it out. The amenities — from one-of-a-kind-memorabilia to custom jerseys to pop-a-shots to a life-size LeBron bobble head — are the stuff of big-kid dreams.
Interact
Throughout the store, 46”-84” portal screens provide direct access to NBAStore.com’s vast inventory. Like a certain player? Look him up and the portal will tell you where to find his merch in the store. Other swooped-up functions includ live game streaming, in-store event listings, stat comparisons, and Facebook and Instagram connectivity.
Memorabilia
Like: a piece of the floor signed by Michael Jordan from his last all-star game. Want it? Oop! It just sold. But there’s heaps more. All day, every day. Signed balls, jerseys, shoes. More playoff memories than you can shake a towel at. It’s like a mini museum. And the pieces are constantly updated and restocked.
Custom Jerseys
Fifteen minutes and 125 bucks’ll get you any name and number you want. All thirty teams in the league available. Here’s a good thought-starter.
Size Matters
The handprints of players are impressed on the walls. Actual shoe sizes are painted on the floors. See how you measure up. There’s also a Big & Tall section. We’re talkin’ XXXXXL. That’s five Xs.
Hands-on Horseplay
Upstairs, there are two pop-a-shots for challenging your kid, pal or a stranger to a friendly game. And video games. Lots of video games. Got a middle schooler? Make their day.
Exclusives
Namely, handcrafted, life-sized bobbleheads you can only find at the NYC flagship. LeBron and Steph Curry are $22k a pop. Also see: hardwood classic jerseys. Take a history lesson in wearables. This was the gear of champions.
Slam Dunk
Free shipping on everything. Don’t live in New York? Don’t want to carry it home? Don’t worry. They’ll send it to your door gratis. Memorabilia excluded. Can’t sleep on that insurance.
On-site event announcements to come. Including a deluxe point of interest for the All-Star game. Stay tuned.
This article was featured in the InsideHook NY newsletter. Sign up now for more from all five boroughs.
