Kristaps Porzingis fever is sweeping across New York, and the NBA can’t keep up with the ridiculous demand on his jerseys.
After being so adamantly booed by New York Knicks fans on the night of the 2015 NBA draft, Kristaps Porzingis is rapidly making a name for himself as a rookie who is worth getting excited about. From his signature put-back dunks to the fact he’s a 7’3″ dude who can shoot threes, there’s plenty of reasons for basketball fans to get in on the Porzingis hype. And what better way to do that than with his jersey?
Unfortunately, for those waiting to get their hands on one, though, the demand has been so high on his jerseys that the NBA has officially sold out.
NBA says Porzingis jerseys have sold out, new stock will be in tomorrow.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 19, 2015
As has been reported by Christian Red of the New York Daily News, Modell’s sporting goods stores everywhere, including the store next to Madison Square Garden, will be restocked with plenty of Porzingis jerseys to satisfy the Knicks fans who have fallen in love with their new rookie:
"“Right now, we have Porzingis jerseys in 40 stores in New York. We have a very good amount on the way to the online (Modell’s) store and a very, very large amount on its way to the store next to the Garden,” says [Dave] Brown [a Modell’s license buyer]. “By next Wednesday, his jerseys will be in all the chain stores in New York and our inventory will quadruple. After (Tuesday’s) win, the sales over three days equaled all the sales from last week.”"
If Modell’s have to quadruple their amount of Porzingis jerseys just to keep them on the shelves and in people’s virtual shopping baskets, the Knicks rook may have surpassed their perennial All-Star, Carmelo Anthony, in terms of popularity right now. That’s just the kind of power and social standing that comes with those signature ferocious dunks and ranking in the top three among rookies in points (12.8), rebounds (8.6), and blocks (1.1) per game. Plus, considering the fact that so many fans seemed to think he’d be a bust, it’s a welcome surprise to see that isn’t the case.
His shooting touch and range was always known, and it was a key factor as to why he was so highly scouted before the draft. Yet, it’s his aggressiveness, confidence, rebounding, and surprisingly advanced footwork in the post that’s turned him into such an exciting young player over the last few weeks.
So, with all that in mind, don’t worry too much, Knicks fans. Some Kristaps Porzingis jerseys will be back in stores soon. Just get there quickly before everyone else on the hype train get there first.