The Luka Doncic trade has literally turned the Los Angeles Lakers’ fortunes around. On the court, the Lakers went from being a potential play-in team to finishing as the No.3 seed in the Western Conference. That’s what happened on the court.
Off it, many predicted that Slovenian would be good for the Lakers’ business. Just two months after that shocking deal, “Luka Magic” is reaping the rewards for the “Lake Show.” According to a press release from the NBA, Doncic owns the top-selling NBA jersey for the 2024-25 season. Former ESPN and New York Times writer Marc Stein broke the news on Monday.
Before his trade, Doncic already had the 8th-best-selling jersey. But going to Los Angeles really expanded his market. Since the trade deadline last February 6th, the NBA’s official online store reported a 21 percent increase in sales versus the previous year, and the numbers were driven by Slovenian’s move from Dallas to L.A.
Luka Magic’s” arrival at the top spot ends an 11-year stranglehold by LeBron James and Steph Curry. From the 2012-13 season up to the last campaign, the top-selling jersey was either James’ or Curry’s. As Stein also noted, Doncic is the first international player to lead the NBA in jersey sales for a single season.
Golden State’s star finished second behind Doncic after placing at No.1 last season. Steph was also the top seller from 2016 to 2018. Meanwhile, LeBron was No.1 from 2019-2023, 2014, and 2015. King James finished at No.3 for the current season.
With two players in the Top 3 in jersey sales, the Lakers also finished on top of the NBA’s merchandise sales list, ahead of the Boston Celtics and the Dubs. The defending champions led this sales category at the midway point of the season. Still, Luka’s arrival in Los Angeles changed the landscape.
Aside from merchandise sales, the power of Hollywood was also on full display as the Lakers’ 40-year-old superstar was the most viewed player in the NBA’s social and digital platforms for the 2024-25 season with 3.23 billion views. Curry ranked second with 2.56 billion, while Doncic was a surprise third despite playing just 50 regular-season games this season.
The four-time MVP led the league in views, proving that even after playing 22 seasons, the “Kid from Akron” is still the undisputed face of the league, with “Chef Curry” a close second. However, Doncic ending James’ and Curry’s over-a-decade reign as the top jersey-seller in the league also indicates that when LeBron finally retires, not only the Lakers but also the NBA have their next face.
NBA media has been debating who the next face of the NBA should be. Some said it was supposed to be Ja Morant or Zion Williamson. Now, others are saying it’s Anthony Edwards. Jayson Tatum even threw his hat in the arena. But they can say all they want; the numbers are pointing to the Slovenian wunderkind in L.A.
