SAN ANTONIO — The "Wembanyama effect" is real!
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama's jersey is among the top-selling NBA jerseys for the first half of the 2023-34 season the NBA announced.
His No. 1 jersey ranks No. 4 in the list and is the highest ranking on the Most Popular Jersey list for a rookie since the Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis in the 2015-16 season.
Wemby's jersey ranks ahead of Mavericks' Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant to name a few other notable names on the list.
In addition, the NBA announced that San Antonio made the top 10 in Team Merchandise sales for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The team lands at No. 9 just above in-state rival, Dallas Mavericks (No. 10).
This is another example of Wembanyama's impact on the team since his arrival.
Aside from his jersey and team merchandise, he has caused Spurs ticket sales to spike, has allowed the team's game to be featured on national television, and brings in fans to away games to see his play.
On the court, Wembanyama has dazzled fans, teammates, and the opposition with incredible dunks, high scoring, and defense.
The rookie leads all other first-year players in several categories such as scoring, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
He's also in the race for the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
It's no wonder why Wembanyama's jersey and Spurs merchandise is a top-seller. The team may not be out of the rebuild yet and currently have a sub-.500 record but there is no doubting Wembanyama is an NBA star.