Cavaliers gear a hit among fans post-NBA title, officials say

The Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA title not only ended the city's long major sports championship drought, it also led to a historic amount of merchandise sales in the days that followed.

Officials with Fanatics, the nation's largest online seller of sports merchandise that also runs the NBA Store in Manhattan and the league's official shop online, say Cavaliers fans bought twice as much championship gear in the 24 hours after winning the title than Golden State Warriors fans purchased in the same post-championship period when they beat Cleveland last year.

In fact, Fanatics sales numbers indicate that Cavaliers fans purchased more gear less than two days after winning the title than Warriors fans did in a full week's time in 2015.

"The response to the Cavaliers winning their first NBA title, and the city taking home their first championship in 52 years, has been overwhelming, both inside of Ohio and around the entire country," said Jack Boyle, president of merchandising for Fanatics. "When you combine the global star power ofLeBronand what he has meant to hiscity with the thrilling 3-1 [series] comeback, the nation was glued to this series and they are responding by purchasing more championship gear than any other NBA Finals in history."

Cleveland-based T-shirt company Fresh Brewed Tees set an all-time sales record for all vendors at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, according to company founder Tony Madalone.

"We've done six figures in sales since the game ended," Madalone said. "We saw similar demand to when LeBroncame home. But this will be much longer and sustainable."

Some of Fresh Brewed Tees' most popular T-shirts read "God Loves Cleveland" and "Two Won Six," a reference to the city's area code.

"I've been in Cleveland my whole life and I've never seen anything like this," Madalone said. "Grown men crying, strangers hugging and high-fiving and every person in Cavs gear. It's incredible."

A Dick's Sporting Goods official told ESPN.com that sales for Cavaliers gear was "trending towards this being the largest [NBA] championship event in company history."