Top Five Most Bandwagon-able Teams

Ah, I can feel the hatred stirring already amongst the readers.

Some ‘die-hard’ and ‘lifelong’ Miami Heat fans are getting riled up already.

Not to worry, I am not even calling the teams overrated on this list (although some might qualify).

I am just listing the most likely bus for your office bandwagon fan to jump on.

So without any more delay, here are the five teams most likely to gain lots of new fans that you never even knew cared about basketball.**

** It should be noted that not all bandwagon fans are bad. Women are almost always bandwagon fans, and I certainly don’t mind.  

Honorable Mention: New York Knicks

You can’t have a market this big, and a city this hyped without getting some bandwagon fans. Even Chris Paul is seen sporting a NY hat. If LeBron James or even two stars had gone to this team they might just be the most popular in the league.

That said, NY made some solid additions and will be better then last year for sure.

Bandwagoner’s are still holding out however, they want more before they jump ship. Maybe a Carmelo Anthony or Paul could change their minds.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder

This one is a real surprise to me, I never thought that the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder would go from hated franchise stealers to bandwagon ‘sleeper’ so quickly.

Toted by many as the only ‘threat’ to the Lakers in the West, (Seriously, with all the teams there, OKT is the only threat?), Oklahoma has become the latest fade of the month for bandwagoner’s.

They remind me of another team that was a hot ‘sleeper’ picks to win the West a couple years ago:

Portland Trailblazers.

That team was young and set to perennially contend, except it never happened. Injuries decimated them, and they have never been at full strength for the playoffs. Going from an eighth seed to conference champion is a long leap, and I am not convinced Oklahoma can do it.

For a side note, knowing some truly long-suffering Seattle fans, it truly irks me when someone says that they have been a fan of the Thunder since they were in Seattle.

People who were fans of the Seattle Supersonics are not fans of the Thunder.

Baltimore Colts fans don’t like the Indianapolis Colts. Cleveland Browns fans don’t like the Ravens, etc. This is a sure way to reveal a bandwagon fan.

4. Chicago Bulls

Who could resist a team that won six titles with the widely proclaimed ‘best-ever’ player in Michael Jordon?

Certainly not a bandwagon fan who watched them sign one of the top free agents this summer in Carlos Boozer.

And with all the love the media gave this team as an up and comer, you would have never thought that they were barely an eighth seed with a .500 record.

Now I know that injuries decimated this team last year, but I remember another team that was a low seed that signed a top slow free agent power forward,

Anyone recall the Philadelphia 76ers of only 2 seasons ago? That Elton Brand signing didn’t work out so well did it?

Either way this team is high up on the bandwagon list, and a sexy pick at that without the drawback of looking like an obvious bandwagoner.

3. Boston Celtics

You can’t have a team with the word ‘Boston’ in it without droves of Bostonian bandwagon fans coming out of the woodwork. Add to the fact that they are a very good team as well, and you have a recipe for bandwagon bliss.

As long as they contend ‘Bah-stun’ will always be a popular destination for bandwagoner’s of all type as they take temporary residency as a Celtic fan.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

As much as I am a fan of Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers, there is no denying the bandwagon pull of this franchise.

They win championships, their in California; they have tons of movie stars courtside. In fact, I would rate the whole state of California as very bandwagon-able (Yes, I am looking at you Katy Perry).

There is almost no way the casual uninvolved basketball fan could resist the pull of L.A. Except there is a way.

1. Miami Heat

Miami is #1 again in a preseason ranking! Yes!

This one is a real shocker, who would have thought that Miami would be the most bandwagon-able after last summer?

Actually I have some scientific data to support this.

On cbssports.com it lists the top ten teams with the most fans among its members. Miami was unlisted before July 10, and Denver held the ten spot with approximately 5,100 fans. Now Miami is number ten with 5,505; when they were unlisted just a month ago.

Now tell me again how all those ‘lifelong’ fans just decided just now that they are going to make accounts? I am sure a similar phenomenon could be noted with BR Miami fans as well if I was paying attention (the top 10 on CBS is on every team’s page, requiring no extra navigating).

Beyond the data, Miami is a huge market, is a sexy town to be a fan of, and has the huge pull of stealing LeBron James and Chris Bosh, (as well as retaining Wade).

This is a bandwagon paradise, they can tote for the next five years how they have been loyal to Miami for so long (after all 5 years is a long time for a bandwagoner).