Zion Williamson, the first-year rookie of Duke University who was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is seen by many to be a future icon of the league. Before he plays his first game, Williamson already demonstrated his influence to the world through the "Zion Effect" in jersey and ticket sales.

The 2019 NBA Summer League will take place in Las Vegas on July 5. Of the 10 games on the first day, the one between the Pelicans and the New York Knicks has become the centerpiece for good reason. First, it will be the first NBA game for Williamson; second, it will be a match-up between him and R.J. Barrett, the No.3 select of the 2019 Draft and also Williamson's teammate during their time at Duke.

Therefore, tickets are currently all sold out except for resale, which will definitely cost you. The normal price for this game is 35 U.S. dollars, just like the other nine. Nonetheless, on SeatGeek and Ticketmaster, a ticket for Williamson's first game can be worth 104 to 118 U.S. dollars. If you are looking for a premium seat, you can have it for 988 bucks.

The rising ticket prices can be owed to the combined attention to both Williamson and Barrett, but the following news is only about Zion Effect. According to Fanatics, an NBA partner that operates the league’s online store and flagship brick-and-mortar store in Manhattan, in simply five days after Williamson was selected by the Pelicans, the sales of his jerseys broke the NBA record.

Though Williamson's jersey is priced 109.99 U.S. dollars online, it did not stop the sales from surpassing that of any other rookie in history. How popular were his jerseys and T-shirts? Though Fanatics did not specify the number, Williamson sold more jerseys and T-shirts than all first-round picks from the 2018 NBA Draft class combined.

Barrett became the second-highest selling rookie in history. Both he and Williamson more than doubled the previous rookie sales record set by Lonzo Ball, the No.2 select of the 2017 NBA Draft.