• January 28, 2009 3:51 pm  |  58 Comments

    Kobe Tops NBA Jersey Sales, Again


    by Ryne Nelson

    Kobe Bryant’s jersey is the League’s best-selling, according to NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com. Last season, Bryant’s jersey finished second (to Kevin Garnett’s), and it was first in 2006-07, when he began wearing No. 24. In 2002-03, Bryant’s No. 8 led the League in sales as well. Teammate Pau Gasol made the jump to No. 6 after last season’s blockbuster trade with Memphis.

    Chris Paul made a big jump, rising from No. 15 just a season ago. At No. 9, Derrick Rose is the only rookie in the Top 15. What’s more, December was the best sales month in history, with sales up 10 percent over the same period last year.

    2008-09 MOST POPULAR JERSEYS (thru Jan.)
    TOP 15 PLAYERS TEAM
    1. Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers
    2. Kevin Garnett Boston Celtics
    3. LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers
    4. Chris Paul New Orleans Hornets
    5. Allen Iverson Detroit Pistons
    6. Pau Gasol Los Angeles Lakers
    7. Paul Pierce Boston Celtics
    8. Dwyane Wade Miami Heat
    9. Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls
    10. Nate Robinson New York Knicks
    11. Steve Nash Phoenix Suns
    12. Dwight Howard Orlando Magic
    13. Ray Allen Boston Celtics
    14. David Lee New York Knicks
    15. Carmelo Anthony Denver Nuggets


    2008-09 MOST POPULAR TEAM MERCHANDISE (thru Jan.)
    1. Los Angeles Lakers
    2. Boston Celtics
    3. New York Knicks
    4. Cleveland Cavaliers
    5. Chicago Bulls
    6. Phoenix Suns
    7. Detroit Pistons
    8. New Orleans Hornets
    9. Miami Heat
    10. San Antonio Spurs
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    • killianc14 Posted: Jan.28 at 3:56 pm
      first!!!

    • ciolkstar Posted: Jan.28 at 3:58 pm
      *yawn*

    • ciolkstar Posted: Jan.28 at 3:59 pm
      Lil Nate at #10 is awesome! That guy is fun to watch. Especially when he starts getting all fired up after EVERY play.

    • what Posted: Jan.28 at 4:00 pm
      No Kevin Durant is a little surprising… but just a little.

    • Wayne Posted: Jan.28 at 4:12 pm
      Nate Robinson? He shouldn’t even be in the NBA…And1 called and wants it’s player back.

    • Eboy Posted: Jan.28 at 4:12 pm
      “Who gives a sh*t….who give a fu*k”.

    • Eboy Posted: Jan.28 at 4:14 pm
      I thought the next udpdate would have been about Wallace, btw. Good work, Rynocerous.

    • BETCATS Posted: Jan.28 at 4:17 pm
      Ball Hog R@pist stays #1 in jersey sales. Lebron James stays #1 on Top NBA players list.

    • Tyler Posted: Jan.28 at 4:23 pm
      There is no Kevin Durant because those jersey’s look terrible…haha

    • Wayne Posted: Jan.28 at 4:24 pm
      LeBroom has nothing yet. I’ll believe he’s the best when I see some hardware.

    • Ryne Nelson Posted: Jan.28 at 4:25 pm
      Ahhh, all right. I’m on it…I wanted to delay long enough to pass it on to Marcel tomorrow. ;-)

    • Tzvi T Posted: Jan.28 at 4:25 pm
      Who doesn’t belong? (tick-tock)…..Nate Robinson is the only guy on this list who will certainly never partake in an All Star Game.

    • WhaHuh Posted: Jan.28 at 4:30 pm
      Betcats needs to go somewhere

    • TADOne Posted: Jan.28 at 4:30 pm
      DUH.

    • BETCATS Posted: Jan.28 at 4:32 pm
      Wayne, ‘LeBroom’ and Kobe both have the same number of rings without Shaq.

    • Sparker Posted: Jan.28 at 4:41 pm
      kids buy the nate jersey because they can get it in actual size

    • mike Posted: Jan.28 at 4:45 pm
      Yes!!!! I got here just in time for ANOTHER Kobe/LeBron argument. Kep it going! These never get old.

    • Wayne Posted: Jan.28 at 4:50 pm
      Did I say Kobe was the best? I just said Lebroom wasn’t. You Cavs fans are trigger happy to start a Lebroom v. Kobe debate…

    • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Jan.28 at 4:56 pm
      zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    • jbn74sb Posted: Jan.28 at 5:00 pm
      Things are as they should be. And while I certainly wish Wallace the best, that was no cheap shot.

    • Anton Posted: Jan.28 at 5:08 pm
      James leads the league with most freshwater crab sales generated

    • Zee! Posted: Jan.28 at 5:08 pm
      L.A. L.A. Big city of RINGS.

    • Jackie Moon Posted: Jan.28 at 5:18 pm
      I knew. I freaking knew it. My President Obama: “Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player in the world”. http://thelakersnation.com/blog/2009/01/27/barack-obama-kobe-is-the-best-basketball-player-in-the-world/ But, he was in Philadelphia. Being a politician, he would probably have said Lebron is the best if he was in Cleveland.

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.28 at 5:23 pm
      Csrtoon’s jersey at number 5….all questions ANSWERED!!!

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.28 at 5:26 pm
      where is Manu…..?
      i love the fact that the great Ray Allen is appreciated somewhere….on the other hand he is behind Nate Robinson…

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.28 at 5:26 pm
      KOBE!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!!
      KOBE!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!KOBE!!!!KOBE!!!!

