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Who are the best NBA fans in the league? Although it’s not that difficult to find which teams are near the bottom and which teams are at the top, ranking all 30 fanbases in order is where it gets challenging.
Best NBA fans ranked
There are many things to consider when looking at which teams have the best NBA fans. Attendance, social media following, merchandise sales, ticket prices, and the size of the fanbase all play a factor in deciding which ones are the greatest NBA fanbases.
With that being said, here are all 30 teams ranked from the worst NBA fanbases to the best.
30. Pistons
As far as worst NBA fanbases, the Detroit Pistons lead the way. Although the team has been in Detroit since 1957, the fanbase is one of the smallest and least supporting.
The Pistons’ attendance ranks last in the league most seasons and has not been relevant for over a decade.
29. Timberwolves
Founded in 1989, the Minnesota Timberwolves have not done much in the history of the league.
The Timberwolves’ attendance is one of the worst in the NBA, with about a quarter of the arena empty for most games. With only one playoff appearance since 2005, you can’t blame the fans too much.
28. Grizzlies
Ja Morant and the young Grizzlies are hoping to bring a new wave of fans to Memphis. It may be difficult to do, as attendance numbers were still in the bottom half of the league during their deep playoff runs in the early 2010s.
In addition, Memphis has one of the smallest social media followings in the NBA.
27. Hawks
The Hawks have been in Atlanta since 1968. They have had a ton of playoff success in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but that hasn’t translated to a big fan following.
Atlanta is near the bottom in attendance percentage each season and was fifth-worst in 2014-15 when they made a run to the Conference Finals.
26. Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have one of the smallest NBA fanbases and have not had any success in their history.
Winning only four playoff rounds since joining the league in 1988 is one of the reasons why the Hornets struggle to bring in fans. Competing in an area known for its college basketball success doesn’t help either.
25. Pacers
Although the Indiana Pacers have reached the playoffs plenty of times throughout the last 10 years, fans wouldn’t know by looking at attendance numbers.
Indiana has ranked near the bottom half in terms of attendance percentage for the majority of the last decade, which isn’t good for a city that loves its basketball.
24. Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets fall into the bunch of franchises who are unable to fill the arena, even when the team is playing well.
The arena does get loud for games, although nothing compared to the loudest NBA fanbases. Denver also has one of the lowest social media followings in the league.
23. Wizards
The Washington Wizards fanbase is nothing special. The attendance has been poor for over a decade as they sit in the bottom ten in attendance percentage every year.
In addition, Wizards ticket prices are among the lowest in the NBA, and their social media following falls in the bottom half of teams.
22. Suns
The Phoenix Suns have a lot of competition with other professional sports teams in the area, which is a reason for the smaller fanbase.
With the Cardinals, Coyotes, and Diamondbacks nearby, the Suns don’t get much attention when the team is losing.
21. Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have pretty good attendance for being irrelevant in the postseason for the majority of the team’s history.
The Pelicans’ attendance sits around the league average, while their social media following is one of the smallest.
20. Magic
The Orlando Magic crowd was one of the best when the team was winning back in the late 2000s, but that isn’t the case now.
Orlando is currently in the bottom half of attendance most seasons while having one of the cheaper ticket prices in the NBA.
19. Nets
Nets attendance is in the top half of the NBA in 2021-22, but that is usually not the case for the franchise. In the last decade, they have sat around the bottom five in attendance percentage most seasons.
With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn hopes that success in the playoffs will lead to more fans.
18. 76ers
Although the 76ers can be considered for having one of the loudest NBA fanbases, it isn’t always a good thing. They are known for being the loudest when the team is not playing up to the fan’s standards.
When Philadelphia is bad, the arena is more than a quarter empty, which shows the lack of loyalty to the team.
17. Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best NBA fanbases when LeBron James is on the team but are near the middle of the pack when he’s not.
When the team isn’t good, the attendance is in the bottom half of the league, while the ticket prices are also among the cheapest.
16. Bucks
Coming off of a championship, the Milwaukee Bucks fanbase has increased in size. Ticket prices are around the league average, while attendance percentage is at its highest the last few seasons.
