Fans came out in droves to support the Lakers and LeBron James when one of the NBA’s premier franchises teamed with one of the league’s all-time greats. James had this year's best-selling jersey, based on NBAStore.com sales since the beginning of the regular season. The first-year Laker was followed on that list by Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, the Lakers' global fanbase pushed them to the No. 1 spot when it came to team merchandise sold, ahead of the two-time defending-champion Golden State Warriors. The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks finished out the top five among teams.<doc-sep>Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press LeBron James' arrival in Los Angeles saw him rocket to the top of the NBA's jersey sales this season, per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck. Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo rounded out the top three, while a trio of Philadelphia 76ers (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler) all finished in the top 10. James' Los Angeles Lakers had the most sold jerseys among the teams, followed by the Warriors, Boston Celtics, 76ers and Bucks. James and the Lakers may have missed out on the postseason in his first season in the City of Angels, but the popularity of the superstar forward and his iconic team remain unquestioned. Now, if only they could find a second superstar for him to play beside. And maybe a president of basketball operations and head coach, too.<doc-sep>It doesn’t take a playoff berth to secure every No. 1. LeBron James has the most popular jersey in the league and the Los Angeles Lakers hold the top spot in team merchandise sales, per a release from the NBA and NBA Players Association. James and the Lakers edged out Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors for the respective accolades. Curry held the title of most popular jersey for three consecutive seasons and the Warriors had the most merchandise sales over the same span. As in the NBA Finals, James and his Cleveland Cavaliers fell into second place. Most popular jerseys in 2019 James and Curry swapped spots and were joined in the top three by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who jumped up one spot from last year.The Greek Freak” was ranked ninth in 2017. The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid finished fifth for a career-high in jersey sale rankings. They led with three of the top 15. Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic premiered at No. 13. Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade rejoined the list in his ultimate season, finishing 11th, and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George also made a return for the first time since 2016. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers James Harden, Houston Rockets Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia 76ers Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Most popular teams in merch sales All but one team on last year’s list remained in 2019, though they all moved around. Lakers merchandise was a hot-ticket item in James’ first season on the West Coast. The team was ranked fourth last year. The Boston Celtics moved from fifth to third, bumping the 76ers down to fourth. The Cavaliers, ranked second, fell off the list completely. The Toronto Raptors joined the top 10 at No. 8. Story continues 1. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Golden State Warriors 3. Boston Celtics 4. Philadelphia 76ers 5. Milwaukee Bucks 6. Chicago Bulls 7. Oklahoma City Thunder 8. Houston Rockets 9. Toronto Raptors 10. New York Knicks LeBron James had the league's most popular jersey in his first season in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) There are new names on and climbing the list: Joel Embiid is up to No. 5, Luka Doncic came in 13th as a rookie. However, for the most part, the names on the list of the most sold jerseys in the NBA look very familiar. With LeBron James jumping teams to the Los Angeles Lakers, it should be no surprise he tops the list of most-sold jerseys (based on NBAStore.com sales since the start of the season). Stephen Curry is second, and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo climbed up to third. Here are the top 15 in jersey sales this season. 1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers 2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks 4. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics 5. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers 6. James Harden, Houston Rockets 7. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder 8. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors 9. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers 10. Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia 76ers 11. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat 12. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder 13. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks 14. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers 15. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Three Sixers made the list (Embiid, Simmons, Butler), the most of any team. Also, Wade went out in the top 15 after his Last Dance farewell tour. Here are the top 10 franchises in team merchandise sales: 1. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Golden State Warriors 3. Boston Celtics 4. Philadelphia 76ers 5. Milwaukee Bucks 6. Chicago Bulls 7. Oklahoma City Thunder 8. Houston Rockets 9. Toronto Raptors 10. New York Knicks