The NBA released its top-selling jerseys and team merchandise lists on Friday. LeBron and the Lakers lead the way.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers may be struggling on the court, sitting at 22-23 overall, but they’re scorching off the court.
LeBron’s new No. 6 jersey — he switched from 23 after starring in Space Jam over the summer — was the top-selling jersey during the first half of the NBA season, the league announced Friday. His Lakers also topped the list of most popular teams in overall merchandise sales.
Stephen Curry was second in jersey sales, and Klay Thompson, fresh off his return after missing two years due to injuries, ranked ninth. The two helped the Golden State Warriors finish second in merch sales. Fresh off their first NBA title in 50 years, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks came in third in both individual jersey and team merch sales. Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets finished fourth in jersey and merch sales, respectively.
Thompson joins Ja Morant, who is taking the league by storm this season for the Memphis Grizzlies, and Trae Young as new members on the top 10 jersey sales list, replacing Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden on the list from the second half of the 2020-21 season. Off to a fast 26-20 start and led by Luka Doncic, who’s fifth in jersey sales so far this season, the Dallas Mavericks are the only new team in the top 10 most popular clubs in terms of merch sales. They replace the Phoenix Suns, who went from third when they reached the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly 30 years to dropping out of the top 10 altogether.