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LeBron James and Kyrie Irving top-five in jersey sales

By Quenton S. Albertie

Jun 7, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) celebrates with forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 7, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) celebrates with forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were top-five in jersey sales last season. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished second in jersey sales as a team.

In the recently released jersey sales rankings, LeBron James (2nd) was outpaced by Stephen Curry (1st) in jersey sales for the 2016-2017 season. Meanwhile, both James and Kyrie Irving (5th) managed to make it into the top five of individual jersey sales.

With Kevin Durant (3rd) also in the top five for Golden State and two players who made it to the top-15 in Klay Thompson (10th) and Draymond Green (11th), the Golden State Warriors (1st) managed to outpace the Cleveland Cavaliers (2nd) in team jersey sales.

Last season was certainly their year.

However, to look at the silver lining, Cleveland is actually thriving for what’s been traditionally known as a small market team. The star power of LeBron James, the best player in the game and one with an affinity for Hollywood exposure, and Kyrie Irving (sensational as himself or Uncle Drew) has not only brought success on the court with three straight Finals appearances but off-the-court as well.

The talk of the NBA is Golden State, LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While teams like the Houston Rockets make blockbuster trades to attain Hall of Fame worthy talent in Chris Paul, they’re still looking up at the Warriors. Likewise, while the Boston Celtics may sign Gordon Hayward in free agency, they’ll still be looked at as the underdogs against James and the Cavs.

It’s interesting to note the popularity that four Warriors have, although it’s not wholly unexpected given the market they play in, the media exposure they get, the success they’ve had with two championships in the past three years and their transcendence from the perimeter. It’s telling that while the Cavs have the best player in the league and a Big Three with three All-Star caliber players, they’re the underdogs.

Their popularity is also due to Green playing the part of a WWE heel in the NBA, challenging James directly.

Thompson goes right along with it.

If the Cavs were to make a trade for Paul George or Carmelo Anthony and dominate on the court, there’s a strong possibility that they could be number one in jersey sales for the 2017-2018 season.

It’s not surprising that James is behind Curry in jersey sales given that Curry’s fan base has grown so much in the past couple of seasons. However, with James entering the realm of Michael Jordan, his popularity may rise. Given his new look and his increasing mastery of the game, fans should be ready for the comparisons to continue throughout the season.

Irving, who is a human highlight reel, has so many critics in the NBA it’s a credit that he finished fifth in jersey sales. As he continues to develop his court vision and defensive awareness, those critics should be silenced. With that, the sky is the limit for the Prince of Cleveland.

It’s a wild time in the offseason right now, which only adds to the hype surrounding next season. When October rolls around, be prepared to support your Cleveland Cavaliers!

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