Stephen Curry, Warriors Once Again Top NBA's Merch Sales
This marks the fourth straight year Curry has topped jersey popularity charts during the springNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Warriors G Stephen Curry and the Warriors have secured the top spots on the NBA's most popular jersey and team merchandise lists based on overall sales on NBAStore.com from April through June. Curry is joined in the top five by teammate F Kevin Durant, who ranks fourth. Rounding out the top five are Cavaliers F LeBron James (2), Celtics G Kyrie Irving (3) and 76ers G Ben Simmons (5). On the team merchandise list, the Warriors are followed by the Cavaliers (2), Celtics (3), 76ers (4) and Rockets (5). Irving, Simmons and Rockets G James Harden (6) have all earned their highest rankings, while the Celtics make their first top three appearance since the end of the '11-12 season (NBA). This marks the "fourth straight year Curry has topped jersey popularity charts during the spring." For the Warriors, this is the "second consecutive year" they have "locked up the top spot." Curry and the Warriors as a whole have "sat atop the most popular charts each of the past three seasons" (NBCBAYAREA.com, 6/28).
MOST POPULAR PLAYER JERSEY SALES ON NBASTORE.COM (APRIL-JUNE)
RANK
PLAYER
RANK
PLAYER
1
Warriors G Stephen Curry
9
Thunder G Russell Westbrook
2
Cavaliers F LeBron James
10
Warriors G Klay Thompson
3
Celtics G Kyrie Irving
11
Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo
4
Warriors F Kevin Durant
12
Rockets G Chris Paul
5
76ers G Ben Simmons
13
Warriors F Draymond Green
6
Rockets G James Harden
14
Raptors G DeMar DeRozan
7
Celtics G Jayson Tatum
15
Pelicans F Anthony Davis
8
76ers C Joel Embiid
MOST POPULAR TEAM MERCH SALES ON NBASTORE.COM (APRIL-JUNE)
RANK
TEAM
RANK
TEAM
1
Warriors
6
Lakers
2
Cavaliers
7
Bulls
3
Celtics
8
Raptors
4
76ers
9
Thunder
5
Rockets
10
Bucks
HINDSIGHT IS 20/20: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported should James leave the Cavaliers this offseason, Fanatics "would be on the hook for potentially millions of dollars in exchanges." The brand "softly launched a program called Jersey Assurance in November that allows fans to exchange a player's jersey free of charge if that player changes teams within 90 days of the purchase." The company "announced the details of the program in January." If an NBA jersey was "purchased with an AmEx card on Fanatics, that fan got a year to exchange jerseys if a player is no longer affiliated with that team." No major event has "caused the Jersey Assurance program to get much use, but the possible move" of James and other popular free agents, has "put Fanatics to work." Fanatics CMO Chris Orton said that he and his team are "not sure what's going to happen if James leaves Cleveland, other than the fact that they are sure it will ultimately cost the company money in the short term" (ESPN.com, 6/28).