The fanbase cannot be considered loyal though, as attendance was in the bottom five for a while before 2019.
15. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have an average fanbase with decent attendance, depending on success, and a solid social media following.
There are a lot of professional sports teams in L.A., so when the Clippers don’t play well, they are usually forgotten.
14. Kings
With no playoff appearances since 2006, it would be tough to blame fans if they stopped showing up. However, Sacramento Kings fans are one of the most loyal fanbases in the NBA.
Attendance numbers vary from season to season. Although some years they have one of the best attendance percentages in the league, they usually hover around the league average.
13. Jazz
The Utah Jazz are not one of the biggest NBA fanbases, but they are one of the loudest. That isn’t always a good thing, as they are known for having the rudest fans in the league.
For a small-market team, Utah does a good job of filling up the seats and does have some loyal fans.
12. Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers fanbase shows almost as much loyalty as Damian Lillard has shown them over the years.
Attendance is usually in the top half of the league and is one of the best NBA fanbases when the team is winning.
11. Rockets
Although they compete with the Texans and Astros in the Houston area, the Rockets do have a better-than-average fanbase.
Even with ticket prices being one of the highest in the league, Houston does do a good job of filling up the arena most nights.
10. Knicks
The New York Knicks continue to test the loyalty of their fanbase with their recent lack of success.
They are one of the most talked-about fanbases but do not have the best NBA fans. For a place like Madison Square Garden, it should be expected to sell out every night, but that is not the case most nights.
9. Spurs
A fanbase that has had plenty to celebrate the last two decades, the Spurs fanbase is one of the largest in the league for being a small market team.
However, we will see if the fans will remain loyal if the Spurs struggle over the next few seasons.
8. Heat
The Miami Heat have one of the highest attendance percentages in the NBA over the last decade, averaging more than 100% capacity most seasons.
Miami also has one of the largest social media followings which includes 4.9 million Twitter followers.
7. Celtics
The Celtics have some of the best NBA fans who have supported the team for decades.
The success during the Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Pierce/Allen/Garnett eras has led to continued support for the franchise. Attendance is at its best when the team is playing well but is usually in the top 15 regardless.
6. Thunder
For a small-market team and with ticket prices more than the league average, Oklahoma City still averages sold-out attendance almost every season.
The fanbase stretches beyond the city, with one of the largest social media followings in the NBA.
5. Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have some of the best NBA fans. With an entire country cheering them on, they may also have one of the biggest NBA fanbases.
They sell out most games even while having one of the most expensive ticket prices. Toronto has also been in the top 10 in merchandise sales the last few years.
4. Bulls
When the team is performing well, the Chicago Bulls have one of the loudest NBA fanbases.
The Bulls have a huge social media following with almost 17 million followers on Facebook and are also top 10 in merchandise sales.
3. Lakers
The Lakers may not have the most patient fanbase, but they do have the biggest.
Los Angeles has the largest social media following, leads in merchandise sales, and has the most expensive ticket prices in the league.
2. Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have had an attendance percentage of at least 100% every year since 2013 while having an average ticket price of over $400.
In addition to having the second-largest following on social media, the Warriors continually rank inside the top 10 in merchandise sales each year.
1. Mavericks
The team with the best NBA fans is the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has finished the season number one in attendance percentage 10 times since 2009, by far the most of any team in that span.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether the team is good or bad, since the arena is sold out either way. The loyalty of the fanbase is the main reason why the Mavericks have the best NBA fans.
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Everyone’s entitled to their lists and opinions, that said, this is one of the worse I’ve seen. Not sure if the metrics used, as example, Detroit has three championships. They know basketball. They are not willing to support bad basketball for lengths because they know what excellence looks like. Doesn’t make them bad fans, makes them knowledgeable. Conversely, Miami fans show up late and leave early. Many go to be seen and don’t know the sport. Really one of the worse list efforts I’ve ever read.
Love how Raptor fans are top 5 because of mechandise and ticket sales but are proving how they know jack about basketball in this playoffs. Use better metrics besides sales numbers or just dont talk about a sport you clearly dont understand.
Whoever made this list should be in prison