Akron’s Rubber City Clothing got a jump on its competitors, posting its unique Cavs victory T-shirt designs on Saturday, the day before the Cleveland team won the NBA championship.
“We knew it was going to happen,” co-owner Greg Kiskadden said Monday afternoon as his downtown store was doing a brisk business.
The store, known for its Akron and Northeast Ohio-centric messaging, is offering three different designs, one that says “You’re Welcome Cleveland, Love Akron,” another that proclaims “Cleveland Scores a Championship, Akron Gets the Assist,” and a third that shows negative phrases from Cleveland sports lore like “The Drive” and “The Shot” in a rearview mirror.
“This changes everything,” Kiskadden said of the long-awaited victory, getting teary-eyed.
Rubber City is among numerous local and national retailers offering different ways for happy Cavs fans to mark the team’s historic win Sunday night, which ended a 52-year title drought for Cleveland and featured Akron native LeBron James being crowned Most Valuable Player.
Rubber City, located at 18 N. High St., doesn’t yet have the Cavs victory images in the store, though they are available for pre-order in the store and on the website, www.rubbercityclothing.com/.
Another local T-shirt company, the Social Dept., based in West Akron, will have a popup event from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Square Records, 824 W. Market St. in Highland Square. The company will offer past Cleveland designs as well as a few new ones to mark the championship.
“We’re sort of designing as we go, based on superstition,” said owner Andy Taray. “We didn’t want to do them before.”
Akron-area Dick’s Sporting Goods stores opened after the Cavs’ late Sunday victory and again at 6 a.m. Monday, doing such a bustling business that a store manager said it was busier than the last Black Friday. The Chapel Hill store sold out of adult-size T-shirts by noon Monday, with plans to get more in as soon as possible. Shirts are also available on the store’s website.
Fans, many of whom stood in line for several hours, appeared upbeat despite the wait.
“This is my Father’s Day gift to me,” said Franko Rivera of Copley, holding his prized shirt.
Rivera said he may not wash the shirt. “I don’t want to get it faded,” he said.
Sharon Strobach and Susan Shafer made trips to both Dick’s and Rubber City Clothing on Monday and got T-shirts from both. Strobach is from Hudson, while Shafer is visiting from Tennessee. Strobach said the stores offer different types of T’s.
“We knew we wanted something fun and unique,” she said, of their Rubber City stop.
Cavs goodies
For Cavs fans with a sweet tooth, Acme has cookie cakes, cupcakes and other bakery products that feature the team’s colors.
Local Acmes also have $5 T-shirts to mark the win, available at the front of the stores. The shirts aren’t official licensed apparel, which is why they are less expensive than shirts from other retailers that generally run $22 to $25.
“This is a great way for the community to show its pride in the Cavs,” said Katie Swartz, an Acme spokeswoman.
Special cans
Sprite will celebrate James’ and the Cavs’ victory with a 16-ounce commemorative can available at various retailers in Ohio this week.
The Sprite-green can — revealed Monday by Coca-Cola Co. — features LeBron, wearing a Sprite-yellow basketball jersey, white arm sleeve and white headband and holding a yellow and green basketball.
The can boasts: “LeBron James 2016 Champion. Obey Your Thirst.”
James has had a deal with Sprite since 2003, when he was the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick by the Cavaliers. The limited edition can has regular Sprite. LeBron’s Mix — combining Sprite with cherry and orange — was on shelves last year and in 2014.
Also Monday, Sprite launched a social media campaign called #DapTheKing.
Sprite hopes that fans will record videos of themselves performing celebratory LeBron-style handshakes and post them on social media using hashtag #DapTheKing and tagging @Sprite.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter: @swarsmithabj. Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.