Ranking All NBA Fanbases: From Fairweather to Rain or Shine
Let me start off by congratulating the Dallas Mavericks on their first NBA Championship. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd both worked extremely hard for this and I am happy for them.
OK, now that that is out of the way, let us discuss the people who made this win possible; the fans.
That's right, we contribute to every win our teams capture and, when our team is at home, we make the visitors feel like they are in hell.
Which teams have the most dedicated fans and which have the most nonchalant fans who only show up when the team is on a hot streak?
Also, if you are a returning reader, you can like my Facebook fanpage where I discuss current events in sports in a very nonchalant manner.
P.S. Remember, this article rates dedication! Not how loud the crowd is or how many show up now!
30. Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Yes, that sign is from a baseball game and that is for a reason.
I can't really call the Atlanta fans "fairweather" because the Hawks have been a good team for quiet some time now.
They have the record and the star power to draw fans and yet the residents of Atlanta could seemingly care less.
It's as if they are just putting up with the Hawks, versus actually caring about what happens with them. They are one of the worst teams when it comes to attendance and that simply should not be.
Congratulations Atlanta on being the worst basketball fanbase in the country.
29. Milwaukee Bucks
2 of 30
No one fears the deer and I doubt anyone in Milwaukee cares about the deer.
The fans simply don't like the Bucks and won't watch their games. When the team is on the verge of the playoffs the attendance should rise—apparently Milwaukee is an exception.
28. Indiana Pacers
3 of 30
This is probably the last time anyone in Indiana even remotely cared about the Pacers.
27. Portland Trail Blazers
4 of 30
Those fans are in the zone.
Unfortunately, they ranked as one of the worst teams in attendance until Brandon Roy showed up and magically turned things around.
Now Portland cares again.
These fans define the term fairweather.
26. Charlotte Bobcats
5 of 30
I am making it a standard to post a Michael Jordan picture whenever I talk about the Bobcats and that is probably because he is the only Bobcat anyone knows.
The fans are terrible and most probably come just for MJ.
Hopefully, the attendance figures will make Jordan lace the sneaks up again, for one (more) last dance.
25. Orlando Magic
6 of 30
The Magic fans did not care before Dwight Howard and they won't care after him, unless the team is still high in the rankings.
24. Philadelphia 76ers
7 of 30
I don't want to know what that guy took in order to think this was a good idea.
However, back to the topic at hand. The fans in Philly are great if the team is winning or is showing strong potential.
Then again, if they are not, well then, the team does not exist.
23. Detroit Pistons
8 of 30
Unfortunately, there were not fans at the game that night so here are some cheerleaders.
22. Washington Wizards
9 of 30
This must be the worst part of Obama's job; watching the Wizards.
Forget the polls and the critics, this is the real pain.
21. New Jersey Nets
10 of 30
I just find this picture funny for some reason.
Not to mention the conversation that probably went down with them about LeBron this summer was also probably amusing.
20. Toronto Raptors
11 of 30
Canada and basketball does not sound like a good combination.
19. Sacramento Kings
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I would rank the Kings lower, but I understand the economy really hit Sacramento hard and it would not be fair to put them too low.
Nonetheless, they are still a relatively small fan base and I doubt many more would show up if they could.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves
13 of 30
Again, there were no fans sitting there so here is a cheerleader.
Oh, and the reason I ranked them so high is because I can't even stay awake for their games on TV. Going there would be the end of me.
17. New Orleans Hornets
14 of 30
CP3 injured, equals no fans in New Orleans.
Sad.
16. Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
This team just became good recently and it would be interesting to see where they go from here and whether or not the new fans will stick around.
15. Denver Nuggets
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Just shows you that no matter how bad a player is, all he needs is a good nickname and he will have a following.
That being said, expect the attendance to be even lower than it was this year now that their main attraction has gone off to NYC.
14. Houston Rockets
17 of 30
Their attendance is not bad, but honestly there was no other place in the slideshow for them.
The rest of the teams coming up all have pretty decent fan bases in their cities.
13. Los Angeles Lakers
18 of 30
I just know how much hate this is going to get.
The fact is, the Lakers haven't really had many hard years recently. Yes, in between Shaq and Gasol things got ugly, but they had the highlight reel that was Kobe Bryant every night.
When Kobe is gone and they don't have that level of star, it will be interesting to see where the "hardcore" Lakers fans will go.
I know plenty of Lakers fans who are just Team Kobe.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
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That sign should be banned in the playoffs.
Anyway, the crowd in OKC is very energetic, but the team is still relatively new which makes it hard to really judge them.
11. Phoenix Suns
20 of 30
My Suns don't have a single championship trophy and yet the attendance never dips too low.
The fans love this team and, if there is any hint of a championship, expect Phoenix to rank close to if not number one in attendance.
10. New York Knicks
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The problem I have with the Knicks is that I find it hard to believe that Madison Square Garden would only hold the true fans.
New York is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, and you mean to tell me not one of the visitors actually goes to a professional basketball game?
That is simply impossible and that is why I can't really give them a rank above number 10.
9. San Antonio Spurs
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I love that sign.
Anyway, the Spurs have been one of the most successful teams of this past decade so judging whether or not the fans will actually show during the slump is hard to tell.
8. Miami Heat
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Those college kids look wasted all the way from here.
That is also why I rank the fans so high (you see what I did there?). College kids love making fools of themselves in public, and what better place to do it than a basketball game?
I doubt a large part of the attendance even cares about the game—unless, of course, the game actually matters.
Still didn't help Miami out much.
7. Dallas Mavericks
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It looks as though the Mavs have one-upped the Heat yet again.
The fans simply overflowed the arena every night, but, then again, we must not forget that the Mavs have been consistently one of the very top teams in the league.
Also, what is up with that Kobe jersey?
6. Chicago Bulls
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Well Momma is going to have to wait a long time for that happen.
The fans in Chicago are very loyal and love the Bulls to the death—nothing else to say really, other than these are some really good fans.
5. Boston Celtics
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This is one of the most passionate fan bases in the league and everyone in those stands bleeds green.
The passion simply takes over the players as well during the late game moments, when confidence is so important.
4. Los Angeles Clippers
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That picture simply supports why the Clippers should be up so high.
No other team in sports has to deal with this big of a rival in their own city or even in their own arena. The Clipper base could make an easy transition to the other L.A. team, but they stay strong.
The Clippers have gone through hell during their history, but hopefully things will take a turn for the better now that Blake "The Earthquake" Griffin is in town.
Nickname credit goes to Shaq.
3. Golden State Warriors
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The Warriors have been bad for quite some time now, but the fans have not given up.
Granted, they do have star power, but they have no success. For a team that is this bad to be ranked so high in attendance, is simply a great testament to the heart of these fans.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
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Cleveland fans are showing up to games now to prove to the rest of the league they will not quit. I expect them to rank high every year in attendance just because of a grudge against LeBron.
One player could have very well united a city to the point where the fans just will not quit.
The fans are rude, loud and there are many of them.
1. Utah Jazz
30 of 30
Oh my God...
I don't even know where to start and whether or not I should actually even list any reasons. Utah would have two championship trophies if it wasn't for one man, and that is something no other team can say.
They came so close, and yet one shot is all it took to close the door.
The shot is now legendary and the team is now without its biggest start, but if the visiting teams listen to the fans they will be the ones who will feel like losers.
What the fans in the arena will say is simply not OK, but try and shut them up.
Anyway, thanks for reading and remember to check out my Facebook page for more sports conversation!
