Back to the trend of the day: LeBron James plays his first regular-season game for the Philadelphia 76ers tonight
Poly Rating · from the trend of the day

Who Is the Most Popular NBA Player 2025-26? Views vs Stats

LeBron James had the most views in the league last season, 2.85 billion, while Nikola Jokić led the NBA in VORP at 9.19 yet finished 5th in views and 10th in jersey sales.

  • No. 1: LeBron James
  • 9 places

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

  1. 1

    LeBron James

    No. 1 in views with 2.85 billion and 5th in jerseys. His 5.4 Win Shares at age 41 leave him far behind the value leaders.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 1 · Meta: 1 · Grok: 1 · Gemini: 7 · Kimi: 2

    What each AI noted 6
    • Claudeplace 1

      The most-viewed player in the league (about 2.85 billion views) had a VORP of 2.8, well below five other players on the VORP list and below the eight players listed above 3.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 1

      The view leader logged 2.85 billion views, but the attention list does not say how many were fans watching him play.

      Source ↗
    • Metaplace 1

      3.23B views #1 at age 40 is 2.7x Jokic's 1.20B while career VORP 156.61 tops all-time

      Source ↗
    • Grokplace 1

      2.85 billion views led the league while producing at age 41 on a veteran minimum

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 7

      Maintains an unrivaled 3.23 billion video views and top-2 merchandise demand heading into his Philadelphia debut, out-scaling his still-elite 5.4 VORP.

      Source ↗
    • Kimiplace 2

      The league's most-watched player at 41 — more than double the age-41 scoring record (20.9 ppg vs Kareem's 10.1) — while no longer an All-NBA-level value.

      Source ↗
    6 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  2. 2

    Stephen Curry

    No. 1 in jersey sales and 4th in views (1.87B), on 2.5 VORP in 1,329 minutes. Only one source gives that VORP figure.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 4 · Meta: 3 · Grok: 2 · Gemini: 4 · Kimi: 4

    What each AI noted 6
    • Claudeplace 2

      He was the league's top-selling jersey for the sixth time, on 2.5 VORP in 1,329 minutes.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 4

      He topped jersey sales while ranking fourth in views at 1.87 billion: demand can outlast a player’s position on the view leaderboard.

      Source ↗
    • Metaplace 3

      2.56B views #2 and jersey #2 while 2024-25 VORP outside top 10, peak 9.49 in 2015-16

      Source ↗
    • Grokplace 2

      Top jersey seller despite not leading the league in advanced value metrics

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 4

      Captured the #1 jersey sales spot and 2.56 billion social views worldwide, outpacing his 3.4 VORP as offensive gravity outshined standard box metrics.

      Source ↗
    • Kimiplace 4

      Jersey No. 1 in the league on a 37-45 Warriors team that lost its play-in game by 30.

      Source ↗
    6 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  3. 3

    Nikola Jokić

    Led the league in VORP at 9.19 but was only 5th in views (1.23B) and 10th in jerseys, one place behind a rookie.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 3 · ChatGPT: 5 · Meta: 2 · Grok: 5 · Gemini: 3 · Kimi: 1

    What each AI noted 6
    • Claudeplace 3

      He led the league in VORP (9.2) but sold fewer jerseys than nine other players, finishing 10th.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 5

      The clearest value-side anchor: 9.19 regular-season VORP led the league, while his 1.23 billion views ranked fifth.

      Source ↗
    • Metaplace 2

      Leads VORP at 9.85 #1 but only 5th in views with 1.20B and jersey #10

      Source ↗
    • Grokplace 5

      Led the league in VORP at 9.19 yet ranked only 5th in views and 10th in jersey sales

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 3

      Dominated every advanced metric with a league-best 10.6 VORP, yet ranked outside the top 10 in domestic jersey sales and finished fifth in digital impressions.

      Source ↗
    • Kimiplace 1

      Arguably the best player alive — first ever to lead the league in rebounds AND assists in the same season — yet his jersey sells 10th, behind a rookie.

      Source ↗
    6 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  4. More about the top three ↓
  5. 4

    Jalen Brunson

    3rd in jersey sales and outside the top-10 views on 3.3 VORP. Another source only estimates him in a 4.5–6.0 VORP band.

    Included it: Claude, Grok, Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 5 · Grok: 8 · Gemini: 9 · Kimi: 7

    What each AI noted 4
    • Claudeplace 5

      He was the third-best-selling jersey in the league on 3.3 VORP, and he is not in the top-10 views list.

