European Players Score in NBA Jersey Sales
Fan affinity among the National Basketball Association’s European supporters is clearly skewing toward players from the continent, based on top-selling jerseys during last season.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant’s jersey is the top seller in Europe—as it is in China—and the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett comes in second in the NBA’s most European recent sales rankings.
But five of the top 10 jerseys in continental NBA sales belong to Europeans for the first time. That list includes Bryant’s Lakers teammate Paul Gasol, from Spain, and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, from France, whose jerseys both rank among the top five bestsellers.
Italy’s Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors ranks seventh in the standings. Italian Marco Belinelli of the Golden State Warriors and Spain’s Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors, cracked the top 10 for the first time last season.
NBA jersey sales are certain to see a significant bump this month, with the Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards playing pre-season exhibition games in Barcelona, Berlin, London and Paris.
Players from abroad currently constitute 20% of all players on NBA rosters.
The NBA’s merchandising business in Europe has doubled in the past five years to include more than 60 partners distributing NBA products to more than 15,000 retail locations. The league reports that NBA merchandise sales in Europe are up 40% this year.
International NBA merchandise sales hit $430 million last year, representing more than 20% of the league’s total merchandising take. International tourists make up 40% of the consumers who visit the NBA Store in midtown Manhattan.
