Archive for lebron james
LeBron Signs Only for Upper Deck
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the cool things about working for Upper Deck is that we have a few exclusive autograph signers on board with us including the NBA’s reigning league MVP, LeBron James. Why just this past Tuesday, Jan. 11, I had the chance to meet up with LeBron in Los Angeles and watch him sign his name a few hundred times on items ranging from Miami Heat jerseys (home, away and alternate versions) and basketballs, to action prints and Nike game-worn shoes. Exhibiting the same poise he shows on the court, LeBron provided the Upper Deck Authenticated representatives with consistently solid signatures on each of the various memorabilia items that were placed in front of him.
SWEET SIG: LeBron James really enjoys signing his John Hancock for Upper Deck Authenticated.
He also gave me nearly eight minutes’ worth of a video interview which we are fine-tuning right now and should have posted to the UD Blog within the week. But just to give you a glimpse of what “The King” had to say, he talked about how the Heat are starting to blend together nicely: “I think it’s coming along great,” he said. “We’re doing the things that need to be done. The process has been to just get better every day and to this point it’s been great.” He also talked about this year’s Heat establishing the best start in franchise history (30-8): “Coming into the season, we knew it was going to be a challenge,” he said. “A lot of sacrifices were made, on the court and off the court. We knew it was going to take a little bit of time for us to get to know each another on the court and once we figured that out, we knew we could play with the best of the teams and play at a high level.”
He also discussed what it’s like sharing on-court responsibilities with perennial All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh: “It’s not hard at all. I consider myself a pretty humble kid. I come from a pretty humble background,” he said. “The fact that you sacrifice yourself for the betterment of your team; I’ve never had a problem with that from the jump. And that’s why I decided to go to South Beach and team up with these guys.”
GAME-USED SHOES: LeBron was happy to talk about the shoes; just don't ask him to hold them.
One of the lighter moments of our interview came toward the end. As I asked LeBron to talk a little bit about fans’ fascination with game-used equipment, I took the opportunity to hand him the right shoe from his “Return to Cleveland” game (Zoom LeBron VIII Black/Black/White trim, above) in which he scored 38 points in a 118-90 Heat victory on Dec. 2. He obliged me momentarily by taking the shoe in hand, but quickly put it back on the table saying: “Well, I could put it down. I sweated a lot in these shoes, so I don’t particularly want to grab them.”
Stay tuned for the actual video footage coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy these images of King James signing some very cool Upper Deck Authenticated merchandise which will be available shortly at the Upper Deck Online Store.
GOING LEFTY: Like his drives to the basket, LeBron has his UDA signature technique down pat.
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Rise and Shine with the Morning News at Upper Deck
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you work with the world’s greatest athletes and help in the creation of some of the most compelling sports memorabilia on the planet, people tend to take notice. Such is the case with an online promotion we’ve been running on the Upper Deck Blog that we’re calling the 12 Days of Holiday Gift Ideas. Collectors love it, but even the local media took notice.
After shooting off a quick email to local TV stations touting our coolest new product innovations, I quickly got a call from San Diego 6 News and its roving, on-air correspondent: Ruben “The Man” Galvan. He wanted to visit Upper Deck headquarters ASAP to get an up-close look at some of the eye-popping collectibles we’ve been featuring. Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Bobby Orr, Michael Jordan, Ryan Mathews; name the athlete and sport, and chances are we’ve got him featured in one of our products.
HI MOM: Here we are, moments after filming our third segment for this morning's San Diego 6 News telecast. That's me, sporting the Upper Deck apparel; Ruben chose to go with a yellow v-neck. To each his own.
For me, as Upper Deck’s public relation manager and on-air spokesman, it’s always fun to take an inside look at our own collectibles as well as talk about how we work exclusively with many of the sports world’s top talent. This morning, on San Diego 6 News, I got the chance to show off several of our newest products including a game-used set of LeBron’s home Heat uniform that sold to a private collector near South Beach, Florida, for “ten of thousands of dollars.” But before I could start yapping about LeBron and his incredible performances on the court, I needed to get our lobby looking sharp for Ruben’s impending visit.
