Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Jerseys Are Selling Out

The New York Knicks have an international star on their hands. He’s a gifted scorer with 3-point range, a lethal turnaround jump shot and the potential to win a scoring title.

No, not Carmelo Anthony. The world is talking about Kristaps Porzingis.

Anthony may be the best player on the roster, but Porzingis is the toast of the town. His 29-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets has New York buzzing, and rightfully so.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Porzingis isn’t just the source of conversation; he’s becoming a prominent member of New York’s wardrobe.

"As of Wednesday afternoon, Modell’s online store was sold out of Porzingis No. 6 jerseys, and the Modell’s store next to MSG was down to nine Porzingis items, according to Dave Brown, a Modell’s license buyer. Brown says that, in advance of Black Friday during the Thanksgiving holiday, Modell’s stores throughout the city will be stocked with Porzingis threads.“Right now, we have Porzingis jerseys in 40 stores in New York. We have a very good amount on the way to the online (Modell’s) store and a very, very large amount on its way to the store next to the Garden,” says Brown. “By next Wednesday, his jerseys will be in all the chain stores in New York and our inventory will quadruple. After (Tuesday’s) win, the sales over three days equaled all the sales from last week.”"

It’s true—just check this screen shot taken at 12:14 p.m. on Thursday, November 19 from Modells.com.

via https://www.modells.com/product/new_york_knicks_adult_kristaps_porzingis_replica_road_jersey-7818a3kbaeb2883.do?sortby=bestSellers&refType=&from=Search&ecList=6&ecCategory=

Porzingis’ rise to fame is quite unique—except it isn’t. This eerily mirrors the rise of Jeremy Lin and the unforgettable period of, “Linsanity.”

Much as Lin used a brief period of time to reach international prominence, Porzingis has done the same. Much as Lin’s jersey flew off shelves, Porzingis’ has begun to do the same.

Shocking as this all may be, it’s not hard to see why. He not only scored 29 points against the Hornets, but Porzingis developed a healthy following for his now famous put-back dunks.

Exhibit A:

Exhibits B, C and D:

That’s a great way to create a fanbase.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that Porzingis is doing this in a market as massive and star-hungry as New York. Anthony is a genuine star in his own right, but Porzingis is a highlight waiting to happen.

He took his star status to another level with the previously alluded to 29-point performance.

An eruption that will not soon be forgotten.

As fate would have it, Porzingis’ 29 points came against Lin at Madison Square Garden. It was mere days after he hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against Lin and the Hornets, only for it to be waved off by the referees.

For those who somehow missed it:

Good or not, that only added to the growing legend of Porzingis.

Perhaps most significantly, Porzingis’ 29 points and 11 rebounds were recorded in front of Willis Reed and Patrick Ewing—both of whom were at Madison Square Garden for the Charlotte game.

Reed attended the game as a spectator, attentively watching the team that he led to two NBA championships. Ewing was there as an assistant coach for the Hornets.

For god measure, fellow Knicks legend Walt Frazier was working the game as an announcer for MSG.

In front of the three greatest players to ever don a Knicks jersey, Porzingis made franchise history.

Whether or not you buy into the hype, it exists for a reason.

Porzingis is a 7’3″ power forward who can shoot, go to the post, defend multiple positions, and crash the offensive glass. His agility is incomparable for a player of his size and stature, and his tenacity makes him a true matchup nightmare.

The good news for people who want to honor Porzingis’ contributions by buying his jersey is that the Association hopes to have jerseys available on NBA.com on Friday, per Berman.

"The NBA told the News Thursday Porzingis jerseys were available after the draft, but since sold out. The league hopes to have them back up Friday on NBA.com, and said if you can’t wait, you can always customize your own Porzingis jersey on the site."

It’s a crazy time to be a Knicks fan. The city is excited about a .500 record, New York is a half-game off the division lead, and a 12-game run by a rookie has the world going crazy.

The bad news: it’s as hard for people to buy a Porzingis jersey as it is for opposing teams to contain him.