Iverson, Anthony Among NBA’s Most Popular Jerseys

Iverson, Anthony Among NBA’s Most Popular Jerseys

The duo rank fourth and fifth in sales at the official NBA Store and on NBAStore.com

Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets rank fourth and fifth on the NBA's Most Popular Jersey List. The rankings are based on jersey sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2006-07 NBA season through Dec. 31, 2006. Following the Dec. 19 trade to the Nuggets from the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson moved up three spots on the list from his No. 7 rank before the trade.

The Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers ranks as the most popular jersey in the NBA, moving up three spots from the end of last season. Bryant, who had the most popular jersey during the 2002-03 season, regained the lead from Miami's Dwyane Wade who held the top spot since May 2005. Wade drops to No. 2 on the list and Cleveland’s LeBron James comes in at No. 3, followed by Iverson and Anthony rounding out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Iverson and Anthony join Miami's Wade and Shaquille O'Neal as the only teammates to appear in this year's Top 15. O'Neal ranks ninth, while Wade sits at No. 2.

The Los Angeles Lakers remained No. 1 on the league’s Most Popular Team Merchandise List for the fifth consecutive season, while the NBA Champion Miami Heat moved up one spot to second. The New York Knicks rank third and the Chicago Bulls are fourth. The Cleveland Cavaliers made the largest jump on the list this year, moving up to No. 5 from No. 8 last year. The Denver Nuggets currently rank seventh overall.

The Washington Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas and 2006 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year Chris Paul from the New Orleans/OK City Hornets make their debut in the Top 15, coming in at No. 8 and No. 14, respectively.

The NBA Store had its strongest sales quarter in history in the fourth quarter of 2006 including the best November sales ever and the largest single sales month ever during December 2006. This season marks the first with adidas as the official on-court uniform and apparel provider for the NBA.

The NBA’s Most Popular Jersey List and the Most Popular Team Merchandise List are listed below:

TOP 15 PLAYERS
1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
3. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Allen Iverson – Denver Nuggets
5. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
6. Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
7. Vince Carter – New Jersey Nets
8. Gilbert Arenas – Washington Wizards
9. Shaquille O’Neal – Miami Heat
10. Stephon Marbury – New York Knicks
11. Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
12. Tracy McGrady – Houston Rockets
13. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
14. Chris Paul – New Orleans/OK City Hornets
15. Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs

TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Miami Heat
3. New York Knicks
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Boston Celtics
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Philadelphia 76ers
9. New Jersey Nets
10. San Antonio Spurs