NBA finalists Suns, Bucks rise in merchandise sales but Lakers remain on top

Ahead of their showdown in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Phoenix Suns rose in NBA merchandise sales, however, topping the lists is LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, according to the league figures released on Wednesday.

While four-time NBA champion James was still the hottest property going by jersey sale, his 2020 NBA champion team Lakers lead in merchandise sales, the NBA and its players’ union announced.

Trailing behind James in jersey sales was Antetokounmpo, who equalled his highest sales rankings at second by rising three positions above where he placed in the first half of a COVID-shortened season that began in December.

No purchase totals or financial figures were made public from online sales made through the league store from March 11 through Tuesday.

Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, the star-studded Brooklyn Nets had had three players in the top 10 of jersey sales, led by Kevin Durant in third with Kyrie Irving eighth and James Harden ninth, just ahead of Portland’s talisman Damian Lillard.

Slovenian star Luka Doncic, who became the first Mavericks player to feature on the cover of the NBA video game, ranked fourth in jersey sales followed by Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Phoenix guard Devin Booker and Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

With his incredible performance so far in the finals, Booker’s sales can only go up. He rose 12 places to sixth on the jersey list.

Greek star Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, has generated more than 22.8 million engagements on his Instagram account this season, ranking fourth among current NBA players behind James, Curry and Lillard.

Content on NBA social media platforms regarding Antetokounmpo has generated more than 131 million views worldwide, with 65% of team pass subscribers selecting the Bucks, fans in Greece overwhelmingly selecting Antetokounmpo’s team to follow.

That helped the Suns move from 19th to third on the overall team merchandise sales list, trailing only the Lakers and Brooklyn and finishing just ahead of Milwaukee, which jumped six spots above where they were in March.

At 11th, Atlanta’s Trae Young reached a career-best on the jersey sales list. Young starred for Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals, although they failed to overcome Bucks.