Every so often, the NBA puts out a list of the top selling team and individual jerseys for any period of time. And usually, no matter the success of the team, the Los Angeles Lakers rank somewhere near the top.
It can be attributed to the overall popularity of the franchise, or due to the individual popularity of star players, of course the latest of which are LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With those two superstars teaming up in L.A., it seemed to be a given that they would end up near the top of any sales list. For the 2018-19 season, a year in which the Lakers did not make the playoffs, they still ranked first in merchandise sales in the NBA, with James taking the top spot for players.
The same was true of the 2019-20 regular season. And the trend continued during the NBA restart, where jersey sales were tracked from July 30 to Sep. 28. The entire top 15 players are listed below, with James and Davis taking two of the top three spots.
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
3. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
7. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
8. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
9. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
10. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
11. Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
12. Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
13. Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
14. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
15. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
While it is unsurprising to see James and Davis represented so high on the list, there are some unexpected rankings. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving all ranked in the top 15 without even entering the bubble. Curry’s Golden State Warriors did not even make it in the first place.
Another surprise is the drop off in jersey sales for Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who ranked Nos. 9 and 11 respectively during the regular season.
As long as Davis and James continue to wear the purple and gold, they will likely stay in the top five consistently.
Lakers rank No. 1 in team merchandise sales
Given that they are the only team with two players in the top 10, it should come as no shock to see the Lakers rank No. 1 overall in merchandise sales for the same period of time.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Miami Heat
5. Golden State Warriors
6. Toronto Raptors
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Milwaukee Bucks
9. Portland Trail Blazers
10. Denver Nuggets
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