LeBron still carrying the NBA

[IllmaticDelta]

Kobe is more popular globablly and its not close. Kobe has tapped into Asia in ways most athletes never will

2013

INFOGRAPHIC: LeBron James is the most popular social media celebrity in China (Kobe #8)


2017-2018

LeBron James passes Steph Curry as top jersey seller in China

LeBron James reclaimed his kingdom in China from Stephen Curry -- arguably the most popular current NBA star in China -- in terms of jersey sales, according to the latest NBA China jersey and merchandise sales for the 2017-18 season.

Curry, whose Golden State Warriors reclaimed the Larry O'Brien Trophy over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, had China's best-selling jersey a year ago.

Behind James and Curry this year were the Houston Rockets' James Harden (No. 3), the Warriors' Kevin Durant (No. 4) and the Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving (No. 5).

While James, Curry and Durant are likewise top five in the latest release of jersey sales in the U.S., Harden (No. 10 in U.S.) and Irving (No. 12) found themselves more welcomed in China, thanks to the Rockets' long-lasting popularity stemming from Yao Ming and the immense attention surrounding the Celtics this season.

Kobe Bryant, who retired at the end of the 2015-16 season, finally dropped from the top ranks of jersey sales in China. Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were No. 1 on jersey and team merchandise lists at the beginning of 2017 and fell only to No. 2 by the end of last season. The retired Lakers legend has often been acknowledged as the most popular NBA player in China, but he wasn't in the top five this time. Los Angeles rookie Lonzo Ball (No. 11 in U.S.) is the Lakers' next best hope among Chinese fans.

King again: LeBron bests Curry in China sales

King again: LeBron bests Curry in China sales

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2017

LeBron’s jersey most popular in NBA stores in Philippines

LeBron's jersey most popular in NBA stores in Philippines - Expat Media


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in china

and the phillipines

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From 2012

LeBron James Is The NBA's Leading Shoe Salesman

LeBron James is in the hunt for a second straight NBA championship after leading the Miami Heat to an NBA-best 66 wins during the regular season. It has been a wildly successful 12-month run for King James, as he established himself as the NBA’s biggest star since Michael Jordan. James led the Heat on a 27-game winning streak. He added another NBA MVP trophy (for a total of four), an Olympic gold medal and his first title over the past year. The game’s most dominant player is also crushing the competition in stores, outselling his nearest rival’s signature sneakers 6-to-1.

Nike generated $300 million in U.S. retail sales in 2012 for James’ signature shoes, according to research firm SportsOneSource. Nike’s haul represents a 50% increase from sales of James’ kicks in 2011. “The first thing is the aesthetics. The shoes look great and his star stature continues to rise,” says SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell. “The media attention on him helps him sell more footwear.”

The second best-selling active NBA pitchman is Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. His Kobe 8 signature shoes sold $50 million at U.S. stores last year. Bryant has been part of the Nike family since 2003. The 15-time All-Star was an Adidas athlete for the first six years of his career. Bryant’s shoe sales in the U.S. were down in 2012, but he is the NBA’s biggest star in China and his Nike sneakers sell briskly in Asia.

U.S. Retail Basketball Shoe Sales

LeBron James (Nike): $300 million

Kobe Bryant (Nike): $50 million

Carmelo Anthony (Jordan): $40 million

Kevin Durant (Nike): $35 million

Derrick Rose (Adidas): $25 million

John Wall (Reebok): $5 million

Dwight Howard (Adidas): $5 million
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This season 2013

Kobe

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2018

 

[SadimirPutin]

not really. his game isnt really blockbuster or "must see" like Jordan, Kobe , Iverson, Steph etc.

Nobody really cared about LeBron until he formed the big 3 in Miami.

People just get and say anything on Al Gore's internet

 

[SuperPawgHunter]

not really. his game isnt really blockbuster or "must see" like Jordan, Kobe , Iverson, Steph etc.

Nobody really cared about LeBron until he formed the big 3 in Miami.

Bruh, if nothing else Lebron is like Floyd. The stakes are so high with him, in terms of legacy, you HAVE to watch.

I don't care for his game, but the intrigue factor surrounding him is sky high.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

not really. his game isnt really blockbuster or "must see" like Jordan, Kobe , Iverson, Steph etc.

Nobody really cared about LeBron until he formed the big 3 in Miami.

outside of jordan, lebron is much more blockbuster than kobe, iverson, steph etc.. to quote @The Dankster


"Interestingly, James sells out even more so on the road, perhaps because he’s more of a novelty when traveling. Over the past six seasons — his last two with the Cavs and all four with the Heat — James’s teams away capacity has averaged 99.5 percent."

Trying to Measure the ‘LeBron Effect’ on Game Attendance

Lebron's teams have led the league in road attendance 6 of the last 7 years....EVERY year except Kobe's farewell tour, even with the super-Warriors.


And then there's TV. Where the hell the Kobe games on this list? I thought that the WCF was the "real Finals", right? Most-watched playoff games are ALWAYS Lebron games, and that's even though ya'all claiming he has a cakewalk.



