in final jersey sales data, Nets ‘Big Three’ all in Top 10; Team ranks No. 2

They may have only played 334 minutes together, but the Nets “Big Three” once again proved popular in jersey sales, according to new data released by the NBA. Brooklyn was the only team that placed three players in the top 10 at Nos. 3, 8 and 9.

In addition, the Nets team merchandise placed No. 2 in sales, behind only the Lakers.

The data covered the second half of the season and basically mirrored the first half which also had the Nets and their players near the top of the sales chart.

The “Big Three” finished No. 3 (Kevin Durant), No. 8 (Kyrie Irving) and No. 9 (James Harden) in sales with only LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo topping KD. The final tally represents a small change for the Nets from the mid-season numbers. At that point, Durant was No. 3, Irving, No. 6 and Harden No. 9.

Filling out the top 15 were Trae Young, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant and Kawhi Leonard.

Here’s the second half team numbers based on North American sales...

The Nets are not only popular in North America. They are also among the top sellers in Great Britain, Europe, and Japan. In the mid-season international sales, the Nets were third behind the Lakers and Bulls in the U.K. and Europe while their players ranked Nos. 2 (Kevin Durant); 4 (James Harden); and 5 (Kyrie Irving). In Japan, they were also second behind the Raptors, home of Yuta Watanabe, the Japanese native. Final data from international sales has yet to be released.

It’s just the latest encouraging data from a variety of sources on Brooklyn’s rising popularity. The Nets were the biggest gainers in regional TV ratings this season, jumping by 70 percent while the rest of the league was up only four percent. The Nets also had the biggest game in Twitter followers among all four major American sports, jumping by 23 percent.

Not bad for a team whose merchandise sales placed No. 31, trialing the defunct Seattle Sonics, a decade ago.