Ben Simmons' jersey already the 10th-best seller among NBA players
Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is a pretty popular dude.
The 20-year-old Aussie sensation of the Philadelphia 76ers hasn't even stepped on the hardwood for his first taste of NBA action, yet that hasn't stopped basketball fans from putting money down on his merchandise.
His jersey is already the 10th-best seller among NBA players at Fanatics.com, according to Philly.com's Suzette Parmley. He's also the highest ranked of all Philadelphia athletes across all Fanatics platforms.
Top 10 NBA Jersey Sales at Fanatics.com (June 23 - Aug. 31)
| Rank | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 3 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 4 | Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 5 | Derrick Rose | New York Knicks |
| 6 | Dwyane Wade | Chicago Bulls |
| 7 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 8 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 9 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 10 | Ben SImmons | Philadelphia 76ers |
When compared to July of last year, sales at SixersShop.com - the team's official store - have risen 76 percent.
Related: Rookie Simmons works out with LeBron, Wade
"It's such a fascinating summer, to be frank, and it's not that we didn't expect the franchise to turn the corner," said Chris Heck, the chief sales and marketing officer of the 76ers. "But we're seeing it. And we're seeing it beyond Ben Simmons. He is charismatic, intelligent, good-looking - and all of those things fit into how today's athletes are (viewed) in our pop culture, and Philadelphia is no exception."
While those within the organization and purists watching from afar see Simmons' potential, his fellow first-year players don't appear to be on board the hype train, ranking him third in the latest rookie survey for who they believe will capture Rookie of the Year honors.