      Source ↗
    • Grokplace 8

      Third in jersey sales for the defending champions without matching the absolute top of attention metrics

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 9

      Anchored New York's revival into the #3 merchandise spot despite logging lower international digital impressions than flashy Western Conference ballhandlers.

      Source ↗
    • Kimiplace 7

      Finals MVP and jersey No. 3 — attention finally caught up to value, and that's the story.

      Source ↗
    4 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  6. 5

    Cooper Flagg

    The only rookie on the jersey list (9th), also 9th in views with 963M, on 2.0 VORP. His attention ran ahead of his value.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Kimi. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 7 · ChatGPT: 9 · Grok: 10 · Kimi: 9

    What each AI noted 4
    • Claudeplace 7

      The only rookie on the jersey list ranked 9th in jerseys and 9th in views (963M) on 2.0 VORP.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 9

      At 963 million views, the rookie-era spotlight nearly matched Edwards’s total; the figure counts platform views, not unique people.

      Source ↗
    • Grokplace 10

      Rookie who cracked the top 10 in both views and jersey sales

      Source ↗
    • Kimiplace 9

      The only rookie on the jersey list at No. 9 — and the only player in the top 15 whose team won neither play-in nor playoffs.

      Source ↗
    4 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  7. 6

    Austin Reaves

    10th in views with 696 million on 2.1 VORP, with no top-15 jersey. His attention follows the Lakers' story more than his own numbers.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 6 · ChatGPT: 10

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 6

      He was 10th in views (696M) on 2.1 VORP, and his jersey did not make the top 15.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 10

      The last slot still drew 696 million views, a reminder that NBA media attention often follows a team’s story as well as individual production.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  8. 7

    Kawhi Leonard

    5th in VORP (5.3), yet he is on neither the top-10 views list nor the top-15 jersey list. Only one source gives the VORP figure.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 4

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 4

      He was fifth in VORP (5.3) and appears on neither the top-10 views list nor the top-15 jersey list.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  9. 8

    Tyrese Maxey

    LeBron's new Sixers teammate was 6th in VORP (4.9) but only 12th in jerseys and outside the top-10 views.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 9

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 9

      He was 6th in VORP (4.9) but 12th in jerseys, and he is not in the top-10 views list.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  10. 9

    Cade Cunningham

    8th in VORP (4.6) but only 14th in jerseys in his first year on that list, and not in the top-10 views.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.

    In their lists: Claude: 10

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 10

      He was 8th in VORP (4.6) and made the jersey list for the first time at 14th.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

Places are judged on different measures: views, jersey sales and VORP (a value-per-player stat). The AIs' own notes also quote different view and VORP figures.

1LeBron James

No. 1 — LeBron James. On the lists of 6 of 7 AIs; median place there: 1. He is the league's most-watched player by a wide margin, and that attention outweighs his modest on-court value at age 41.

LeBron James (51959977144) (cropped2)
Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • On March 4, 2025, LeBron became the first player to score 50,000 points when you add the regular season and playoffs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second with 44,149.

    Source ↗
What it is
The NBA's all-time scoring great, still playing at 41.
Its edge
Most views of the three, 2.85 billion, ahead of Curry and Jokić.
Who should know
Useful to know: attention follows fame and history, not just this season's stats.
  • Views vs VORP2.85B views

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • LeBron James led the NBA’s player list with 2.85B views, ahead of Curry at 1.87B and Jokić at 1.23B. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2010, LeBron announced on a live ESPN special that he was leaving Cleveland to join Miami. The move became a defining moment in his career and drew intense reaction from his former city. — ESPN Press Room

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • ESPN's Bobby Marks said on air: "He's making $53 million, in his last year of his contract, and he's 40 years old." Talk of retirement follows him, so his future with the Lakers is uncertain.

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Open his season stats page. Start with the 2025-26 per-game line: points, rebounds, assists. Then check the playoff row to see how he played when games mattered most.

    Source ↗

Video: LeBron James - The Story Of Just A Kid From Akron Ohio (2000-2016) ᴴᴰ · RBS Productions.

Compare the top three ↓

2Stephen Curry

No. 2 — Stephen Curry. On the lists of 6 of 7 AIs; median place there: 3.5. He sells the most jerseys and is highly watched, even though his value stats were modest on a losing team.

