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Only Steph, LeBron, Kobe sell more jerseys than Kristaps Porzingis
When the NBA released the latest update of its "Most Popular Jersey and Team Merchandise" list on Wednesday, the three players who led the way in jersey sales on NBAStore.com from October 2015 through December 2015 came as no surprise.
The top spot belonged to Stephen Curry, the league's reigning Most Valuable Player, the leader in the race for this year's MVP trophy and the top gun of a Golden State Warriors team on a run to topple the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' all-time record for most wins in a single season. Immensely popular four-time MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers slotted in second, with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant — in the midst of his much-discussed and celebrated farewell tour, with retirement coming this summer — coming in third.
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It's the fourth-place finisher, though, that's something of an eye-opener. From Marc Berman of the New York Post:
Kristaps Porzingis has posted a new marketing milestone, landing in the top 5 of NBA jersey sales, ahead of Kevin Durant, in results released Wednesday morning by the league.
The Knicks’ 7-foot-3 rookie sensation, who wears No. 6, debuts at fourth on the list that accounts for jersey sales from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 purchased on NBAStore.com. [...]
Porzingis’ ranking also puts him ahead of such luminaries as Durant (5), Russell Westbrook (7), James Harden (9), Paul George (12) and Anthony Davis (13). Carmelo Anthony came in at No. 15. In team jersey sales, the Knicks ranked fifth.
Porzingis was the only rookie to rank among the league's the top 15 in jersey sales. In fact, he's "the first rookie to debut in the top five in sales since James was No. 1 and Carmelo Anthony, then with Denver, was No. 2 in December 2003," according to Barbara Barker of Newsday.
The fact that he topped the likes of Durant, Westbrook, George, Davis, Anthony, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Paul George and Chris Paul serves as just the latest indication of the degree to which basketball fans — both in New York and beyond — have fallen in love with the 7-foot-3 Latvian whose putback dunks, shot-swatting rim protection, deep 3-pointers and overall feel for the game have helped the Knicks regain respectability, kept the team from becoming the butt of jokes, and marked him as a potential rising star around which New York could build for a more promising future.
Of course, Porzingis is far from the first savior to rise in New York, and his rocket-ship ride to city stardom — and the speed and volume with which he's sold merch — has called to mind another famed phenomenon in recent Knicks history, as FOX Sports' Sam Gardner writes:
[...] in New York, where the 7-footer has helped to reinvigorate a once-dispirited Knicks fan base, Porzingis' jersey isn't just the best seller in the city. It's flying off the shelves at a rate that's bringing back memories of another recent Knicks phenom.
"Originally we didn't have any (Porzingis jerseys), but once he started making headway we got some in, and now they fly off the shelves," said Hassan Williams, a manager at the Champs Sports' Times Square store, just nine blocks from Madison Square Garden. "The last time this happened, I would say, was Linsanity." [...]
"Jeremy Lin was ridiculous," Williams said. "It was a short period of time, like a super-boost. Porzingis, he grew his star, but Jeremy Lin was on fire right away ... so people were like, 'This is what we need.'"
Lin's New York superstardom, of course, was short-lived. Knicks fans — and, you'd figure, the retailers eager to sell them clothes — hope that Porzingis' run has a longer and even more lucrative shelf life.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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