LeBron James has the No.1 selling jersey in the NBA

LeBron James is leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs, and he is leading the league in jersey sales as well.

LeBron James is not leading the MVP race this season, thanks to career years from the Golden State Warriors Steph Curry and James Harden of the Houston Rockets. He is, however, leading the NBA in jersey sales, which should come as no surprise.

On top of already being the most popular and most publicized player in the league, he also changed teams this offseason. LeBron is returning home to Cleveland after four years in Miami, where he won two NBA championships and appeared in the finals every season.

More from Cleveland Cavaliers

While he did have the same postseason success during his first tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he provides an abundance of hope for the city, which has not won a playoff series without LeBron since 1993.

When you combine this newfound hope for the city of Cleveland with LeBron’s status as the most popular and most gifted player in the league and an Akron, Ohio product from just down the road, there is nobody else who should even come close to his jersey sale numbers this year.

Despite LeBron’s immense popularity, he has only led the league in jersey sales three times during his 11-year career. It should be noted, however, that his highest selling seasons have all been during his first year with a new team. He led the league in sales for the first time as a rookie, when he entered the league as one of the most heralded and coveted draft picks in NBA history. The next time he did so was during his first season with the Miami Heat, where his new No. 6 jersey was the league’s biggest hit.

His jersey sales may have skyrocketed even further if James continued wearing No. 6 as he did during his time in Miami, but he elected to go back to the No. 23 jersey that he wore during his first tenure with the Cavs. It is not like LeBron needs the money; he brought in a ridiculous $72.3 million last season after endorsements, investments and contract earnings, by far the most in the NBA and the third most of all athletes in the world.

This decision will save dedicated Cleveland fans some money, assuming they did not burn his jersey in the riots that followed his infamous decision to leave for Miami. Jersey sale statistics will be released again after the playoffs, and if LeBron leads the Cavs on a deep playoff run, expect him to remain atop the list.

More from FanSided

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers