The rooks are rising and the vets are holding steady. In a display of fandom that stretches from coast to coast, Golden State Warrior's Stephen Curry is once again the king of the court, at least when it comes to jersey sales. For the second consecutive season, Curry's No. 30 has topped the list of the most sought-after NBA threads, according to figures released by NBA.com. Not to merely sit back and watch Curry dribble away with all the glory, Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum follow suit, ranking second and third respectively.
But perhaps the buzziest story is the market's embrace of a San Antonio Spurs rookie — Victor Wembanyama of France. His No. 1 jersey flung itself to No. 4 on the list, according to KENS 5. No other freshman from the 2023-24 class has managed to break into the top 15. Wembanyama's popularity is so on the rise that his jersey is outpacing the threads of stars like Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. It's a meteoric rise for someone just starting to make his mark on the league. The top five of jersey sales rounds out with Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo snagging the fifth spot.
On the team front, the Lakers are predictably lording over the rest when it comes to merchandise sales. But the San Antonio Spurs have leapt into the top 10 in the second half of the season, landing at a comfortable No. 9, just above last season's NBA champs, the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics, Warriors, Bucks, and a surprisingly strong showing from the Chicago Bulls, who round out the top five, are all also in the mix, as per NBA.com. This despite the Bulls not having a single player in the top 15 for jersey sales.
But back to Wembanyama. His influence extends beyond just the merchandise. The Spurs' game has found new life in terms of ticket sales and national TV features, all thanks to this young Franco phenom. And lest you think it's just about wearing his jersey, think again. A one-of-one NBA Top Shot NFT featuring his league debut was snatched up for a cool $145,000, as KENS 5 reports.