Luckily for me, Sr. Events Marketing Manager Jodi Wasserman already had the lobby decked out in festive holiday garb, complete with a well-lit Christmas tree with gifts underneath it. It’s important to be ready and, thanks to Jodi, we were well prepared for visitors. Next, working alongside the UDA team, namely Steve Sloan, Shauna Conniry and John Ibriks, I was able to secure choice gridiron pieces from Ryan Mathews (signed football and Chargers mini-helmet), Aaron Rodgers (signed Packers green jersey, authentic Packers helmet and a football) and basketball icon Michael Jordan (16 x 20s with game-used floor framing and a vertical curve display piece with a piece of the floor from Chicago’s United Center upon which MJ closed out three of his six NBA championships: 1996-98).
EARLY WAKE-UP CALL: The San Diego 6 News van showed up at 5:50 this morning. Good thing we were ready!
We also collected a few recent NHL products including autographed Curve Display pieces featuring photos and signed pucks from the likes of Steven Stamkos, Taylor Hall, Duncan Keith and Boston hockey legend Bobby Orr. We even had signed photos of Orr highlighting his game- and series-winning overtime goal against the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, as well as a very cool signed acrylic stick blade from Chicago Blackhawks center and team captain Jonathan Toews.
These were all well received by Ruben and his crew (and hopefully their viewers as well), but of utmost importance to me was the chance to explain why it’s so important for people to purchase their signed memorabilia from a reputable company like Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA). Forgeries run rampant in our industry, so the fact that every one of UDA’s pieces is signed by our superstar athletes in the presence of a UDA representative is critical. UDA introduced its patented five-step authentication process back in 1992 and competitors have been trying to imitate (but never duplicate) it ever since. We invented authenticity here at Upper Deck, so it’s my honor and privilege to spread the good word about it whenever I can. This is even more important during the holidays, when many unsuspecting consumers are taken for a ride by unscrupulous online sellers looking to make a fast buck.
I’ve done my fair share of these morning segments during my 12-plus years at Upper Deck and there are a couple things you’ve got to do to be successful with your on-air delivery. First, it’s important to have plenty of great items – key visuals – to feature during a television broadcast. Second, you’ve got to make sure you’re sporting a clean, up-to-date company shirt for brand recognition. Third, you should always have a few key stats per player to share to make sure the viewer knows you’re a marketer, yes, but also an educated sports enthusiast who follows the sports world closely. And lastly – and perhaps most importantly – you need to make sure you’ve had your morning cup of coffee since these early interviews usually take place between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m.
This morning, we filmed three segments (one live, two taped) that aired between 6:45 and 8:30 a.m. Ruben was his old enthusiastic self and I did my best to showcase our newest products while trying to avoid sticker shock from our viewers since authentic, genuine signed memorabilia does not come cheap. Best rest assured, it’s real and it’s yours, provided you’re ready to pony up for the real deal. To check out our huge assortment of signed and unsigned sports memorabilia for the perfect holiday gift, visit Upper Deck’s online store. Happy shopping collectors!
FESTIVE SETTING: San Diego 6 News roving correspondent Ruben Galvan records one of his live teasers from Upper Deck headquarters this morning.
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Holiday Gift Ideas from Upper Deck: Day 3
Posted by: | CommentsLast night, LeBron James and his Miami Heat teammates ventured into dangerous territory by invading the Quickens Loan Arena in Cleveland. Squaring off against his old teammates – and trying his best to ignore the heckling, jeers and boos from the Cleveland fans – James scored a game-high 38 points to lead the Heat to a 118-90 thrashing of the Cavaliers. And believe it or not, he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter after tallying 24 of his points in the decisive third quarter.
Fast on the heels of LeBron’s return to Cleveland, Upper Deck is proud to unveil this incredible, all-inclusive set of LeBron’s game-used uniform and equipment that he wore during his home Heat debut back on Oct. 29, 2010, at Miami’s American Airlines Arena. Battling against the Orlando Magic, and sporting his new Adidas-manufactured, home white Heat uniform No. 6, James tallied 15 points, pulled down six rebounds and added seven assists to help the Heat lock up a convincing 96-70 victory over their cross-state rival.
