You remember Starting Lineup, right? Kenner launched their collectible sports figures in 1988 and the line ran through 2001. They were a huge presence in toy aisles for more than a decade, immortalizing in plastic star athletes from baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and eventually expanding to cover auto racing, boxing, track & field, skating, soccer, and golf. They faded out in 2001, not long after toy giant Hasbro closed Kenner Products (which they had absorbed years earlier). Aside from the occasional one-off promotional item at a sporting event, the brand and concept have been dormant.
As of today, Starting Lineup is back. Hasbro has been teasing the return of the line for months, but details on the first wave of new figures are out and they're up for pre-order at the Hasbro Pulse website. The line is relaunching with a wave focused on current NBA stars. And where the old Starting Lineup figures were like little statues, with little or no articulation, the 2022 models are highly-articulated, fully-poseable action figures. Here's the Wave 1 lineup:
- Jayson Tatum
- Trae Young
- Ja Morant
- Joel Embiid
- Luka Dončić
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Stephen Curry
- Le Bron James
Photo: Hasbro