Reporter Cai Houxuan / Comprehensive Report
As summer vacation draws to a close, the NBA Store Taipei flagship store hosted the "NBA Cool Summer Weekend Basketball Party" on the 22nd. The event featured a variety of authentic NBA interactive experiences, and also invited Taiwanese basketball legend "Young Master" Tien Lei and newly crowned professional league MVP "Little Gao" Jinwei Gao to appear together. The duo transformed into ultimate teammates, challenging shooting machines alongside lucky fans and serving as one-day store managers to check out purchases for fans, drawing a large crowd of devoted supporters.
During the hot afternoon event, the NBA Store prepared special iced treats for fans who completed the challenges. Tien Lei and Gao Jinwei personally joined selected fans to compete on the shooting machines.
Tien Lei, who retired years ago, laughed and said that without any warm-up, having to shoot so many balls in such a short time was a real challenge. Fortunately, his skills were still sharp, and he successfully helped fans clear the challenge. Gao Jinwei humorously noted that he took more shots on the shooting machine than in a regular professional game, but he felt fulfilled and happy to spend the weekend solving tasks with basketball-loving fans.
When discussing the custom jersey experience in the store, Gao Jinwei was impressed by the heat-pressed designs incorporating local elements. He shared that the custom service not only features classic NBA team logos but also integrates authentic Taiwanese specialties like bubble tea, blue-and-white slippers, and braided bags, highly recommending fans to try it themselves. Asked about his personal favorite NBA merchandise, Gao Jinwei, a die-hard Stephen Curry fan, smiled and said, "I most want to get Curry's autographed ball. If I can buy it, I'd love to collect a 'black and gold' jersey because it looks especially cool!"
Tien Lei revealed that his favorite player when he was younger was Tracy McGrady. "In the past, because I was too tall, it was hard to find a jersey in my size on the market, so I never got to collect one." He also strongly encouraged parents to bring their children to the store to enjoy the weekend basketball atmosphere and quality family time.
At the end of the event, the two stars wore name tags and became "one-day store managers," showcasing their professionalism by explaining products, checking out, and packing items for fans. They also took photos with lucky fans who met spending thresholds. Gao Jinwei, experiencing being a one-day store manager for the first time, called it fresh and exciting. Tien Lei showed his veteran composure, saying that interacting with fans up close is always the most enjoyable part.
The NBA Store Taipei flagship store stated that the summer party interactive installations will continue through the end of September, including a "mirror photo" check-in spot recreating classic NBA team elements and a DIY photo booth that can create personalized player card stickers. During the event, new online members can register to receive a small gift, and there are also multiple gift-with-purchase and shopping voucher raffle activities. Fans of the NBA are welcome to experience it before the summer ends.