Kobe is big all over the globe.
That includes China, where for the fourth year in a row he tops the league in jersey sales, according to the league.
Rounding out the top five are LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, and Derrick Rose. The next five are Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Ray Allen and Kevin Durant.
This is the first time Yao Ming has not been in the top 10. He is coming off a season where he did not play due to his foot injury.
Kobe has a big presence in China, having made trips there in the summer for years now, promotional efforts with Nike. Kobe also has a separate charitable foundation he set up just to donate money to causes in China.
Plus, culturally, winning titles matters. It is what keeps Kobe ahead of LeBron in China. For now.
The NBA will be bringing its game to China for the first time this preseason, with Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets taking on the New Jersey Nets in Beijing on Oct. 13, then again at the Guangzhou International Sports Arena on Oct. 16.
