LeBron James’ 76ers Jersey Outselling Shohei Ohtani & 2018 Lakers’ Debut Stuns Fans – “The King For a Reason”

LeBron James singing a two-year deal with the 76ers has sparked massive interest from Philadelphia sports fans.

LeBron James’ 76ers Jersey Outselling Shohei Ohtani & 2018 Lakers’ Debut Stuns Fans – “The King For a Reason”

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani (Image via FirstSportz)

New Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James might be the oldest player in the NBA, but there is no doubt that he still commands more attention than any other athlete in the country.

After the 2025-26 season ended, most of the coverage was about his future. The pattern remained the same as seasons past, but this time, almost everyone knew that there was a chance he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.

Then, finally, when he left, the coverage continued to focus on him. Sure, some trade news about other important players did shift the attention to them. But it was brief, as networks and fans wanted to know about the four-time champion’s plans.

While some expressed frustration over how long he was taking, many stuck to the task of keeping tabs on the latest developments and analyzing his best fit. Finally, when he announced that he was signing with the Sixers, many felt that the constant conversations would stop.

However, those who thought so were probably wrong to estimate just how much of a pull the 41-year-old holds, even now. Per the Philadelphia Business Journal, Fanatics’ initial stock of adult No. 23 Sixers jerseys sold out within two hours of his announcement.

Over the next 48 hours, Fanatics sold more LeBron James merchandise than the previous record held by the LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for any athlete joining a new team. The sales were higher than the Lakers jerseys Fanatics sold in a week after the King joined the team in 2018.

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LeBron James’ jersey sales feat surprises fans

Fanatics has been accused of ‘helping’ the Philadelphia 76ers land LeBron James. Even if it were true, the company has been reaping the benefits, as his new merchandise accounts for eight of the top ten selling products.

If this were a young superstar with a bright future, the news may have been easier to digest. But for someone closer to retirement than any other athlete in the country to have this effect surprised fans. Check out examples of their stunned reactions below.

The manner in which the media is covering LeBron James also confirms that he is still the ‘Face of the NBA.’ It is, though, an alarming situation since the league and these networks could struggle once he leaves the game.

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76ers and Philadelphia could reap massive benefits with LeBron James as the biggest superstar in the city

Philadelphia sports fans are often labeled as the most passionate in the country. But when it comes to basketball, they have ditched their team in the past, especially when the Sixers struggled.

LeBron James 76ers merchandise on a mannequin
LeBron James 76ers merchandise on a mannequin (Image via FB)

But now, with LeBron James joining arguably the strongest team in the league on paper, Philly fans are hoping that it will be their time to rejoice. That is why they are not restricting their passion to just setting a 48-hour jersey sales record.

The Sixers are now officially running pre-orders for LeBron James jerseys due to historic demand. Already the NBA’s highest online-selling jersey this summer, Philadelphia’s team store will now be shipping out orders in six weeks.

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This is in line with recent reports of how Philly sports goods stores have been stocking up for a month’s worth of James merchandise. Such reports continue to prove the fact that the city is about to get a wave of revenue that only happens when the biggest name in the business happens to join them.

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