Stephen Curry Shooting (cropped) (cropped)
Cyrus Saatsaz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • Out of high school, Curry got only a walk-on offer from Virginia Tech, partly because of his slender 160-pound frame. Davidson had been recruiting him since the tenth grade.

    Source ↗
What it is
Golden State's star shooter and the league's top jersey seller.
Its edge
Best jersey sales of the three, plus 4th in views.
Who should know
Useful to know: fans can love a player even when his stats slip.
  • Views vs VORP1.87B views

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Did you know

  • In 2015–16 Curry made 402 three-pointers, a new NBA season record. He also became the league's first unanimous MVP, and his scoring average rose 6.3 points, the biggest jump ever for a reigning MVP.

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2012, Curry’s ankle problems left him playing only 26 games, and Golden State faced a choice between him and Monta Ellis. The Warriors traded Ellis, making Curry their lead guard; later, the team said his ankle trouble may have helped make that trade possible. — NBA.com

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • A sore right knee kept Curry to 43 games in 2025-26, his fewest in an 82-game season. He missed 27 straight games, and the Warriors finished 37-45. This helps explain why his on-court value was lower.

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Open his ESPN bio page and read the honors list first. It shows his MVP awards, his Finals MVP, and his career with the Warriors, which tells his story over time.

    Source ↗

Video: Stephen Curry | The Story Of The Greatest Shooter In NBA History | Golden State Warriors · Hoop Reports

Compare the top three ↓

3Nikola Jokić

No. 3 — Nikola Jokić. On the lists of 6 of 7 AIs; median place there: 3. He is the best by value, leading the league in VORP, but fans watch and buy his jersey far less.

Nikola Jokic free throw (cropped)
All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • Jokić was picked 41st in the 2014 draft while ESPN showed a Taco Bell ad. He has said he was asleep in Serbia at the time and has never eaten Taco Bell.

    Source ↗
What it is
Denver's center, who passes like a guard and led the league in VORP.
Its edge
Far higher VORP than LeBron or Curry.
Who should know
Useful to know: the best player by stats isn't always the most popular.
  • Views vs VORP9.19 VORP

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • Jokić led the league with 9.19 regular-season VORP, more than Curry’s 2.5; that puts him far ahead on the rating’s value measure. — (voice only)

    Source ↗

  • His 1.23B views ranked 5th, and his jersey sales ranked 10th; both figures trail LeBron and Curry. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
History

  • In December 2016, Denver moved Nikola Jokić from backup to starter, changing the team’s direction. The Nuggets’ president said there was no better offense in the league after the switch. — NBA.com

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Jokić tends to play down fame and stats. After the Finals he said of his 30-20-10 line: "I don't care, it's just a stat." That low-key style may be part of why his attention is smaller than his value.

    Source ↗
What people say

  • Basketball is not the main thing in my life. It's something that I'm good at. — Nikola Jokić

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Open his ESPN stats page and look at the per-game line first: points, rebounds, assists. Notice how much he does with the ball, since his passing drives his team's offense.

    Source ↗
Kimi put it first. What they saw in it

  • Kimi: Arguably the best player alive — first ever to lead the league in rebounds AND assists in the same season — yet his jersey sells 10th, behind a rookie.

Video: How Good Is Nikola Jokić Actually? · Hoops Central

Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

LeBron JamesStephen CurryNikola Jokić
In the AIs' lists6 / 76 / 76 / 7
Views vs VORP2.85B views1.87B views9.19 VORP
Put first byClaude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok—Kimi

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

More ratings

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

Jokić led the league in VORP at 9.19 but was 5th in views and 10th in jerseys. That is the clearest gap between value and attention in 2025-26.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Kimi. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Wenxin.
Source ↗

Curry topped jersey sales while ranking 4th in views. Buying a shirt and watching clips are different kinds of attention.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.
Source ↗

Dončić and Wembanyama are left off because their stories line up. Dončić is 3rd in VORP, 3rd in views and 2nd in jerseys. Wembanyama is 4th, 2nd and 4th.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.
Source ↗

LeBron's new 76ers jersey set a Fanatics record for sales in the first 48 hours after a player joined a new team.

Noticed by:
Included it: Grok. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.
Source ↗

VORP figures differ by table. Jokić has 9.19 for the regular season and 9.80 with playoffs, and one season wrap-up estimated Gilgeous-Alexander first at about 7.5. Two answers used 2024-25 numbers, such as LeBron's 3.23B views, which belong to another season.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, Grok, Kimi. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Wenxin.
Source ↗

04Questions people ask

Who is the most popular NBA player?