The Real Deal: LeBron's actual uniform from his home Heat debut on Oct. 29 has already been sold.
Relive LeBron’s home Heat debut by purchasing this all-inclusive, game-used set which includes his size 3XL Adidas shorts; size 2XL jersey; his white NBA headband; and his size 16 Nike shoes. LeBron has signed and inscribed each of the pieces with the date of the contest (“10-29-10”) as well as the opponent (“Magic”). LeBron’s signatures and inscriptions are all guaranteed authentic by virtue of Upper Deck Authenticated’s patented five-step process. UPDATE: This particular 1-of-1 game-used set was just sold to a private collector, but to get a piece of LeBron’s game-used equipment from his memorable playing days in Cleveland, click here!
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LeBron: The More He Scores, The More You Save!
Posted by: | CommentsIn recognition of tonight’s official Miami Heat debut of company basketball spokesman LeBron James, Upper Deck is creating a special sales promotion. The total number of points that LeBron scores in this evening’s game against the Boston Celtics can be applied to your next purchase of LeBron James signed memorabilia at Upper Deck’s online store. For instance, if he scores 32 points, simply type in promotion code LEBRON32 at checkout stage and a 32% discount will be applied to your overall purchase. If he scores 45 points, the promo code will read LEBRON45. It’s as simple as that. Now we just have to wait and see how many points LeBron tallies tonight and the rest is up to you! The special code will be valid from 9 a.m. (PT) on Wednesday, Oct. 27, through 3 p.m. (PT) on Friday, Oct. 29.
Note: There is a maximum discount on the promotion, however, of 50%. Best of luck to LeBron tonight and to all of Upper Deck’s basketball memorabilia customers.
Depending on how many points LeBron scores tonight, you could get his signed basketball from UDA for a lot less!
A serious welcoming party awaits LeBron's debut with the Heat this evening in Boston.
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Brag Video: Going One-on-One with King James
Posted by: | CommentsLess than three months ago, NBA superstar free agent LeBron James revealed to the world that he was switching teams to go play for the Miami Heat. The seven-year veteran of the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he religiously wore No. 23, would now be taking his jaw-dropping moves on the hardcourt to South Beach, Florida, to team with perennial All-Stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Not only would his zip code be changing, but his uniform number as well. This evening, for the first time ever, LeBron gets to show off his new uniform No. 6 in action when the Heat hosts the Detroit Pistons in preseason battle.
“Michael Jordan will be always be remembered as number 23. With MJ going into the Hall of Fame, it only seemed appropriate to retire number 23,” James said in an exclusive interview with Upper Deck’s Terry Melia. “I wore number 6 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Team USA was able to bring home the gold, so it carries some greatness already. Making the switch also marks a new beginning and a new start for me in Miami.”
LeBron’s well-publicized announcement in July sent shock waves through the sports memorabilia industry. Of particular note for autograph seekers is the fact that he decided to modify his signature style. Since 2003, when he began his NBA career and signed up exclusively with Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA), James has always autographed his first name with a looping “L” that closely resembled the start of his uniform No. 23. He’s now tapered that with a more definable starting letter and added “#6” to each autograph.
LeBron James signed autographs exclusively for Upper Deck. Here he carefully signs his John Hancock on a newly emblazoned Miami Heat basketball.
“It just feels right,” said James during his latest signing session for UDA, the sole supplier of his authentic memorabilia. “Miami represents a new chapter for me. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun. I hope that my game will translate to the fans being excited about the game of basketball once again. And I’m going to do what I can to bring home a championship to that city.”
The first four newly signed LeBron James products from UDA are currently on sale at www.upperdeckstore.com. An autographed Spalding basketball, limited to 100 with a specially stamped Miami Heat logo on one of its panels, retails for $899.99, while an autographed 16” X 20” “Welcome to Miami” photo showing LeBron wearing his new No. 6 Heat home uniform sells for $699.99. In addition, a signed 36” x 18” “Witness Miami” photo of LeBron, limited to 100, sells for $749.99, while an open edition Spalding basketball signed by James retails for $799.99.
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