As if winning the MVP for the second straight season wasn’t enough, Stephen Curry had to go lead the league in jersey sales, too. The Golden State Warriors point guard was named the top jersey-seller for the second straight season on Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Curry had the top-selling jersey in every state except Ohio and Oklahoma.
Recently retired Lakers legend Kobe Bryant sold the second most jerseys in the league during his farewell season, marking the final time (probably) that he will be on this list.
Third place went to LeBron James, who also led Ohio in jersey sales. Despite giving up the throne as the best player in the league to Steph, LeBron showed that he is still immensely popular especially in his home state of Ohio.
The surprising fourth place finisher was Kristaps Porzingis. The New York Knicks rookie burst into the scene early in the year with a stellar first season in the league. The shocking emergence from Porzingis in one of the largest markets in the league made him incredibly popular, even after Knicks fans booed and cried at his selection. Porzingis finished with the highest-selling rookie jersey since the both LeBron and Carmelo Anthony in 2003.
Rounding out the top five was Kevin Durant, the leading seller in Oklahoma, and one of the most popular players in the league over the past few seasons. Perhaps this is the final year his Thunder jersey is among the top-sellers in the league as the impending free agent has been rumored to leave his team this summer for a variety of destinations.
As far as team merchandise goes, the Warriors beat out the rest of the league just as they did all year on the basketball court. They were followed by the Chicago Bulls, Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Knicks.
