LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the most well-known players in the NBA right now. Between them, they have won six MVP awards, eight championship rings, five Finals MVPs, and are the most marketable players in league history. They have also been excellent role models for the sport.
The numbers show that their fame is evergreen. In the best-selling jerseys list posted by the official NBA Twitter (X) account, Curry’s Golden State Warriors jerseys continue to fly off the shelf, as he ended the 2023-24 season with the most jerseys sold, while the Los Angeles Lakers star finished second. This merely shows that both Curry and James remain the faces of the league, and will continue to do so until the day they retire.
Some of the names fans would expect round out the top five, with Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo finishing third and fifth, respectively. But in the biggest development of them all, Victor Wembanyama has become an immediate fan favorite, as he finished fourth — above more established names such as Luka Doncic (sixth), Kevin Durant (eighth), Joel Embiid (12th), and Nikola Jokic (13th).
However, two rising superstars are noticeably absent from the top-15 in jersey sales. Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder finished with the one-seed in the Western Conference and the Minnesota Timberwolves have risen as one of the league’s top two-way teams, the popularity levels of both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards’ popularity have not followed suit.
The jerseys that have sold the most do not, in any way, shape, or form, reflect how good a player did during a given season. Since both Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball finished in the top-15 (11th and 14th, respectively) while playing in a total of 31 games, jersey sales are only a proxy for a player’s popularity. This is a mark that was attained by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards in January.
But being the face of the NBA includes the factor of just how popular someone is. LeBron James and Stephen Curry have been at the top of their game for the longest time, with the two sharing the spotlight for the majority of the 2010s, and they have been responsible for converting millions of fans from casual enjoyers to diehard basketball supporters.
The list of best-selling jerseys, in no way, shape, or form indicates how well an individual performed in a particular season. Jersey sales are merely an indicator of how popular a player is, as evidenced by the fact that both Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball finished in the top-15 (11th and 14th, respectively) despite playing in a combined 31 games — a mark that both Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached in January.
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