New York Knicks Roster News: Kristaps Porzingis' Jersey Is Fourth Best-Selling in the League
When the New York Knicks drafted young Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick during the 2015 NBA Draft, the response from fans and basketball pundits alike was one that's hard to forget. Everyone thought he's going to be another European big man bust and that the Knicks were making a huge mistake.
Fast-forward to today and in the midway part of the season, Porzingis is proving doubters wrong. While the kind of contribution he has provided inside the court is quite positive, the response from fans is surprising. Several news outlets have reported that Porzingis' NBA jersey is the fourth best-selling in the league. This determination is based from sales starting in October through December.
The sales, which primarily comes from the league's online store, has been made official through an announcement made by the league on Wednesday.
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What's even more interesting is that it has been quite a while for a rookie to be part of the top 10 or even 15 best sellers. The jerseys of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant are the only ones that are more popular than Porzingis'.
For those who follow the Knicks, though, the popularity of Porzingis is no longer a surprise. The team is still below .500 and two places below the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. However, that doesn't mean there's no hope in Madison Square Garden. As a matter of fact, they have surpassed the total number of wins they have last season and this year is barely halfway there.
Part of the team's gradual improvement this year is Porzingis. The 7-foot-3 center is currently third among rookies in scoring and second in rebounding. But what really is making him rapidly popular is the fact that he successfully proved doubters wrong in his first season in the league. Right after the draft, he was compared to another European young draftee in Darko Milicic, whom the Detroit Pistons selected as the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Milicic eventually went on to become one of the biggest draft busts in league history.
But the way Porzingis is showing maturity and braveness in facing bulkier opponents in the paint, it certainly is looking like he's no Milicic in the making. And as long as he's producing good numbers in his rookie season, more and more fans will be purchasing his jersey.
