NBA announces that LeBron James has the most popular jersey worldwide

LEBRON JAMES HAS THE MOST POPULAR NBA JERSEY WORLDWIDE 

Checking out this release by the NBA... I thought that it was very revealing that Derrick Rose was near the top of every list in spite of not playing a single minute the past season. I don't buy NBA jerseys as much as I used to. In fact, I rarely buy one now as I prefer football and hockey jerseys. So what are the most recent NBA jerseys that I have? James Harden (Houston Rockets), Pau Gasol (LA Lakers), Chris Mullin (retro Golden State Warriors), Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder). I have a bunch of Kobe Bryant jerseys from his original #8 to the first run of #24. 

I love it how the NBA also had its own list for the Philippines. That's further indication of how big a NBA market we've become.

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2013 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today released its global list of top-selling jerseys for the 2012-13 season. Two-time NBA champion LeBron James of the Miami Heat took the No. 1 spot for the first time with the most popular jersey worldwide. The 2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls earned the top spot in China, Latin America and Europe, and placed No. 2 on the overall list. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant and the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade round out the top five.  The rankings are based on adidas global sales for the 2012-13 NBA season.  The announcement comes ahead of NBA Global Games 2013, one of the most ambitious international game schedules in league history, which tips off on Oct. 5.

The list features nine players on NBA Global Games rosters: Rose, Bryant, Durant, former Los Angeles Lakers and current Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, the Brooklyn Nets’ Deron Williams, the Lakers’ Steve Nash, the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, former Boston Celtics and current Nets forward Kevin Garnett and the Nets’ Joe Johnson.

A total of 12 NBA teams will play 10 preseason and regular-season games in 10 cities in seven countries as part of the 2013-14 NBA Global Games schedule.  This represents the most NBA teams to play internationally in a single season in the history of the league.  NBA Global Games tips off on Oct. 5 in Istanbul, Turkey, followed by games in Bilbao, Spain (Oct. 6); Manchester, England (Oct. 8); Manila, Philippines (Oct. 10); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Oct. 12); Taipei, Taiwan (Oct. 13); and Beijing (Oct. 15) and Shanghai, China (Oct. 18). Regular-season NBA Global Games will take place in Mexico City (Dec. 4) and London (Jan. 16).

This is the seventh season adidas has served as the official uniform and apparel provider of the NBA.

Top 15 Selling Jerseys Worldwide for the 2012-13 season:                    

1.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

2.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

3.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

4.     Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

5.     Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

6.     Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

7.     Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers* 

8.     Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets

9.     Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

10.  Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

11.  Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers

12.  Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

13.  Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

14.  Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics* 

15.  Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

Top 10 Selling Jerseys in the United States for the 2012-13 season:

1.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

2.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

3.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

4.     Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

5.     Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

6.     Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

7.     Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers* 

8.     Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets

9.     Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

10.  Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Top 10 Selling Jerseys in China for the 2012-13 season:                   

1.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls    

2.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

3.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

4.     Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets 

5.     Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

6.     Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

7.     Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers 

8.     Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

9.     Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers

10.  Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Top 10 Selling Jerseys in Latin America for the 2012-13 season:                    

1.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

2.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers 

3.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

4.     Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics* 

5.     Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

6.     Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers* 

7.     Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks 

8.     Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat 

9.     Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

10.  Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Top 10 Selling Jerseys in Europe for the 2012-13 season:                    

1.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

2.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

3.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

4.     Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics*

5.     Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers

6.     Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks 

7.     Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

8.     Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder 

9.     Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers* 

10.  Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers 

Top 10 Selling Jerseys in Philippines for the 2012-13 season:                    

1.     LeBron James, Miami Heat

2.     Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

3.     Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

4.     Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

5.     Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder 

6.     Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers 

7.     Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks 

8.     Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers* 

9.     Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers

10.  Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

*Denotes players who changed teams after the 2012-13 season.

------------------------------------------

Other NBA-related reading material:

McHale Standard Time

My take on Jordan versus Kobe and LeBron James