Inside the arena, the makeup and fervor of the fans can change dramatically based on the outcome and the perception of the team. There's a reason why Heat and Lakers fans are consistently derided for being "bandwagoners", mainly for the porous showings of empty seats at home games.
What this claim loses in scope is that NBA tickets are expensive and many NBA teams are located in markets where there are LOTS of activities to do unrelated to sports. Not every fanbase can be Oklahoma City or Portland or even Utah.
Taking that out of the equation, I have undergone the painstaking process of ranking all 30 NBA fan bases based on things such as local buzz, TV ratings, social impact within the city or region, histories of success and the NBA's perception in those markets. Some towns are virulently anti-NBA, mainly for sociocultural or racial reasons. Others can't get enough of the stuff and wrap themselves in their team's colors come playoff time.
This is totally unscientific and entirely subjective; yell at me in the comments section.
THE LIST
30. Atlanta Hawks. The NBA is not popular at all in Atlanta. White Georgians, who make up the most significant portion of sports fans, have ignored the Hawks en masse since their relocation to Atlanta in 1968. A college football and Braves-centric market through and through, nothing -- not winning, not Dominique Wilkins, not a civic renaissance via transience -- can get butts (of any race) in the seats, and new Atlantans are going for their home teams. However, the NBA's digital enterprise is held here, including TNT and NBA TV, so Atlanta is central to the NBA's business success and the Hawks won't be moved.
29. Brooklyn Nets. This is a new team parked in an established borough hoping to get fans from an island with roughly the population of Houston and the presence of an NBA power nearby. Knick-Net games have always had a "Knicks fans get cheap tix" aura, even in Jersey, and it continues in super-glitzy Barclays Center, which also costs a metric ton. Nope.
28. New Orleans Pelicans. It's a Saints town and a football world. The NBA won't move the needle here, but watch this space - I might be wrong and they end up being hot in Louisiana.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota, the U.S. hockey capital, and the cultural makeup of NBA players doesn't mix. They also can't make the playoffs for nada. At least they have Wiggins and Towns!
26. Milwaukee Bucks. Declining region, cold weather, incompatible with the cultural makeup of modern NBA players (unlike Atlanta or Brooklyn)...and Bulls fans invading the place last year? This once-proud Wisconsin institution is now the scourge of the state, and Badger hoops reigns supreme.
25. Indiana Pacers. Malice in the Palace, dying region, already the basketball hotbed of America.
24. Detroit Pistons. See above, but add "hockey hotbed" to the list.
23. Washington Wizards. Their most famous fan is Wolf Blitzer. Also, Caps fans always outnumber Wizards fans every time ever, despite Abe Pollin - who Caps fans swear cared more about the Wizards - trying to promote the Wizards/Bullets. Oh, and the Nationals are probably more palatable to DMV residents (and that's with John Wall! And the Nats are only 11 years old!!)
22. Philadelphia 76ers. They'll never be bigger than the Flyers - and that's hockey. Racism plays a huge role in their lack of popularity and always will. Go read comment sections about the 76ers on message board. Similarly, they cheered on Iverson, the so-called consummate "NBA thug" for a decade. Never been a huge hit in Philly, even with Moses and Dr. J.
21. Charlotte Hornets. Cam Newton runs that town, sorry. White light of the matter? They brought back those sick colors, appropriated by Newton in his Under Armour cleats. Unsure if he stopped wearing them, because if he did it'd be tragic. Fanbase is also under attack because of a huge diaspora from the North, so watch this space.
20. Orlando Magic. Small fanbase but still very vocal in their support of their team. The team is a complete mess and I can't tell you how they'll fix it. No pull for free agents; they just have to find a way to matter again. Haven't had a big transcendent star that left this time around, after Shaq, T-Mac and Dwight Howard all left.
19. Houston Rockets. As low as I could pull them. Houston is not a sportsy town and most Houstonians I know are very casual about sports. Lots of people who watch sports don't watch the Rockets; cultural (re; racial) dissonance a big reason why. Astros being good is Rockets fans' biggest threat, which is wild considering everybody still calls Houston "Clutch City", a great reminder of the Rockets' fall from civic cultural grace. Only team in city that pulls big-time now: Texans.
18. Los Angeles Clippers. Clippermania is there, but muted: people on LA radio talk Lakers, Dodgers, USC and now will talk lots of Rams. Clips might have to fight for attention in non-sportsy L.A., but loyal fans are enjoying their Man City-like ascent to success. If they win a title, it will solidify a good base of people who don't go for the Lakers, which I think is desperately needed for their sake. Hard to tell if that bandwagon will keep rolling forever.
