By Official Release
Posted Oct 1 2009 11:17AM
LONDON -- Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers tops the list of most popular NBA jerseys in Europe for the second straight year. Coming off his fourth NBA title in 2009, Bryant also has the most popular jersey in the U.S. The top four most popular jerseys remain unchanged from last year with Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics at No. 2, Pau Gasol of the Lakers at No.3 and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 4. The Most Popular NBA Jerseys in Europe list is based on sales from retail locations across Europe during the 2008-09 NBA season.
Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat moves up three spots from last year to No. 5 and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic makes his first appearance on the list at No. 7. Chicago's Joakim Noah, who visits London on Oct. 6 when the Bulls take on the Utah Jazz during NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports, also makes his first appearance on the list.
Eight of the top 15 players on the list hail from Europe. They include Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs (No. 6), Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors (No. 8 and No. 9, respectively), Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks (No. 11), Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trailblazers (No. 12), Marco Belinelli of the Golden State Warriors (No. 13) and Noah (No.14). International players make up approximately 20 percent of NBA rosters.
The NBA's merchandising business in Europe consists of over 60 partners distributing NBA products to more than 16,000 retail locations. International sales account for 30 percent of the league's overall global merchandise business.
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
6. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
7. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
8. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
9. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors
10. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
11. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
12. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers
13. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
14. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
15. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
The NBA returns to Europe for the forth consecutive year when the Bulls and Jazz take part in NBA Europe Live 2009 presented by EA SPORTS?. On Oct. 6, Luol Deng and the Bulls takes on the Jazz at The O2 marking the third consecutive year the NBA has held a game in London, UK. On Oct. 8 the Jazz travels to Madrid, Spain and go head-to-head with Euroleague Basketball's Real Madrid at the Palacio de Deportes. Following NBA Europe Live 2009, NBA teams will have played 50 games in 18 different cities in Europe over the past two decades.
 | The Jump: Starting Lineups Your starting lineup for The Jump on NBA.com and NBATV... |
 | Barrier Breakers: Lenny Wilkens Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens sits down with Vince Cellini to talk about the challenges he faced growing up and during his NBA career. |
 | All-Access: Jeremy Lin Watch the New York Knicks point guard sensation Jeremy Lin before, during and after taking on the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden. |
 | The Daily Zap Catch the top highlights and moments from Monday's six games in the NBA in less than two minutes. |
 | Monday's Top 10 Make sure to watch the Top 10 plays from another incredible Monday night in the NBA. |
 | Steal of the Night Greivis Vasquez gets the steal and throws the ball ahead to Marco Belinelli for the and-one dunk. |
 | Nightly Notable LeBron James explodes for 35 points and pulls down eight rebounds in the Heat's victory over the Bucks. |
 | Dunk of the Night Vince Carter drives baseline and finishes with the huge wrap-around dunk. |
 | Block of the Night Gustavo Ayon stops the dunk attempt at the rim. |
 | Assist of the Night Ricky Rubio throws the sweet one-handed blind bounce pass to Kevin Love for the slam. |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