It depends on the measure. LeBron James led NBA video views in 2025-26 with 2.85 billion, and Stephen Curry led jersey sales.

Source ↗
Who was the most viewed NBA player in 2025-26?

LeBron James, with 2.85 billion views across NBA platforms, ahead of Victor Wembanyama with 2.43 billion.

Source ↗
Who had the best-selling NBA jersey in 2025-26?

Stephen Curry was No. 1, followed by Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson. VORP leader Nikola Jokić was 10th.

Source ↗
Why do popularity rankings differ?

Views count exposure on NBA platforms, while the jersey list counts NBAStore.com and Fanatics sales. Even NBA.com gives LeBron's total as both 2.85B and 2.86B.

Source ↗

05How we counted

In plain words, no formulas.

1The question

Top 10 NBA Stars: On-Court Value vs. Fan Attention — Where the Two Stories Split

2Why this topic

Value tables and popularity tables are always published apart. This ranking puts them side by side, so the reader can see where attention follows play and where it doesn't.

3Where it applies

NBA, current players, global audience

4What we looked at

  • Season-level on-court value: Value Over Replacement Player (VORP), built from Box Plus/Minus and minutes played
  • Fan attention: player video views across NBA social and digital platforms
  • Fan purchases: jersey sales rank on NBAStore.com
  • Each measure is shown side by side and is not merged into one score. The list is ordered by the size of the gap between value and attention.
  • Basketball-Reference — VORP for the 2025-26 regular season: estimated total contribution above a replacement-level player, from Box Plus/Minus and minutes. It is a running total, so it rewards minutes
  • NBA Communications — Player video views across NBA social and digital platforms, 2025-26 regular season. This counts exposure, not unique fans.
  • NBA / NBPA — Top-selling jerseys for the 2025-26 regular season, from NBAStore.com plus Fanatics.com and Fanatics partner sites (not NBAStore.com alone).

5Who ranked

The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.

6How the places were set

The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.

06Each AI's own list

🇺🇸 Claude10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    LeBron James

    The most-viewed player in the league (about 2.85 billion views) had a VORP of 2.8, well below five other players on the VORP list and below the eight players listed above 3.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Stephen Curry

    He was the league's top-selling jersey for the sixth time, on 2.5 VORP in 1,329 minutes.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Nikola Jokić

    He led the league in VORP (9.2) but sold fewer jerseys than nine other players, finishing 10th.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Kawhi Leonard

    He was fifth in VORP (5.3) and appears on neither the top-10 views list nor the top-15 jersey list.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Jalen Brunson

    He was the third-best-selling jersey in the league on 3.3 VORP, and he is not in the top-10 views list.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Austin Reaves

    He was 10th in views (696M) on 2.1 VORP, and his jersey did not make the top 15.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Cooper Flagg

    The only rookie on the jersey list ranked 9th in jerseys and 9th in views (963M) on 2.0 VORP.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    Second in VORP (7.8), but only 6th in views and 8th in jerseys.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Tyrese Maxey

    He was 6th in VORP (4.9) but 12th in jerseys, and he is not in the top-10 views list.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Cade Cunningham

    He was 8th in VORP (4.6) and made the jersey list for the first time at 14th.

    Source ↗

What Claude noticed

Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama are left off the list because their stories do not split. Dončić is 3rd in VORP, 3rd in views and 2nd in jerseys. Wembanyama is 4th in VORP, 2nd in views and 4th in jerseys.

Source ↗

LeBron James has the most views and a VORP of 2.8, in a season in which he played 60 games at age 41. That is a smaller share of the league's value than his attention would suggest.

Source ↗

The two top-two VORP players, Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander, are 10th and 8th in jerseys. The two top-selling jerseys, Curry and Dončić, are 5th and 3rd in VORP.

