Former Duke teammates Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett have yet to play their first game in the NBA, yet they are already creating some new milestones.
The duo has sold more jerseys and t-shirts than any newly minted draftee in NBA history in the first five days after the draft, according to Fanatics, the sports-licensing firm that operates the NBA’s online store and the NBA Store in New York.
Williamson, who has 3.7 million Instagram followers and 376,000 followers on Twitter, has sold the most jerseys of any rookie in history. However, Barrett has sold twice as much merchandise as the previous record holder, Lonzo Ball.
Williamson’s popularity was to be expected. He has the athleticism that transcends basketball and draws in fans from across sports. Not to say that Barrett does not have a following — he certainly does and was a First Team All-American at Duke this past year — though it is a little surprising he has doubled up the phenomenon that was Ball. This likely has a large part to do with New York, where the NBA store is located on Fifth Avenue. Fan excitement with Barrett clearly was a 180-degree turn from the early reception of the New York Knicks’ last top-five pick, Kristaps Porzingis.
According to Sports Marketing consultant Joe Favorito, the early marketing success of Williamson and Barrett is likely attributed to the pair being “likable, well-spoken athletes” that don’t have any baggage. That certainly seems to be a big part of it, as both had huge emotional reactions to finally being drafted that immediately captivated many watching the event.
If their early success in jersey sales was not enough, the two will play against each other in their first-ever contest suiting up for their respective teams. The New Orleans Pelicans are set to face the Knicks at 9:30 p.m. ET on July 5, the opening day of Summer League in Las Vegas.
Barrett’s future Knicks teammates seem to be incredibly eager to play with him and, of course, Williamson is heavily anticipated as a potential franchise savior for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ultimately, their future success in merchandise sales will rest largely on their ability once in the NBA. Their early returns seem to be incredibly favorable which has to make this entire process that much more euphoric for these two top rookies.