17. Miami Heat. Good fanbase. Gets dogged often for late-arriving crowd (see: Lakers). Three titles did something to city that people forgot: Miami natives now LOVE the Heat more than they have before. Even if the team lost LeBron, they didn't lose a single iota of care for the team - kind of a pulling together to remind people they still matter. People who dog the Heat for their crowds don't realize the real winner is youth Heat fandom, which is very high and probably beats the Dolphins' at this point. Can still be overrun in-arena by Chicago, Boston, New York etc fans.
16. Denver Nuggets. Worse fanbase than Heat, in my opinion. Broncomania can avalanche (no pun intended) this team if they stink, which they kinda do now. Nuggets fans are classier than Broncos' because they lack the swaggering attitude of a Bronco fan, though most can be both. NBA dynamics from 2000s still affect perception of the team in Colorado, even if unlikeable crew like Carmelo Anthony and post-prime A.I. are gone. Also a huge diaspora from North and West is coming in, leaving traditional Nugget fans under pressure. Often get outdrawn by Colorado Avalanche hockey (like this year), but always a solid No.2 behind the Broncos.
15. Toronto Raptors. Canada underrates this fanbase because they're obsessed with hockey full-time and that includes Toronto. Lot bigger than you think. Diversity is the buzzword used to describe Raptors fanbase, especially considering very white Leafs fandom. Drake's presence only helps, though I am apprehensive of hip-hop stars hijacking a pro team in a non-hip-hop-centric region.
14. Memphis Grizzlies. Great in the playoffs, very average in the regular season. Must improve in that area for them to move up. Memphis is taking Grizzly fandom seriously, which is great for them. Probably more cosmopolitan than the college team (Tigers) they share the arena with; NBA fans are yuppies and the NBA will probably win the battle between city and suburbs as millennials continue to repopulate inner cities. People from Memphis are now really falling for this team, including - from my experience - lots of women.
13. Phoenix Suns. So much better when they're good! Arizona natives are dealing with the influx of Northern/Western Sports Fans which will affect Suns' attendance. Phoenix is a hotbed (no pun intended) and the Suns, once an ironclad rod of support from all Arizonans for years, are going to be looking at Northern Fan Invasions if they don't find a way to win - and fast. Cardinals' popularity is fleeting and not really the heart of the state, even if they play football. (Diamondbacks have a World Series and still get outdrawn when the Dodgers or Cubs come to town.)
12. Sacramento Kings. Once the best fans in the NBA, the Kings fell off for a while but are coming back fan-wise. I admire the fight to get their team back even if their mayor, a good guy I thought, is a known sexual predator. Kings fans love Sacramento and love the Kings' role in Sacramento's place in American culture and fame. They care a ton, which is why even as the attendance was low they saved the team from being moved.
11. Utah Jazz. An anomaly, considering how conservative and Mormon they are and how glitzy and liberal the NBA has become. Still manage to follow BYU or Utah in both football and basketball to add to their Jazz fandom. Loyal and rabid, it's almost an expectation you love and follow them if you're from Utah. They don't let up, even if I think their team will never be relevant outside of the Draft again.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers. If LeBron James wins a ring here, he might leave a huge fanbase in Ohio similar to what we saw with the Bulls when Jordan left (highly unlikely considering the NBA's position in American culture then and now, but could happen still). More behaved than Browns fans, Cavs fans are everywhere in Ohio, even after LeBron left for Miami the first time. Almost can usurp the Browns in popularity, which is almost blasphemy considering Ohio is a big-time football state.
9. Boston Celtics. Described in 1990 as basically yuppies in direct contrast to Patriots and Bruins fans, Celtics fans are smart and well-behaved yet classically Boston. Young people like the Celtics. Racism has always been part of Boston's Celtic support, rather it be the backlash and rabid hockey-centricity of the 1960s (when the Bruins stunk and the C's were champions), or the Bird/Magic dynamic of the '80s (the Celtics were very white and blue-collar, the Lakers very black and flashy). Seemingly a wash now with cultural shift of NBA, which I'm sure lost them fans but they're still relevant in Boston.
8. Dallas Mavericks. I love Mark Cuban even as a Laker fan; he took a team with a splintered image and was perceived as the joke of the league in 2000 and made them hip and modern. The fanbase takes his lead: Mavs fans are yuppies, basically. They're businessmen, bankers, tech people, models, well-mannered and well-heeled. The Mavs engender lots of loyalty among millennials and urbanites regardless of political affiliation; lots of Republicans and Christians too. Extremely female-friendly, in direct contrast to Cowboys fans. Ironically more classically Dallas than either Cowboys or Rangers because both of those teams market to more than just DFW (Cowboys fans are too mainstream and Rangers fans are pan-Texan).
