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.

Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys in Europe:

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.

About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada.  During the 2008-09 season, NBA games reached 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.  The league’s worldwide reach is reflected in the 77 international players from 32 countries and territories on NBA rosters.  NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA.com averages more than five million daily visits, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors come from outside of North America.