Canadian basketball fans love the Toronto Raptors, and they’ve shown it with their wallets so far this season.
The NBA have released sales data from their Canadian shop to gauge which player jerseys are most popular in the country. For the fourth-straight year, the top spot belonged to Raptors star Scottie Barnes at the midseason mark, beating out the likes of Stephen Curry (second), Luka Dončić (third), and LeBron James (fourth).
Reigning NBA MVP and Canadian superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rounded out the top of the list at fifth. No specific sales figures were included.
Barnes has been a big reason why the Raptors are in a playoff position through the midway point of the season. He is averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season. The only player averaging more points in Toronto right now is Brandon Ingram.
The 24-year-old Barnes wasn’t the only Raptors player on that list, as RJ Barrett came in ranked in the eighth spot. Other notable names to crack the top-15 included Victor Wembanyama at sixth, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 10th, and Ja Morant at 11th.
Unsurprisingly, the Raptors also led in NBA team merchandise sold in Canada, with the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors following behind.
Toronto is looking to keep pace in the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoff race. As of Tuesday, they sit fourth in the East with a 25-19 record and are 7.5 games back of the leading Detroit Pistons.
If the Raptors can hold onto a playoff spot, it would be their first postseason appearance since getting knocked out of the first round of the 2022 playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Barnes and his legion of jersey-buying fans will be hoping to see playoff basketball return to Toronto sooner rather than later.