Want A No. 7 Carmelo Jersey? Better Act Fast
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- It's official: Carmelo Anthony will wear No. 7 for the New York Knicks.
Now the press is on in NYC to purchase Carmelo's replica jersey -- while they last.
"We start selling them today only in our Manhattan stores," Mitch Modell, CEO of Modell's Sporting Goods, told Boomer & Carton. "We'll have jerseys, replica jerseys, in our Herald Square, West 42nd and our East 42nd Street stores, and then tomorrow we're going to have a ton of t-shirts coming in that will be in all our doors ... name and number t-shirts."
LISTEN: Mitch Modell with Boomer & Carton -- No. 7 is hot-hot-hot
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Modell said if you want your Carmelo jersey in time for tonight's debut at the Garden, you better act fast.
"We've got about 150 that's hitting our stores in Manhattan today," he said. "By the time it hits the floor, it'll probably disappear."
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Modell admits Knicks fever has hit New York.
"We've probably sold more Knicks merchandise this year than we did the last four years combined," he said.
"I know the Knicks are hot when my son, my two sons, two nights ago woke me up and said, 'Dad! They signed Carmelo, you've gotta get his jersey!' I didn't know if it was a dream, I didn't know if it was a nightmare."
According to Modell, the replica jerseys will sell at his stores for $44.99.
At the Modell's on 42nd Street a crowd erupted in cheers as the first Carmelo jerseys arrived.
1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg joins a cheering crowd at the 42nd Street Modell's
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Canarsie, Brooklyn resident Jason Ertischek was one of the first in line at the Times Square Modell's to snag a jersey for the Big Apple's newest basketball star.
"I got the number one, I got the Amar'e here, and I'm waiting for the Carmelo," Ertischek told CBS 2's Dave Carlin.
Behind him, other super fans waited more than four hours for the 94 Anthony jerseys delivered on Wednesday.
"I'm putting it right on, over my jacket, right now," Justin Bucano said.
"It feels great to finally wear number seven with pride," Ertischek said.
Gregory Anderson said this is the greatest day to be a Knicks fan since Patrick Ewing was drafted in 1985.
"He can make number seven happen, it's not the number that makes the person, it's the person that makes the number," Anderson said.
The Knicks' pick-up is a game-changer for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004, and excited fans were already predicting that Anthony will take them all the way.
"Miami and Boston, we're coming after you," Ertischek said.
The Knicks introduced Anthony Wednesday night before his debut against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Have you tried to buy Carmelo's jersey? Sound off on your experience in the comments below..
