NBA Memorabilia is Going to Soar

By Trey Cosby 

I never thought I would say it since I haven't been following the NBA for many years, but this league has made a believer out of me once again.  I quit watching a long time ago simply because the talent level had fallen off so much since the days of Bird, and Magic and Jordan.  Let's face it, those were the good ole' days!

However, with the mix of talent young and old that exists in the league right now, I think there are lots of folks who are changing their minds and beginning to take interest once again.  I am telling you, this league now has more talent spread across the board than ever before!

Right around Christmas time was when I began watching the NBA again.  There were some good games, the Lakers were stumbling, and the West was improving but it was missing the uplifting spark you see now that all those wonderful trades have been made.

You've got to hand it to David Stern and the owners of those prospective teams.  They made this league so much fun to watch now on a nightly basis that I wish there was a game on every night.

Shaq is in Phoenix!  Jason Kidd is in Dallas!  Lebron got a whole new team to work with!  Gasol is now donning the purple and gold of the Lakers!  The Rockets just went on a long winning streak!  The Spurs have won seven in a row!  The New Orleans Hornets are the greatest NBA story to come along in years!  I am so excited with this league now I can hardly stand it.

There are nine teams in the West that have a very good chance of winning 50 games.  That is unheard of—can you believe a 50-win franchise has a chance of not even making the playoffs?  I can't wait to see how it all shakes out.

In the East, the Pistons are the best team right now but I wouldn't count out the Cavs and Lebron's new cast.  They are going to become a force as we move on deeper into the most vital part of the season.  In the end it will come down to the Celtic's experience and leadership, the Piston's awesome team defense and hungry attitude and the Cav's transition to the trade and how Ben Wallace and Wally Scerbiak will gel with Lebron's style of play. 

Even my lowly Hawks made a blockbuster trade by getting Mike Bibby, the point guard we have needed for YEARS!  What got into them?  With Joe Johnson's scoring, Bibby's play-making ability, Josh Smith's ability to score and rebound, and the chemistry that Josh Childress, and Al Horford, and Marvin Williams provide, even the ATLANTA HAWKS are going to be in the playoff hunt.

I don't know about you, but that excites the stuffing out of me.  I never thought it could be possible but the NBA is my favorite league as of right now.

NBA arenas will soon see fans turning out in stronger numbers than ever.  Never before have there been so many good teams, with so many unbelievably talented players. Can you imagine how good Chris Paul is?  Did you see Dwight Howard in the greatest dunk contest we have witnessed to this day?  For God's sakes CHRIS BOSH is scoring points in this league like it is going out of style.

Teams are rejuvenated and players are actually having fun.  This NBA basketball game is Hot right now!  Shaq jerseys and t-shirts are being sold by the ton.  Jason Kidd autographed basketballs are selling off the charts.  NBA posters, and shoes, and DVDs are going to go through the roof as we get closer to the playoffs.

I swear to God Almighty that I want to buy jerseys right now from about 15 teams.  That is hilarious considering the fact that I hated this league for almost 10 years!  I might even end up picking up some basketball cards which I never would have done if those incredible blockbuster trades would have never been made.  Don't you feel the same way?

Who cares if the experiments work or not?  I don't.  If Shaq doesn't make the Suns a championship caliber team, I don't give a rip.  I am just excited to see the team and the city get behind him and support him so much.  The trade generated interest.  PERIOD.

With interest comes memorabilia sales hikes.  See what I mean?  Sportsmemorabilia.com and similar companies don't give two coin flips whether or not the teams all win and make the playoffs, and neither do I.  They care that so many people who are just like me, are becoming NBA fans again, and it is going to show by the merchandise that those fans purchase.

Like I said, this is going to be the year where I myself, will purchase more NBA apparel, and basketballs, and gift cards... or whatever than any time previously.  Point being that I enjoy this league again.

So if 20 percent of the population begins to take a liking to the NBA, like they did when they were kids, the memorabilia companies are going to be sitting on a new found GOLDMINE.

They will be sitting pretty even if it is only a 10 percent hike.  I personally think that when people start watching games one by one just to see the new players on their new teams they will begin to find themselves looking for the schedule to see when certain players are playing.  So they will start by watching their hometown teams, and eventually they will do like I did, and watch almost all the games because of the talent level in the league.

So there you have it.  Blockbuster trades with players moving all over the place is what Americans are looking for.  We are tired of the same old same old.  We love it whenever change takes place.  So if I was going to give David Stern a grade as far as how he was managing the league, I would have to give him an A.  A job well done indeed.

Now that he is entertaining the offer to start up a slew of NBA teams in Europe the NBA memorabilia blast is going to spread worldwide.  I would have to call that a wonderful marketing strategy.

NBA Trades + Sports Memorabilia = $$. 

This is a perfect time to get out there and support your favorite NBA teams.  If you don't have a favorite team, pick a favorite player.  Most players out there now are men of integrity and right standing.  If you want a role model, pick Dwight Howard.  That man is a gem of a human being.

Lebron James is a force in every area of life.  Chris Paul is a class act who learned from one of the classiest coaches around in college, the beloved Skip Prosser (coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons) who died last summer.  The NBA is a league of winners now.  I never thought in a million years that I would come back but I am here to stay! 

The playoffs are going to be something special, so do yourself a favor:  Log on to Sportsmemorabilia.com and grab a jersey, then sit back and watch as this unique and inspiring story unfolds.  The NBA championship team of 2008 is really going to earn their stripes.  Until next time...