LaMelo Ball’s popularity as a rookie in the NBA has been matched by few in the league in recent years. The very unorthodox path he took to the NBA has served as backing to his popularity with Ball being a global star.
Ball’s popularity in Australia, specifically, is not surprising considering the year he spent in the NBL with the Illawarra Hawks. The degree of his popularity, though, was shown recently as NBA jersey sale figures for Australia were released and Ball came in first.
Ball’s jersey sales rank just above Steph Curry of the Warriors in second, LeBron James of the Lakers in third and Kevin Durant of the Nets in fourth. Russell Westbrook (fifth), Luka Doncic (sixth), Giannis Antetokounmpo (seventh) Trae Young (eighth), Steven Adams (ninth) and Jaylen Brown (10th) round out the top ten.
Behind Ball’s jersey, the Hornets rank fifth as a team in merchandise sales. The defending champion Lakers hold the top spot followed by the Nets. The Warriors and Celtics make out the rest of the top five.