Source ↗

Attention shifts during the year. In the December 2025 NBA ranking Dončić led and Wembanyama was second; by season's end LeBron was first.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 3 notes

The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    LeBron James

    The view leader logged 2.85 billion views, but the attention list does not say how many were fans watching him play.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Victor Wembanyama

    Second in views at 2.43 billion, he paired the attention with a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Luka Dončić

    His 2.11 billion views came alongside a reported 6.6 VORP in a Stathead season query; high attention and high accumulated value travel together here.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Stephen Curry

    He topped jersey sales while ranking fourth in views at 1.87 billion: demand can outlast a player’s position on the view leaderboard.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Nikola Jokić

    The clearest value-side anchor: 9.19 regular-season VORP led the league, while his 1.23 billion views ranked fifth.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    Sixth in views at 1.14 billion, the reigning MVP shows why box-score value and online reach should be read as separate stories.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Kevin Durant

    1.03 billion views put the veteran seventh in exposure; the available source does not establish a matching value or sales rank.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Anthony Edwards

    He made the views top 10 at 982 million; that is a different kind of ‘top’ from a cumulative value statistic built partly on minutes.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Cooper Flagg

    At 963 million views, the rookie-era spotlight nearly matched Edwards’s total; the figure counts platform views, not unique people.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Austin Reaves

    The last slot still drew 696 million views, a reminder that NBA media attention often follows a team’s story as well as individual production.

    Source ↗

What ChatGPT noticed

LeBron’s NBA article gives 2.85 billion in its list but 2.86 billion in its introduction; those are the source’s own rounded figures, not an independently reconciled total.

Source ↗

Curry led the jersey ranking while fourth in social/digital views, demonstrating that a purchase chart and a view chart answer different questions.

Source ↗

Jokić’s 9.19 regular-season VORP led the 2025–26 league, whereas he ranked fifth in views: the strongest clear value-versus-attention split supported by the figures gathered here.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 Meta10 places · 3 notes

The same question, answered by Meta alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    LeBron James

    3.23B views #1 at age 40 is 2.7x Jokic's 1.20B while career VORP 156.61 tops all-time

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Nikola Jokic

    Leads VORP at 9.85 #1 but only 5th in views with 1.20B and jersey #10

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Stephen Curry

    2.56B views #2 and jersey #2 while 2024-25 VORP outside top 10, peak 9.49 in 2015-16

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    MVP with 8.87 VORP #2 in 2024-25 but only 1.06B views #7 and jersey #9

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Victor Wembanyama

    1.47B views #4 after 46 games with blood clot end to season, jersey #6

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Luka Doncic

    First international to top jersey sales #1 and 1.82B views #3 after Lakers trade boosted store 21%

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Ja Morant

    1.09B views #6 from two layups vs Nets that drew 286M alone, jersey #8

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Giannis Antetokounmpo

    6.63 VORP in 2024-25 but 897M views #8 and jersey #11 — value ahead of buzz

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Anthony Edwards

    800M views #9 and jersey #7 at age 23, attention rising faster than VORP

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Jayson Tatum

    Jersey #4 but views #10 at 766M — Celtics #2 team merch doesn't lift individual video rank

    Source ↗

What Meta noticed

LeBron's views jumped from 1.9B in 2023-24 to 3.23B in 2024-25 even at age 40, tripling the gap to Jokic

Source ↗

Luka Doncic is first international and first non Curry/James player to lead NBAStore jersey sales since Carmelo Anthony in 2012-13, and Lakers store sales rose 21% post-trade

Source ↗

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tripled his social views to 1.06B in MVP year yet remains 7th, behind Ja Morant who played fewer games

Source ↗
🇺🇸 Grok10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by Grok alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    LeBron James

    2.85 billion views led the league while producing at age 41 on a veteran minimum

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Stephen Curry

    Top jersey seller despite not leading the league in advanced value metrics

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Victor Wembanyama

    Second in views at 2.43 billion while anchoring a top defense as a young star

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Luka Dončić

    Third in views and second in jersey sales while ranking high in scoring and VORP

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Nikola Jokić

    Led the league in VORP at 9.19 yet ranked only 5th in views and 10th in jersey sales

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    Near the top in VORP and MVP-caliber production with solid but not dominant attention

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  7. 7
    Anthony Edwards

    High visibility in both sales and views relative to his rising on-court impact

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  8. 8
    Jalen Brunson

    Third in jersey sales for the defending champions without matching the absolute top of attention metrics

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  9. 9
    Kevin Durant

    Still drawing over a billion views while remaining a high-efficiency producer in his late 30s

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  10. 10
    Cooper Flagg

    Rookie who cracked the top 10 in both views and jersey sales

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What Grok noticed

LeBron James generated the most video views across NBA platforms in 2025-26 at 2.85 billion even while moving into his age-41 season.

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Nikola Jokić led the league in VORP yet finished outside the top four in both video views and jersey sales.

