For the second consecutive season, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers had the top selling NBA jersey in China. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, members of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, moved into the top five on this years list.
Garnett, who had the most popular jersey in the U.S. this season, moved up to second this year in China. The Houston Rockets Tracy McGrady ranked third for the second consecutive season. Pierce, whose jersey was not in the top ten last season, moved up to fourth. The Denver Nuggets Allen Iverson dropped from second on last years list to fifth this year. Houston’s Yao Ming ranked 10th on the list, down from six last year.
The rankings are based on sales from retail stores throughout China for the 2007-08 season. adidas is the official on-court uniform and apparel provider of the NBA.
In July, the first two NBA Stores located outside the United States opened in Beijing. The stores, located at the Xindongan Plaza in the Wanfujing, Dongcheng District and at The Place in the Chaoyang District, have exceeded sales projections by nearly 70 percent in their first two weeks. There were 1,000 people lined up outside of the NBA Store at The Place for its grand opening on July 15.
NBA merchandise is available in over 30,000 retail locations throughout Greater China, and revenue this year is expected to increase by more than 60 percent.