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.28 at 5:28 pm
      Durant is top-10 in 2009. Count on it.

    • Jackie Moon Posted: Jan.28 at 5:37 pm
      You played really well for Greece in the Olympics, man.

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.28 at 5:50 pm
      thanks Mr Moon.

    • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.28 at 5:55 pm
      The fact that they count sales at the NBA Store no doubt helps Knicks like Nate and Lee, as well as whoever’s jersey they stock the most of. Factor in all NBA jerseys sold everywhere, and the list is probably a little different.

    • Mo Posted: Jan.28 at 6:21 pm
      At the end of last season Chris Paul’s jersey was #5. Not 15. http://www.nba.com/news/jersey_list_080613.html

    • Ryne Nelson Posted: Jan.28 at 6:32 pm
      Mo, I was referring to a year ago about Chris Paul’s jersey…Jan. 2008.

    • the baconator Posted: Jan.28 at 7:15 pm
      @Wayne: I’m pretty sure Nate’s proven he belongs in this league. AND1 ballers wouldn’t last one sec in the NBA cuz their game is built on flash, not fundamentals. Nate’s a tried and true baller, plain and simple

    • Wayne Posted: Jan.28 at 7:19 pm
      wow, hang on Nate Robinsons d*ick a little more baconator, I’m sure he appreciates it…

    • B. Long Posted: Jan.28 at 7:33 pm
      The Lakers need to bust the throwbacks out more.

    • Arek Posted: Jan.28 at 8:39 pm
      nate robinson.. wow what a surprise.. but hey, cant hate on the little man

    • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.28 at 8:43 pm
      @ Wayne: You’re so stupid you were named after Lil’ Wayne.

    • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.28 at 8:43 pm
      Nate sh!ts on you, by the way. Bahahaha

    • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.28 at 8:44 pm
      @ Arek: Its not too big of a surprise that Robinson’s jersey sells a lot, considering part of the data is from an NBA Store in New York.

    • Will Lee Posted: Jan.29 at 2:09 am
      no Yao Ming? People just vote but not fancy his jersey?

    • Weapon X Posted: Jan.29 at 4:32 am
      Lil’ Nate and David Lee are on this list because The NBA Store is in NY.
      If The Answer switches teams again he’ll move up on this list.

    • ClydeSays Posted: Jan.29 at 6:22 am
      Gasol’s on that list? C’mon! Who in their right mind is rocking a Gasol jersey!? I doubt even Holly would sleep in one, nevermind wear one in the street…

    • NBA-JERSEY-KING Posted: Jan.29 at 8:10 am
      i have a jersey store and a lot of my sales differ from this list… dont know how David Lee gets up in the top 15

    • what Posted: Jan.29 at 1:12 pm
      Lil Nate is pretty legit… or at least he was in the 2nd half yesterday against my hibernating Hawks.

    • Dwyane Posted: Jan.29 at 1:29 pm
      A.I. jersey is still selling and the Pistons jeresey is uglyyyy. Hes still 3rd all time when he goes bak to philly this summer its gonna be 1st or 2nd again.

    • T-MINT Posted: Jan.29 at 1:54 pm
      Yea, I’m pretty surprised Durant’s not on here. I don’t think it’s the jersey’s that is the problem. I think the home jerseys look pretty good, the away jerseys definately could use some work though haha

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.29 at 3:55 pm
      by the way…:THUNDER jersey’s (home & away )are terrible….

    • Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Posted: Jan.29 at 3:55 pm
      by the way…:THUNDER jersey’s (home & away )are terrible….

    • slamfan4life Posted: Jan.29 at 5:27 pm
      Rose’s are sellin like hotcakes, but idk how the Bulls as a team are in the top 5

    • LADi_BASKETBALL Posted: Jan.30 at 12:04 pm
      WHY DOES iT HAVE TO BE KOBE BRYANT??????

    • Wayne Posted: Jan.30 at 1:39 pm
      Dwayne, Detroit has sweet Uniforms, it’s classic Red, White, and Blue. How can you go wrong with that?

    • BuzzerBeater Posted: Feb.9 at 5:48 pm
      I thought Bargnani’s jersey would be high because everyone in Italy has one.

    • dj Posted: Apr.3 at 10:41 am
      rose in top 10 in just 2 months lol nba player should be mad

    • Chris E. Posted: Apr.10 at 10:04 am
      Derrick Rose is popular because he wears a Bulls jersey. So where is D-Will? I’m suprised he isn’t in at least the top 15.

    • [...] As the NBA recently released their list of top selling jerseys for the 2008-2009 season, it was no big surprise of who was on the list. But by looking at the list it only incorporates current players obviously as that is what is being sold around the NBA and in stores (apart from the adidas hardwood classics throwbacks). Source: http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/kobe-tops-nba-jersey-sales-again/ [...]

    • [...] times superstars push the markets (Pistons, Suns, Heat). Kevin Garnett fell the hardest from last January’s returns and it looks like he’ll slide out of the top five come next season. Gasol made the largest [...]

    • DD Posted: Jun.18 at 8:50 pm
      F*%#@ that guy who called kobe a rapist! Talent is talent! If Lebron is so much better there would be a t-shirt with one championship ring on his puppet’s hand instead of four on Kobe’s. BLACK MAMBA! And if some of you are so bored with this news then why are you even COMMENTING ABOUT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!?

    • [...] a great sports market? Is there competition between Georgia Tech? A more storied basketball team? http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba…y-sales-again/ Josh Smith isn’t even in the top 15 in jersey sales. Does Atlanta not care for the Hawks? [...]

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