For the first time since 2014, before the first of three Golden State Warriors championship seasons and five straight NBA Finals appearances, Stephen Curry was not in the top two for league-wide jersey sales.
LeBron James once again took the top spot among jerseys sold at NBAStore.com. The latest numbers were tallied from the start of October to the end of December. James and Curry have held the top two end-of-season spots for five years running, with Curry at No. 1 from 2015-17. James took the crown back when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers last season, and Curry fell to third this season, as he has missed all but four games with a broken left hand. Giannis Antetokounmpo unseated him at second.
The last player not named James or Curry in the top two of jersey sales was Kobe Bryant in 2014.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is the biggest surprise, jumping from 15th at the end of last season to fourth through the first three months of this season — ahead of James Harden in fifth and Luka Doncic in sixth. In the latest round of All-Star fan voting, Tatum was fifth in fan voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players behind Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler. Eleven players have more All-Star votes than Tatum right now, including Harden and Doncic.
The Lakers and Celtics are the top two teams in merchandise sales. The Warriors dropped from second to sixth, behind the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks rounding out the top five.
The complete rankings …
Top 15 most popular NBA jerseys
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. James Harden, Houston Rockets
6. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
7. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
9. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
10. Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
11. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
12. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
13. Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
14. Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
15. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Top 10 most popular team merchandise
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Milwaukee Bucks
6. Golden State Warriors
7. Houston Rockets
8. Chicago Bulls
9. Miami Heat
10. Brooklyn Nets
