Stephen Curry has dethroned LeBron James as the leader of individual jersey sales in the NBA this season. The NBA announced in a recent report that Curry leads the top-selling jersey figures in the first half of the 2023-24 season. The four-time NBA Champion is on pace to top the jersey sale list for the fourth time in the last nine years.
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Steph has led in that category for three straight seasons in the past. The sharp-shooting guard did so during the 2015-16, 2016-2017, and 2017-18 seasons when his Warriors won two championships. However, Curry’s #1 position this year came as a surprise after the veteran guard missed out on the starter spot in the Western Conference’s All-Star team.
The second place in this season’s rankings belongs to Jayson Tatum, who captured the runner-up position for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, LeBron James is currently third after topping the list for five straight seasons. This marks the first time that the All-Time NBA scorer has finished lower than second place since the 2011-12 season. The fact that Curry is currently at number one in jersey sales despite the Warriors underperforming for the second straight season shows his wide appeal among fans.
Curry remains the best three-point shooter in the league and still manages to mesmerize fans with his huge bag of tricks at 35. Despite his widespread appeal, Steph missed out the starter spot to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. Having made a league-leading 187 triples this season so far, Curry is currently tallying 27.3 points per game. His numbers are down compared to last season but they are still worthy of an All-Star starter nod.
But the superstar showing of Shai and Luka at the guard positions for their teams has translated into media and player votes. Besides their teams have better records as well than the 19-24 Warriors. Curry has himself said that Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander have earned the starting spots. After Thursday night’s loss to the Kings, the Dubs star addressed missing out on the All-Star starting spot, “You got two guys that are playing amazing this year, Luka and Shai.” He added, “They deserve it.”
However, Curry’s immense body of work as the league’s best-ever long-range sniper and his charm and humility outside the court still resonate with basketball fans. In terms of fan votes, Curry finished second behind Doncic in the All-Star Guard category. He finished third in player votes and fourth in media rankings, because of which he fell to the reserve position. The Curry fanbase has backed their 2022 NBA Finals MVP who needs more help around him.
But now coming back to the players leading the NBA jersey sales pack.
Victor Wembanyama stamps his mark
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama figures fourth in the official NBA jersey sales rankings. He has been in the league for less than a year, even if we consider his two-game Summer League appearance. Still, the rookie has built a huge fanbase that predates his NBA career.
Underneath Wemby, the list makes a lot of sense with Giannis Antetokounmpo at fifth, Doncic at sixth, Devin Booker at seventh, and Kevin Durant at eighth. But the number nine appearance is indeed the most surprising one. At #9, there is no Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, or Damian Lillard, it is Tyrese Maxey! The emerging Philly Point Guard has arrested the attention of the NBA world and has breezed his teammate Joel Embiid in the list who is the league’s reigning MVP.
Embiid is placed at twelfth, while Damian Lillard and Ja Morant finish above him and below Maxey. This list proves that the appeal of Guards and Wings remains more than the big man position. While Antetokounmpo is an exception as a top-five, the jersey sales don’t necessarily reflect the winning situation of the players. At any rate, this list proves that Curry and LeBron remain the two most popular figures in jersey sales. For LeBron James, the added advantage is the Lakers tag he has had since 2018.
His Los Angeles Lakers topped the list of merchandise when it came to team rankings. Meanwhile, the Celtics’ Green Machine was number two on the list, corresponding to their superstar Jayson Tatum’s ranking amongst the individuals with top jersey sales.
