NBA

Lakers and star LeBron James top the highest-selling jerseys from second half of the season

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Antonio Kozlow
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Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.

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Updated15 hours ago on April 20, 2024

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NBA: Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers

Once again, LeBron James is the biggest brand in the world among active basketball players. The NBA joined with the National Basketball Players Association this week to announce that the Los Angeles Lakers and their main star headline the league’s Most Popular Jersey and Team Merchandise lists. 

The results are based on sales from the NBAStore.com for the second half of the 2022/23 regular season. Check out the outcome for the current most popular players in the NBA:

Some of the most interesting changes in comparison to the first half of the campaign are how Jayson Tatum jumped from 8th in mid-season, all the way up to the 3rd place on the list.

This is a reflection of Tatum’s MVP-level this tournament and of course, all the buzz and excitement surrounding Boston’s upcoming playoff run. Proof of this is how teammate Jaylen Brown also climbed up into the top 15.

Also interesting to mention how Jordan Poole made the list for the first time this season as his teammate Steph Curry dropped down from the list’s first place and now trails behind King James, who was enjoyed this second part of the campaign.

Some of the most important names to fall out of the top 15 are Atlanta’s Trae Young, injured LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson from New Orleans, who has suffered setbacks from his hamstring issue since January 2.

This is the list for the most popular franchises rated by their merchandise sales in the second half of the 2022/23 championship:

  1. Los Angeles Lakers
  2. Golden State Warriors
  3. Boston Celtics
  4. Phoenix Suns
  5. Milwaukee Bucks
  6. Chicago Bulls
  7. New York Knicks
  8. Philadelphia 76ers
  9. Dallas Mavericks
  10. Brookyln Nets

As the Lakers retained their crown at the top of the list, one of the most notable modifications from the start of the season is how the Suns have jumped to fourth from ninth, probably due to the Kevin Durant effect.

The other team that has improved its basketball chemistry on court, to the point that they qualified comfortably to the playoffs, were the New York squad. The Knicks climbed to the 7th place from the 10th.

Stephen Curry steps down as No.1 to take place behind LeBron

By mid-season, Warriors star Stephen Curry was at the top of the list of players with most sold jerseys according to NBAStore.com. The four-time NBA champion is now sitting behind the Lakers foward who is exciting fans from all over the world as his team made the playoffs after a tough start of the tournament.

Here is how the press reacted to LeBron’s lead in merchandise sales after 20 years of dominating the league:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN0t9rpqyI8

Even though in this case the Los Angeles’ success is linked to their recent success on court, it’s not always the case. For example, the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic doesn’t even rank inside the top 10 NBA jerseys in the league.

Another example that makes little sense is Joel Embiid who seems destined to finally earn himself an award as the league’s most valuable player this season. The Sixers center has the 13th most sold jersey throughout this campaign.