Buying a jersey is not a small decision for a fan. They think about it. They save for it. When a fan finally gets one, it’s basically a way of saying “this is my guy.”
So when the NBA releases jersey sales data, it tells a story about who fans are really backing then. Now the numbers for the 2025-26 season have some interesting things to say, especially about LeBron James.
The NBA’s Latest Revelation Regarding the Jersey Sales of the 2025-26 Regular Season
Recently, the NBA revealed the top-selling jerseys for the 2025-26 season through their X account. Stephen Curry is sitting at number one. Luka Dončić is second. Jalen Brunson is third. Victor Wembanyama is fourth, and LBJ is fifth.
The NBA’s top-selling jerseys list for the 2025-26 regular season… based on sales from https://t.co/I0ypSvyq5i, https://t.co/tYEBPOnXdC and Fanatics partner sites! pic.twitter.com/8nQfnD8T0z
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026
Now, eagle-eyed fans would have caught that the King is not in the top three. For a guy who has practically lived in the top two for years, that’s a noticeable shift. Let’s look at how things have gone over the past few seasons.
Past Rankings of the NBA Jersey Sales
In the 2022-23 season, Stephen Curry was leading jersey sales, followed by James in second and Giannis Antetokounmpo in third.
Then in 2023-24, it was the same story. At the top, there was Curry first, James second, and Jayson Tatum came in at third. The following season, 2024-25, saw a change at the top as Dončić took the number one spot, Curry moved to second, and James dropped to third.
So the trend is clear. James was slipping. But he never went below third in recent years, until now. This season, he has fallen to fifth. Now there’s a pretty straightforward reason for it.
Potential Reason for LeBron James’ Fall in Jersey Sales
James missed the first 20 games of the Lakers’ season due to a right sciatica issue. When he finally returned on November 18 against the Utah Jazz, the Lakers had already found their rhythm, set by Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Fans usually buy jerseys of the players they see most often on the court, and for much of this season, that wasn’t James.
Dončić and Reaves were averaging 33.5 and 23.3 points per game, respectively. They both helped the Lakers to finish with a 53-29 record and earned a playoff spot, where they will face the Houston Rockets.
Meanwhile, James averaged 20.9 points per game. It is not bad by any degree. But it didn’t quite grab the same attention when you’re watching Dončić do what he does every night. Another interesting point is that this has been James’ slowest season by far.
LBJ was, for most of this season, operating as the third option on his own team, and that naturally affects how fans respond.
But things can get really interesting for the postseason. Dončić is out with a Grade 2 left hamstring injury, and Reaves is dealing with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury. Neither has a return timeline. That means James, at 41 years old, may very well have to carry the Lakers through a playoff series against the Rockets on his own.
If that happens? Don’t be surprised if the jersey sales chart looks a little different come postseason.