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also

lebron basically single handily took the league to new heights, not seen since Jordan


NBA Announces 9-Year Extension With ESPN, Turner, Through 2025

The massive increase in TV money is a direct result of the NBA’s recent resurgence. The current contract was signed in 2007, with the league coming off the lowest rated NBA Finals ever. The $930 million annual rights fee marked ‘only’ a 22% increase over the previous deal ($765M).

In the seven years since that contract was signed, regular season and playoff ratings improved dramatically. The NBA Finals averaged a double-digit rating each year from 2010 to 2013, topping the World Series in five of the last six years. The conference finals set records in 2011 (on TNT) and 2012 (on ESPN). ABC’s coverage of the shortened 2012 regular season was the most-watched on any network since the shortened 1999 regular season.



The players were principally responsible for that seven-year resurgence. Kevin Garnett‘s 2007 arrival in Boston rekindled the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, which started the league on its path back to relevance. Then, LeBron James‘ 2010 decision to sign with the Miami Heat kicked off four years of an unhinged media and fan backlash that sent ratings soaring.

The new TV deal comes nearly three years after NBA owners successfully engineered a massive redistribution of wealth that reduced the players’ share of basketball-related income to 50 percent. That was predicated on claims that the league was in dire financial health with most of the teams losing money. The players or owners can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in 2017, and another lockout is widely expected.

NBA Announces 9-Year Extension With ESPN, Turner, Through 2025 — Sports Media Watch

Guess what player was featured in 2011 and 2012 conf finals that broke TV records?




I don't see much Kobe on there

also

The legacy of LeBron's 'Decision' one year later

Record-Setting NBA Ratings

The NBA was must-see TV during the 2010-11 regular season. Ratings were up across the board as basketball fans were glued to their television to see how Miami’s Big Three would impact the rest of the league. The NBA on TNT averaged 2.45 million total viewers during the regular season, up 42 percent from 2009-10 and the largest regular season audience in network history. It remains to be seen if the NBA can keep up the strong ratings following the current lockout.

The legacy of LeBron's 'Decision' one year later

and

Bullshyt. Lebron was #2 in the league in road attendance in his ROOKIE season, when his team was coming off a 17-65 year and everyone knew they weren't shyt. The only team in the entire league that beat him was the Lakers with Shaq/Kobe teamed together.

Cavs were DEAD LAST in the NBA in road attendance just a year before Lebron got there. They had NO national pull at all. Even in 2013 with Kyrie there they were fukking 25th in the NBA in road attendance. No one gives a shyt about the Cavs if they don't have Lebron.

Now Lebron has led the league in road attendance 7 times in his career already. Even though he's played 3/4 of his career on a team with no pull.


Kobe has only led the league in road attendance 4 times in the 12 years that he's been the leader of the team. In 2008-2010 when they had Phil Jackson and a stacked front court, and in his retirement year in 2016.

And that's despite playing for the Lakers the whole time, a team that grew a MASSIVE national fanbase long before Kobe got there. Last year the Lakers were horrible, there was no Kobe, they had no star power at all, and they STILL finished top-5 in the NBA in road attendance.


Kobe doesn't sell out arenas. The Lakers sell out arenas. The only special season he had was his retirement tour - otherwise, he hasn't done shyt for sellouts that any Lakers team hadn't already been doing before him.

 

[Stick Up Kid]

Bruh, if nothing else Lebron is like Floyd. The stakes are so high with him, in terms of legacy, you HAVE to watch.

I don't care for his game, but the intrigue factor surrounding him is sky high.

and nobody cared about Floyd until he became "Money Mayweather" same thing with LeBron, nobody cared until he became a villain in Miami

 

[Stick Up Kid]

People just get and say anything on Al Gore's internet

2007 NBA Finals lowest rated ever.

2007 NBA Finals lowest rated ever. - Sports Media Watch

 

[Premeditated]

By what metric? Like what actual stats? I hear this from plenty of Kobe stans but never see any evidence. If you wanna want me to list why LeBron is the most popular and arguably the most powerful player ever I can give you nothing but hard facts.

only other metric. jersey sales

 

[brownsugah]

Yep because the NBA without LeBron isn’t as fun to watch period.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

only other metric. jersey sales

lebron's jersey is more popular in china and the phillipines than both kobe and curry

 

[IllmaticDelta]

2007 NBA Finals lowest rated ever.

2007 NBA Finals lowest rated ever. - Sports Media Watch

San Antonio Spurs' Biggest Playoff Obstacle Is TV Ratings

 

[Premeditated]

just stop....stop

?

 

[Stick Up Kid]

San Antonio Spurs' Biggest Playoff Obstacle Is TV Ratings

in typical LeBron stan fashion

 

[Premeditated]

lebron's jersey is more popular in china and the phillipines than both kobe and curry

kobe is retired

when they were both in their prime,he continuously beat every one globally in jersey sales

 

[Darealtwo1]

You do know he's not going to respond to this right

 

[Buckeye Fever]

Dude figured he’d do better numbers cause this site is so anti Lebron

I feel dirty even calling him a fellow Buckeyes fan

I'll tell you what's dirty....


Know what, nevermind.