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LeBron James’ Sixers Jersey Sets New Sales Record for a Player Switching Teams
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The LeBron chatter around Philly has only gotten louder since the news broke last Friday, and according to Fanatics, it’s not just talk – fans are putting their money where their mouth is. LeBron Sixers jerseys are flying off the shelves at a record-setting pace:
Slide 2: “For the period of the first 48 hours after the 76ers’ announcement, LeBron James sold the most jerseys ever of a player joining a new team.”
The previous record holder was Shohei Ohtani.
I’m not all that surprised by this news, but the more I think about it while I’m sitting here, the cooler it’s becoming in my mind. Considering the national media’s initial reaction was all about how random is was for LeBron to pick Philly, how it doesn’t make sense with the narrative of his career, how Philly fans are going to be so upset by him wanting to live in NYC, blah blah blah, it’s pretty sick to see that Philly doesn’t actually give a rat’s ass about any of that. It’s the exact opposite, really; Sixers fans are embracing LeBron at a level that’s never been seen before.
The city is going nuts, we couldn’t be more pumped for him to get here (excluding WIP troll non-fans desperate for listeners), and now everyone in the Delaware Valley is about to be walking around in a LeBron Sixers jersey. Maybe multiple. Maybe we’ll be wearing LeBron jerseys as wife beaters underneath our LeBron jerseys. Maybe we’ll be draping LeBron jerseys over our shoulders and using them as face-sweat towels like heavyset opera guys. Maybe we’ll roll LeBron jerseys up into little pillows when we’re laying out on beach towels, which will also be three LeBron jerseys lined up vertically. This is likely. This is good.
On a side note, I also think it’s interesting that Fanatics is out there tracking “athlete jersey sales within 48 hours after they switch teams.” Such a specific data point. Makes me wonder who else is on the list after LeBron and Ohtani. Gotta imagine it’s Paul Pierce to the Nets. Then Paul Pierce to the Wizards. Then Paul Pierce to the Clippers. Langston Galloway to the Pistons. Jahlil Okafor to the Pelicans. J.J. Redick to the Pelicans. Then Paul Pierce to the Wizards again. The Truth Wiz jersey sales were so out of control it made the list twice. Each of these jerseys would make for a tremendous gift.
(I know this to be true: My buddy had a baby this year and I made/bought a Paul Pierce Wizards jersey onesie for the baby. Was surprised to find they didn’t just sell those online ready to go. I had to personalize it. Took a lot of time and it was worth it. It’s important. Baby will grow to love and appreciate Wizards Paul Pierce/slow low-post moves/the aesthetics of basketball without any jumping,)
Anyway, I’m amped to start seeing these LeBron jerseys around, filling the stands at Sixers games for the rest of time and becoming the main jersey worn by sunburned college bros on the beach playing spikeball badly in very loud groups of nine. Exciting times.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com