Dončić making impact off the court
Slovenian player Luka Dončić is one of the undisputed stars of the NBA, and now he has become the first international player ever to top the most popular jerseys list.
In only two and a half months since his shock trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, his No. 77 Lakers jersey has become the NBA's most popular jersey for the 2024-25 regular season based on NBAStore.com sales, the league has announced.
Before the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Lakers in a blockbuster deal, Dončić's Mavs jersey ranked 8th this season.
He is the first player other than Stephen Curry or LeBron James to top the list since the 2012-13 season. Curry finished in second place this season and James in third.
The Lakers are also No. 1 on the team merchandise list.
Sports Illustrated says the sales figures show that the Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade Dončić in February has given the Lakers, the NBA's biggest brand, one of the most marketable stars in his prime - and the jersey sales prove that.