There were probably more than a few shocked Pikachu faces upon the release of some data this week about the best-selling NBA jerseys.
Sports retailer Lids shared a list of the top-selling NBA jerseys by state at their stores this year. LeBron James had the best-selling jersey in the most states (30), while all-time greats like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson also made the list. But the most stunning name was from the state of Alabama — the best-selling NBA jersey there for 2021-22 was … Mike Bibby.
Another surprise was Yao Ming having the top-selling jersey in Montana. But Yao was a seven-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick who remains very popular in the Chinese community and otherwise.
Bibby, who has not played in the NBA in a decade, never made an All-Star team or received any other similar accolades during his career. He does not appear to have any ties to Alabama either. Bibby is a native of Phoenix who attended the University of Arizona and now coaches at a local high school in Arizona as well. He played for six teams in his NBA career, most notably for the Sacramento Kings in the early 2000s. But none of those teams seem to be especially popular in Alabama.
Nick DePaula, who tweeted the Lids list, also noted that there are only five Lids stores in Alabama and just one in Montana, which may have affected the numbers. Maybe the people in Alabama just really like the aesthetic of Bibby’s light blue Vancouver Grizzlies jersey too. It is either that or they were inspired by the funny Bibby meme that went viral a few years ago.
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