To the surprise of few, Zion Williamson has burst onto the national landscape in a fashion unlike any before. One week into his NBA career, Williamson is already shattering sales records for his jersey.
From the New York Post:
Williamson, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound power forward who took college basketball by storm in his one-and-done season, was snapped up by the New Orleans Pelicans last Thursday. During the next five days, he sold more $110 Nike jerseys and $32 T-shirts than all the first-round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft combined, according to Fanatics.
Williamson isn’t the only top pick to break NBA sales records. Former Duke teammate and now current New York Knick RJ Barrett is also setting high marks in sales records relative to Lonzo Ball.
Meanwhile, top New York Knicks pick Barrett, despite trailing Williamson, has sold twice as much merchandise as Lonzo Ball, who had set the previous record for NBA Draft merch sales after becoming the Lakers’ No. 2 draft pick in 2017, Fanatics said.
The duo is two of the most popular athletes to enter the league in some time. As the article notes, Williamson and Barrett have massive social media followings, fueling their historic sales.
