On our way to work, me and my wife Denise usually pass by the NBC network office at the Rockefeller Center along 48th St. as there is a cheap Chinese take-out diner in the vicinity. After we bought our food last Monday morning, there was a sizeable crowd gathered around a pop-up store on 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Since we still had a little time, we checked what it was all about.
It was the final two days of the NBA Tip-Off Comic Drop showing limited-edition superhero inspired comic books featuring stars of all 30 NBA teams. This is NBC Sports’ promotional campaign celebrating Year 2 of the NBA on NBC and was the first time that a network had telecasted an NBA Tip-Off triple header. Yes, I completely forgot about this as the comic giveaways began in the first week of October in selected areas around Manhattan.
The promotional issue has five collectible covers with designs that show the triple header opening night matchups, the New York Knicks starting five and the main stars of the opening night matchups on three other covers - Cade Cunningham (DET) and Jayson Tatum (BOS), LeBron James (PHI) and Jalen Brunson (NYK) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) and Victor Wembanyama (SAS).
We didn’t know that they were already giving away those comic books early that morning, so we proceeded to work. Denise got off early afternoon and on the way home, she passed by the area and decided to line up. After an hour and 15 minutes on the line, she got a copy. Clueless, she sent me a photo asking me who’s the player inside the booth. It was Ron Artest/Metta World Peace interacting with the crowd.
The contents mainly are a recap of the previous Finals and a preview of all 30 teams done in typical comic book artwork. LeBron has overstuffed biceps, Stephen Curry as a Roman warrior, Kyrie Irving looks like a western gunslinger, Kevin Durant depicted like a Voltes 5 hybrid, Tatum looking like a toned-down Green Lantern, Wemby as an elongated Django and Luka Doncic looks like Iron Man who forgot his mask.
We went early the next day and when we got to 30 Rock before 9am, there was already a long line. Denise asked the first guy on the line what time he was there and said he came in a little past 7am. The things you do for freebies. Long story short, we got our comic books, a copy of the NYK starting five and three copies of the tip-off matchups as you can’t choose which.
For the love of the game and for collectibles, I lined up. Denise, since she got off earlier than me, lined up again in the afternoon. Not for the love of the game but for the love of the husband. Charot.