The American All-Star Humidor
LeBron James. Dwayne Wade. The late Kobe Bryant. These are but some of the greats who played in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. The contest was historic, with Bryant named All-Star Game MVP after he and the Western Conference standouts defeated the Eastern Conference in a nail-biter, 148–143 points. Now, the limited-edition American All-Star Humidor by J.C. Newman offers a way to enliven your cigar room with a unique piece of basketball memorabilia from the game: a humidor made from the court that was played on during the game.
Handcrafted by Jason LeGear’s JML Modern of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a maker of a range of humidors and other boxes, the American All-Star Humidor is officially licensed by the NBA. It is part of the league’s Reclaimed program, which repurposes NBA game-used courts. The exterior of each humidor is unique with its wood surface of scuffs, scratches and ball marks from the actual game preserved, along with a lid inlaid with pieces from the blue three-point line. Inside, the interior is lined with Spanish cedar.
Included are 30 cigars (representing each of the 30 NBA teams) that are unique to the set. The cigar is called The American All-Star, an exclusive 6-by-50 toro version of J.C. Newman’s The American blend. Measuring 13 ½ inches wide by 10 ½ inches tall and 6 ½ inches deep, the humidor has a carrying capacity of up to 90 cigars.
Due to the scarcity of materials, only 40 humidors in total have been produced—and just 37 are going on sale. According to the fourth-generation owner Drew Newman, one is for the El Reloj museum at company headquarters and one for the NBA. The third is being held in reserve in case a VIP from the NBA wants one. Newman adds that the NBA is excited with the project and seeking more court wood, which could mean more boxes in the future.
For this humidor, you have to drop plenty of dimes ($3,000 worth to be exact), but with its historical significance, it feels like a slam dunk.
