LeBron James reclaims No. 1 NBA jersey

Last July, fans were burning LeBron James' jerseys in the streets.

What a difference nine months makes.

According to the NBA, King James is once again the King of Jerseys.

From the league:

"LeBron James of the Miami Heat has grabbed the No. 1 spot on the NBA's Most Popular Jerseys list, regaining the top ranking for the first time since April 2004. Los Angeles Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant, who has owned the position since the start of the 2008-09 season, finished second overall for the 2010-11 season, while Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics rounds out the top three for the first time in his career."

It's a surprising twist considering the level of vitriol the reigning MVP has received in the past nine months.

First there was the PR nightmare known as "The Decision." Then "The Big 3" struggled, failing to make it to the top of the NBA. Even hismother got into hot water.

But King James has somehow persevered - and so has his popularity, apparently.

As CBSSports.com's Matt Moore sums up: "It's strange that James would be having this resurgence, even if the evidence is based on that of the casual fan. The biggest storylines of this season surrounding James are of the whole crying thing, the Heat's struggles, his mother getting arrested, and him generally making comments which make him look bad. Those are the stories that reach casual fans."

Now LeBron is looking pretty good - at least in the eyes of the average jersey buyer.

Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys:

1. LeBron James, Miami Heat

2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

3. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

4. Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks

5. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

7. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

8. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

10. John Wall, Washington Wizards

11. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

12. Shaquille O'Neal, Boston Celtics

13. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

14. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

15. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics