Los Angeles Lakers fans sure are glad to see their team back on top.
The NBA says Lakers fans bought more championship gear in a single night than Cleveland Cavaliers fans — the franchise with the previous record — purchased in 30 days:
The NBA says Lakers fans bought more championship merchandise in 12 hours than Cleveland fans – the previous gear-buying-record-holders – bought in 30 days.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 12, 2020
Here's a visual look at the record-breaking merch sales:
Fans from 110 countries have already bought Lakers championship merchandise since last night through @Fanatics. Also, the company put together this heat map that shows where in the United States each sale came from. No surprise: There are a ton of Laker fans across the country. pic.twitter.com/Lfu6AlURji
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) October 12, 2020
Championship No. 17 was anything but typical for the Purple and Gold.
The Lakers began the 2019-20 season as one of the favorites to win the NBA title after making a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis last summer.
Indeed, Davis and LeBron James consistently established L.A. as a title contenders throughout the season. The Lakers defended at a high level almost every night, with veteran bigs like JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard anchoring the frontcourt and James becoming more engaged on that end of the floor.
But hardship followed for the organization when Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in late January.
The season would then grind to a halt in March because of COVID-19. Months of planning and frustration stemming from social injustices followed, all building up to the conception of the bubble plan in Orlando.
Bear in mind Lakers players had been in Orlando for over three months when they captured the title on Sunday night. The win was the culmination of a season full of ups and downs, a grind that was different from any other NBA season on record.
Lakers fans are clearly proud of this year's team. They took to the streets to celebrate on Sunday night, and they have now easily smashed the merchandise record.
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