Americans used to sing how they wanted to be like Michael Jordan.
This week they want to be like Delly.
Inspired by Matthew Dellavedova's heroics in the NBA Finals, sales of the Australian point guard's Cleveland Cavaliers' jersey have skyrocketed to be number one in the US.
On Wednesday America's largest licensed online sports retailer Fanatics said Dellavedova's number 8 jersey eclipsed superstar teammate Le Bron James', Jordan's, Kobe Bryant's and every other player's NBA jersey sold in the US.
"We don't see players rise to top from out of nowhere like this often," Fanatics president of merchandising Jack Boyle told ESPN.
The gritty Dellavedova has been sensational in the playoffs, starting for the Cavaliers in game two and three after All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving's season ended with a fractured kneecap.
He had career-high 20 points in Tuesday's game two victory over the Golden State Warriors to give the Cavaliers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Finals series.
Dellavedova was so drained after game three he was hospitalised and pumped with fluids intravenously.
Americans have fallen for his body-on-the-line style and his story - an undrafted free agent from an Australian country town written off for not being talented or fast enough for the NBA, but who has become James' sidekick in the Finals.
Dellavedova items started spiking on the site in the third quarter when the Australian was tossing his body on the floor, into the stands and hitting key three-pointers.
Dellavedova's hard-nosed defence also shutdown Warriors' Stephen Curry, with the NBA MVP scoring just three first-half points.
More Dellavedova jerseys have now been sold in the Finals than sold during the entire regular season.
Another sports merchandising company, Fathead, owned by Cavaliers boss Dan Gilbert, has also started selling Dellavedova wall posters.
Cleveland's Plain-Dealer newspaper columnist Chris Haynes wrote a public apology to Dellavedova on Wednesday after declaring in March the Australian "doesn't have the foot speed to stay with high-level NBA point guards".
"When you're wrong, you're wrong. And for me, it's time to eat crow," Haynes wrote.
"It's official: Matthew Dellavedova is one fearless, hard-nosed son of a gun".
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