Stephen Curry is slowly becoming the most popular NBA player in the world, but LeBron James is not going down without a fight.
According to a report from ESPN, The King just passed Curry in jersey sales in China. This is a small victory for James after everything Curry and the Golden State Warriors have done to him and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Warriors and Cavaliers have met in three consecutive NBA Finals, with the Warriors winning two championships.
The way the Warriors are dominating the league is making the whole world notice the once-pitiful team from the Bay Area. This has propelled Curry to be among the most popular basketball players in the world.
In terms of jersey sales in China, James Harden comes in third, Kevin Durant fourth, and Kyrie Irving fifth.
James, Curry and Durant are also in the top five in terms of jersey sales in the U.S., but Harden and Irving are not.
Harden and Irving’s popularity in China are linked more to the Houston Rockets’ general popularity because of Chinese NBA player Yao Ming and the Boston Celtics’ generally good play as of late.
It’s also important to note that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has been frequently regarded as the most popular NBA player in China. It has shown in the jersey sales as well, as Bryant has been No. 1 in jersey sales up until the beginning of 2017. It is only recently that he has finally exited the top five in terms of jersey sales, even though he has already retired at the end of the 2015-16 season.