NBA Rookie Jerseys

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2003 NBA Draft Thoughts

It seems to me that the NBA is usually the league where rookies have the most impact. This past year there were quite a few rookies who had signifigant impact on their teams and the league. Players like Nene Hilario and Caron Butler put up strong numbers throughout the year. Manu Ginobili helped the Spurs with the NBA Championship. Amare Stoudemire is already among the top forwards in the league and a very exciting player to watch. And Yao Ming is having a huge impact on the court but an even bigger impact off the court with all his promotional apperances and endorsements.

This year there is bound to be a few rookies who will have a major impact on the league:

LeBron James: LeBron James Update: Obviously the #1 pick in this years draft has already had a huge impact on the basketball world. The kid hadn't even graduated and already had a $90 million endorsement contract. He will put butts in the seats everywhere he goes and will sell a ton of jerseys, shoes, caps, and other apparel. I don't think LeBron will dominate the league but should be able to put up 15 points, 8 boards, and 4 or 5 assists per night which is great for a rookie. As he plays and grows he will eventually become an upper echelon player but not this year.

Darko Milicic: Detroit will almost definitly take Darko with the second pick and they won't be disappointed. Based on pure playing ability I would take Darko #1 but you can't say no to all the other factors LeBron brings to the table. Darko will be the best rookie this year playing with a great cast of players like Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncy Billips, Mehmet Okur, and others. They can take the pressure off of Darko and give him a chance to play his game. I predict Rookie of the Year here and 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per night.

Carmelo Anthony: After leading Syracuse to the NCAA championship Carmelo had little choice but to go pro. Denver will take Melo with the #3 pick and with the young team they are building there Denver should be back in the playoffs in a couple years. If they can sign Gilbert Arenas this off season to go with Nene Hilario up front they could be one of the most exciting young threesomes in the league to watch.

TJ Ford: Solid point guard who will get signifigant minutes. Numbers will be OK but I don't think he will become a superstar.

Chris Bosh: Long, lean, and a great athelete. Will he be Kevin Garnett (great) or Darius Miles (bust)?

I can't really see any other rookie even being mentioned for Rookie of the Year and these 5 should win all the Rookie of the Month awards as well.

Current Popular Jerseys
NBA Rookies		NFL Rookies
Lebron James	Carmelo Anthony	Charles Rogers	Andre Johnson
Darko Milicic	TJ Ford	Carson Palmer	DeWayne Robertson
Dwyane Wade	Chris Bosh	Byron Leftwich	Terrell Suggs
Kirk Heinrich	Michael Sweetney	Terence Newman	Marcus Trufant

Once the draft takes place it usually takes around 2-4 weeks for the first jerseys to become available. In instances (like this years NFL draft) where the first couple players (Carson Palmer and Charles Rogers) are basically picked before the draft even happens the jersey companies can have everything ready to get the jerseys into production as soon as possible. It takes a bit longer for the rest of the rookie jerseys to become avaialable. The jersey manufacturers usually like to wait to see which players sign contracts, have a chance at starting, and which rookies are generating a buzz that will sell jerseys.

In the case of this years NBA draft I expect Lebron James jerseys to be available soon after the draft takes place. The Lebron James Cleveland Cavaliers jersey is sure to be a top seller. With a new jersey design and logo the Cleveland Cavaliers should sell a ton of Lebron James jerseys and merchandise this year. Other top players like Carmelo Anthony, Darko Milicic, and others should have jerseys available by the end of the summer.