LeBron James jersey sales booming after Lakers signing
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LeBron James’ new Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are already a top-selling item online, according to retailer Fanatics, the NBA’s e-commerce partner.
A pre-sale of the James jersey began at 8:45 p.m. ET on Sunday night, less than one hour after the four-time NBA MVP announced his intention to sign with the Lakers. Fanatics initially listed the jerseys with a No. 00 placeholder, but has since updated the listing with James’ traditional No. 23 amid reports that he intends to keep the number.
Three hours after the jerseys went live, Fanatics had already seen a 600% spike in sales compared to the same period when James announced his return to the Cavaliers before the 2014 NBA season, the retailer said. Fanatics added that it had experienced one of the top-10 NBA jersey sales days in its history on Sunday, though it declined to provide specific revenue figures.
Los Angeles ranked as the top sales market for James jerseys. James’ old city, Cleveland, ranked fourth, according to Fanatics.
The Lakers jerseys will ship seven to 10 days after James officially signs his contract.
James signed with the Lakers just hours after opting out of the final year of his contract with the Cavaliers. He is set to sign a four-year maximum contract worth $154 million.