7. Golden State Warriors. They were already a great, ironically underrated fanbase before Stephen Curry became "Steph Curry" to the world. They're now gonna be the new Chicago Bulls and the key to the NBA's cultural renaissance. They've managed to shine atop the Bay Area sports world, one of the toughest cookies to crack (ask the San Jose teams). A traditionally baseball/football area has gone gaga for this clean yet flashy squad, everyone's second-favorite NBA team. Warriors fans are also highly Asian-friendly and come across as incredibly smart, given Silicon Valley's reputation.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma as an entire state has embraced Thundering Up. Their playoff crowds are world-class. The atmosphere is collegiate. If the Thunder win a title, I swear they will become as rabid and irrationally passionate as Spurs fans, and they're already starting down that road...everyone from Oklahoma is telling me about how much they love the Thunder. This development means too much to these people and they don't want to screw it up.
5. Portland Trail Blazers. If Austin had a basketball team, it'd have to be on the level of the Trail Blazers. The Blazers are quintessential emblems of Oregonian pride especially amidst the big Hipster Boom blooming in the Rose City (or Rip City to locals). Their fans are passionate and know everything about every player before you can even ask. I recall one woman who moved from Portland to Austin and how, growing up, she cried over the 2000 NBA playoffs as a young girl. I asked her how big a deal it was ... she said "I lose friends over this." She also loves Lillard, as they all do. Blazers fans are all across Oregon and they care too much.
4. San Antonio Spurs. They could be No.1 if I wanted to. Living in Texas since 2010 and attending a major university within the state, I'm sure most people in my shoes have seen the same stuff I have in regards to the overarching love San Antonians and Spurs fans have for their professional basketball team. You can tell someone's from San Antonio or South Texas by how they react if you have anything that remotely reminds them of the Spurs. They are loyal. They are overbearing. They watch every play, argue every move, love every player and hate every player that's not theirs. Go Spurs Go is part of their identity. There's no chill in their thrill. They are admirable; their team is emblematic of their city, region and themselves.
3. Chicago Bulls. Bulls fans are OK in Chicago. They're a solid, above-average group that watches the game and chills out. Then we play in Indianapolis or Milwaukee and the crowds start picking up...the roars of LET'S GO BULLS infiltrate the road venue. This is a residual of the post-Michael Jordan era, in which Bulls fans were made in more than just Chicago. It stuck, to say the least; the Bulls have been a top-10 team at the gate every year since Jordan nested up in '98. Bulls fans are loyal, powerful, caring and cheer literally any player who can remotely score in bunches: Elton Brand; Ben Gordon (or "Ben Jordan" to some); Derrick Rose; Jimmy Butler. Their fandom is all over the place and the Chicago diaspora means you'll see more Bulls fans in your hometown sometime in the near future -- they'll be cheering hard too.
2. New York Knicks. Porzingod? A rising rookie (Kristaps Porzingis) has become the No.4 bestselling jersey in the NBA, speaking to the power of the Knick brand. To become famous as a player on the most overly scrutinized team in the NBA -- a roundball Dallas Cowboys, if you will, sans the history of success -- is a golden ticket to success. Allan Houston isn't an all-time great, but being a Knick rose his career profile. John Starks is an OK guard, but Knicks fans rose him to prominence. New Yorkers know that the Yankees may be the legs that drive the city and the Giants may be the torso that moves the city, but the Knicks are truly in the heart and soul of New York City. A basketball town in the purest sense of the word, fans are wide and diverse and extremely nagging, but they'll jump on the first guy to remotely show any promise on their beloved Knicks.
1. Los Angeles Lakers. You're rolling your eyes right now. "They arrive late...they don't actually care...bandwagons...celebrities...yada." Have you looked inside of L.A.? Visited someplace not a tourist attraction? Gotten out of Hollywood?
Los Angeles is the entertainment hub of the world and Hollywood is seen as the center of global cinema. The Lakers knew to sell themselves to a wishy-washy, non-sportsy town they had to align with the stars.
The Lakers make stars: Magic. Kareem. Worthy. Kobe. Shaq. Maybe DeAngelo Russell or Julius Randle. The team is immensely popular in L.A., much so that people canceled cable packages just to get the Time Warner channel the Lakers were on.
Locals hold the Lakers near and dear to their heart, wearing it like an international badge of honor. Poor Latino kids who speak no English align with the Purple and Gold. Gang members, literally divided by colors, unite thanks to the Lakers. It connects the continuously divisive riches split between those in, say, Laguna Beach and the impoverished communities in Inglewood and South Central.
And don't get me started on the Lakers' national and international following. A fan map created by the New York Times proved that when there was no NBA team to support in certain markets, most fans went for the Lakers. The brand is strong, baby, and with the continued diaspora of Californians to places like Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Georgia, NBA teams in these areas will be looking over their shoulder for a potential Laker Invasion -- Kobe or no Kobe.
The Lakers are the biggest team in the league and definitely are the best fans in the league.
You think I'm crazy? Biased? Out of control? Let us know on Twitter: @PhillyBeach93
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