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Stephen Curry topped jersey sales for the 2025-26 season based on NBAStore.com and Fanatics data.

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LeBron’s new 76ers jersey broke Fanatics’ record for sales in the first 48 hours after a player joined a new team.

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🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 2 notes

The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Ja Morant

    Generated over 1.09 billion video views and a top-15 jersey ranking despite logging just 9 games and a 0.3 VORP during an injury- and suspension-shortened season.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Klay Thompson

    Retained top-10 global jersey sales and viral social reach through his splashy Dallas move while his on-court net contribution settled at 0.7 VORP.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Nikola Jokic

    Dominated every advanced metric with a league-best 10.6 VORP, yet ranked outside the top 10 in domestic jersey sales and finished fifth in digital impressions.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Stephen Curry

    Captured the #1 jersey sales spot and 2.56 billion social views worldwide, outpacing his 3.4 VORP as offensive gravity outshined standard box metrics.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    Powered Oklahoma City with an MVP-caliber 7.3 VORP but slotted 14th in jersey purchases, showing small-market delay behind national hype cycles.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Victor Wembanyama

    Drew 1.47 billion video views and #4 jersey popularity as a rookie sensation, creating a global cultural footprint nearly triple his foundational 3.8 VORP.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    LeBron James

    Maintains an unrivaled 3.23 billion video views and top-2 merchandise demand heading into his Philadelphia debut, out-scaling his still-elite 5.4 VORP.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Luka Doncic

    Balanced a monster 8.0 VORP with 1.82 billion views, closing the gap by turning transcendent isolation production directly into universal merchandise pull.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Jalen Brunson

    Anchored New York's revival into the #3 merchandise spot despite logging lower international digital impressions than flashy Western Conference ballhandlers.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Giannis Antetokounmpo

    Delivered a peerless 7.2 VORP in the paint, yet social algorithms prioritized perimeter step-backs, keeping his digital views behind higher-volume shooters.

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What Gemini noticed

Highlight reel algorithms systematically reward deep perimeter shots and dunks over interior playmaking, leaving triple-double MVP leaders like Nikola Jokic trailing perimeter stars in digital views.

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Market size and legacy brand power insulate jersey sales from single-season slump periods, allowing established veterans to hold top-10 merchandise ranks regardless of minor VORP dips.

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🇨🇳 Kimi10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by Kimi alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Nikola Jokić

    Arguably the best player alive — first ever to lead the league in rebounds AND assists in the same season — yet his jersey sells 10th, behind a rookie.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    LeBron James

    The league's most-watched player at 41 — more than double the age-41 scoring record (20.9 ppg vs Kareem's 10.1) — while no longer an All-NBA-level value.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    Back-to-back MVP and the 2025-26 VORP leader — yet jersey No. 8, behind a player whose team missed the play-in entirely.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Stephen Curry

    Jersey No. 1 in the league on a 37-45 Warriors team that lost its play-in game by 30.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Kevin Durant

    All-NBA Second Team at 37 — plus one of only two 1-billion-view seasons — and his jersey still sells 11th.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    LaMelo Ball

    Jersey No. 15 in the league — one spot ahead of All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham — without an All-Star season behind it.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Jalen Brunson

    Finals MVP and jersey No. 3 — attention finally caught up to value, and that's the story.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Victor Wembanyama

    The youngest unanimous Defensive Player of the Year on record, and the attention almost matches — views No. 2, jerseys No. 4.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Cooper Flagg

    The only rookie on the jersey list at No. 9 — and the only player in the top 15 whose team won neither play-in nor playoffs.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Anthony Edwards

    The smallest gap on the list: All-Star-level value, No. 6 in jerseys, and a viral dunk reel to match.

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What Kimi noticed

Only two players cleared 1 billion video views in 2025-26 — MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 37-year-old Kevin Durant — yet neither cracks the jersey top 5. Attention and purchases are different markets.

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Jokić became the first player ever to lead the NBA in rebounds and assists per game in the same season — and his jersey still sold behind a 19-year-old rookie's.

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The Knicks dethroned the Lakers as the No. 1 team in merchandise sales for the first time since 2017-18 — the Brunson effect shows up in the team column, not just his own No. 3 jersey.

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LeBron James was the most-viewed player in the league at 41 while scoring 20.9 ppg — double Kareem's previous age-41 record of 10.1 — a gap between attention and peak value no previous star created.

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