SLAM-DUNK SUCCESS? SHAQ IS A STAR OF CITYWALK SHOP.Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer UNIVERSAL CITY - A 40-foot-tall image of Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). will summon Universal CityWalk Universal CityWalk is a part of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan originating from Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood. visitors to a new shop hawking hats and local sports team memorabilia, in the hope fans can dig it. TEAM LA, official gift shop for the Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. , Home Depot The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Headquartered in Vinings, just outside Atlanta in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia, Home Depot employs more than 355,000 people and operates 2,164 big-box Center and HealthSouth Training Center, wants to attract sports fans and tourists at a site other than the arena. To catch their attention, TEAM LA's owner, AEG AEG Aeger (Latin: Sick) AEG Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (Common Electricity Company) AEG Aircraft Evaluation Group AEG Association of Engineering Geologists AEG Air Expeditionary Group , headed for CityWalk, bringing along a giant image of the Laker center to serve as an extraordinarily visible pitchman. Illuminated from within and decked out in Laker gold, the gargantuan gar·gan·tu·an adj. Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic. See Synonyms at enormous. gargantuan Adjective huge or enormous [after Gargantua, a giant in Rabelais' Shaq will serve as a visual anchor outside the 4,000-square-foot store, which celebrates its grand opening today. For company's first venture outside its home turf inside its own arenas, AEG wanted a high-profile store with an even higher-profile icon outside. ``We feel, to do this right, we had to be over the top,'' said Alan Fey, the vice president of marketing for AEG who oversees all four stores. ``There's a big King Kong King Kong giant ape brought to New York as “eighth wonder of world.” [Am. Cinema: Payton, 367] See : Giantism there and a 100-foot high guitar, so we had a vision of what we wanted to do with Shaq,'' he said. ``There's just something about his charisma, so he was the perfect fit for this store.'' The actual-size Shaq, a more modest 7-foot-1-inches in height, will be on hand to christen chris·ten tr.v. chris·tened, chris·ten·ing, chris·tens 1. a. To baptize into a Christian church. b. To give a name to at baptism. 2. a. the store's opening today, celebrating his birthday and autographing his giant image. TEAM LA's predecessors have performed well, outfitting Lakers, Clippers, Sparks and Kings fans, but this latest venture takes the store into unfamiliar territory. If it proves successful, Fey envisions adding additional locations at other tourist destinations. ``We're coming out of the gates full bore,'' he said. `This isn't a test, but if it works I don't see why we wouldn't open more. We're investing all our time and effort and we'll see how successful it is.'' Like its Staples sister store, the CityWalk shop will focus mainly on local merchandise, with Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers memorabilia dominating its racks. It will also sell goods from all major sports, excluding wares from UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX and the Oakland Raiders This article is about an American football team. For other uses, see Raider. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland, California. , which both already have shops on CityWalk. ``Not everyone can get tickets to the Staples Center, but a lot of people would like to get a Lakers hat,'' said Aubie Goldenberg, a partner with Ernst & Young's Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. office. ``There's a lot of tourist traffic through there, too.'' Universal estimates between 30,000 and 60,000 people wander through CityWalk, depending on the season - which makes for attractive demographics. While in the store, a shopper can pick from $8 Laker socks, $75 replica jerseys, $225 pro cut jerseys and, if so inclined, purchase a $25,000 life-size Shaq bobblehead statue. A Lakers fan on more modest budget might prefer the medium-size Kobe Bryant bobblehead, priced at $400. ``When the Lakers won the second championship (in 2001), I saw people stopping traffic, screaming, yelling, throwing streamers Streamers is a play by David Rabe. The last in his Vietnam War trilogy that began with The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and Sticks and Bones ,'' said Sara Hills, associate manager of publicity for CityWalk. ``It would be great if they could buy all their sports stuff here.'' To differentiate itself from the average sporting goods store, the shop will try to stock more hard-to-find merchandise, such as replicas of Joe Montana's college jersey, as well as custom-lettered jerseys from all major league teams. Although hometown basketball teams get the most floor space, owing to the larger-than-life Laker outside, Fey plans to adjust TEAM LA's product mix to keep up with whoever's hot at the moment. ``The Lakers fan through thick and thin is very solid, so even when we don't win the championship, our sales grow every year,'' he said. ``We'd like to think that at all times at least one of the Southern California teams will be strong, so we'll always be busy.'' Brent Hopkins, (818) 713-3738 brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO EVENT: TEAM LA grand opening PLACE: Universal CityWalk ADDRESS: 1000 Universal City Plaza, Universal City TIME: 3 p.m. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) An illuminated 40-foot image of Lakers basketball star Shaquille O'Neal fronts a new TEAM LA store at Universal CityWalk. (2 -- color) As in its Staple Center sister store, TEAM LA in CityWalk focuses on Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers sports memorabilia. (3) Lakers fans may be charmed by this bobblehead Kobe Bryant. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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