Luka Doncic may have emerged as the new face of the NBA.
Anthony Edwards caused a stir when he admitted that he doesn’t want to inherit the crown when LeBron James finally decides to retire.
There are many other names in the frame with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo all boasting a strong case.
But joining King James with the Los Angeles Lakers has given Doncic a massive bump in marketing potential and helped him usurp his new teammate and Steph Curry in jersey sales.
The NBA revealed Monday that the Lakers No. 77 is the league’s best-selling apparel this season.
It is the first time an international player has ever had the honor and ends an 11-year streak of Curry or LeBron ranking No. 1
Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks jersey ranked eighth before he was traded to the Lakers in one of the most surprising transactions of recent memory.
LeBron took the title from Carmelo Anthony for the 2013-14 season while on the Miami Heat and kept it the following year after moving to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Curry then held it for three campaigns as he turned the Golden State Warriors into a dominant force.
King James stole back his crown after joining the Lakers in 2018 and held on for five years before Curry bounced back in 2023-24.
With over $1billion in combined earnings once they see out their contracts, Steph and the Akron Hammer will go down as all-time greats.
They remain in the top three with the Warriors sensation coming in just behind Doncic.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is No. 4, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is fifth and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is sixth despite his season-ending injury.
Doncic is making waves off the court in LA and now is the time to step up on it.
The Lakers face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
Their latest superstar beat Minnesota 4-1 in last year’s Western Conference Finals while still a Maverick, averaging 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals to earn series MVP.
Head coach JJ Redick is now planning to use Doncic’s experience to prepare.
NBA’s Greatest
Greatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama
Best players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone
10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurus
Michael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals
“There are nuances to what teams are trying to do against certain opponents,” he said.
“We have a lot of work. They’re a really good basketball team.
“It’s a very difficult opponent. They’ve played as well as anyone lately, and I believe they’re one of four teams in the top 10 in offense and defense. So, they present a lot of problems.
“It’s not necessarily going to be everything at once this week. We’ll have to slow drip, and I think that’s the approach that I think is going to work best for our group.
“Tuesday will be more about us. Wednesday, we’ll introduce Minnesota.”
If Doncic can win a ring in LA, it will be hard to deny his ascension to the throne.
But the Timberwolves are no pushovers and while he doesn’t want to be the face of the league, Edwards would love to reach the NBA Finals.
