New Orleans Pelicans: 10 Most Valuable NBA Players

#2: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Small guys who dominate are always fan favorites, ask Allen Iverson, whose jersey is still one of the most popular overseas. Curry is a multiple MVP winner, and was the key cog in a dynasty that won three titles. His jersey is a hot seller and he is one of the most recognizable and popular players no matter where he goes.

Jersey Sales:  Curry is 3rd overall in jersey sales, which is actually surprising. He probably loses some sales because many fans of other teams don’t like him or would never wear something from San Francisco. Considering Curry didn’t even play this season, his numbers are still impressive.
Importance to team: Well, the Warriors went from title contender to worst team in the NBA in one season, so I think we’ve seen exactly how important Curry is to his team. They were also missing Klay Thompson and had lost Kevin Durant, so Curry isn’t the sole reason for their decline, but he’s the biggest part. Teams like Detroit were hoping Curry would return from injury because he would drag the depleted Warriors to a few extra wins and hurt their lottery odds. Curry brought basketball back from the dead in the Bay and turned the Warriors into one of the most valuable franchises in sports, valued at over $4 billion. None of that is true without Curry and there is only one NBA player on the planet who is more marketable and valuable to his franchise as a player and for revenue purposes.
Importance to the future of the league: Curry is an outspoken ambassador for the league and hugely popular wherever he goes. He has the look to be a superstar, has a high-profile partner and family and has long been pushed as the face of the NBA. His style of play is exciting and changed the league for the better, making the product more marketable to casual and foreign fans. Curry, like Jordan and Kobe, has brought people to the game who might not be there otherwise.

#1: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James is the league’s most valuable player in many ways. He is the best player on the league’s marquee team, has long been and continues to be the face of the NBA and has returned excitement to Los Angeles and brought plenty of fans with him. LeBron is one of the few athletes who has fans that will follow him wherever he goes (arguing that he is better than Jordan along the way) and the dude is a one-man economy.

Jersey Sales:  LeBron is 1st in jersey sales for the second year in a row and the Lakers sold more team merchandise than any other team by far. Part of this is because it’s LA, but it’s mostly because of LeBron.
Importance to team:  You could argue that LeBron plays with another first team All-NBA player in Davis, but without King James the Lakers are just the New Orleans Pelicans from a few years ago, a team with one superstar that is going nowhere. LeBron has shown how valuable he is as a player by dragging some awful Cleveland teams to the Finals, but as a revenue generator, LeBron is second to none. Ask Cleveland, whose economy tanked after LeBron left and they weren’t able to fill the void. Whole industries collapsed when LeBron left Cleveland, which is crazy. Obviously the same isn’t true in Los Angeles, a city full of big names and stars, but LeBron has still brought excitement back to the NBA’s marquee franchise, which had been in a long spiral since Kobe left.

Importance to the future of the league: No player is more important to the NBA than LeBron, who is still the face of the league and its most well-known and popular player. LeBron’s tweets start national debates and help propel movements. Klutch Sports represents some of the biggest names in the league and has a seat at the table with the most powerful people. There is no athlete on the planet with as much influence as LeBron and even though he is in his 17th season, he is still important to the future as an ambassador and the next Magic Johnson-type elder in the league. The King will one day be a King-maker himself, will probably own an NBA franchise and will long be one of the most powerful people in the NBA.