From the historic basketball culture of New York and Boston to the star-studded franchises of Los Angeles and the Bay Area, NBA teams have built loyal followings across generations. But which NBA teams have the most dedicated fan bases?
To find out, Bovada has analyzed all 30 NBA teams across a range of metrics signifying team loyalty, including average match attendance and changes over the past five seasons, arena fill rates, social media followings across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and Google search interest.
The top 10 most loyal NBA fan bases
Los Angeles Lakers: The NBA’s most loyal fan base
One of the most recognizable franchises in basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers take the top spot in the overall rankings with a loyalty score of 7.5 out of 10. Their position is driven by an enormous online following and sustained interest in the franchise, with 33.4 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The Lakers also generate the highest Google search interest of any team, with more than 19.3 million searches recorded across terms surrounding team rosters, merchandise and tickets. Their average attendance of 18,748 across the past five seasons, alongside an impressive 98.7% average arena fill rate, further demonstrates the strength of their support.
The top 10 most loyal NBA fan bases:
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Golden State Warriors come in second with the biggest social media following
The Golden State Warriors rank second overall with a loyalty score of 6.8. Representing the San Francisco Bay Area, the Warriors have become one of the NBA’s most high-profile teams, now boasting a huge 40.7 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, the highest in the ranking. The Warriors also lead the league on Instagram, with 31.4 million followers, and TikTok, with seven million.
Their average arena fill rate of 100% also highlights the demand for tickets, while average attendance across the past five seasons stands at 18,064.
New York Knicks round off the top three
Reigning champions, the New York Knicks, secure third place with a score of 6.4, supported by strong attendance and significant online and search interest. The Knicks record an average attendance of 19,468 across the past five seasons, the fifth-highest figure in the league. Madison Square Garden also achieves an average fill rate of 98.3%, showing how consistently the team attracts supporters. Across the past five years, attendance has also increased by 6.3%, the highest in the top five.
With 14.1 million Google searches around team rosters, merch, schedules and tickets, the Knicks have the third-highest search interest of any NBA team, behind only the Lakers and the Raptors. While their combined social following of 8.2 million is comparatively smaller than some of the league’s biggest franchises, their strong attendance and search interest help secure a place on the podium for one of the oldest teams in the league.
Toronto Raptors rank fourth as the NBA’s most searched team outside the top three
The Toronto Raptors, the league’s only Canadian franchise, take fourth place with an overall score of 5.9. Their 17.8 million Google searches are the second-highest in the entire league, surpassed only by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Raptors also attract an average attendance of 19,150, with Scotiabank Arena filling 96.7% of its capacity on average over the past five years; however, their combined social media following of 5.3 million is smaller than many of the teams above them.
Cleveland Cavaliers claim fifth place
The Cleveland Cavaliers round off the top five with a score of 5.7. The Ohio-based team record an average attendance of 19,227 and an impressive average arena fill rate of 98.9%. The Cavaliers also have 16.9 million combined social media followers, the third-largest following among all 30 teams, behind the Warriors and Lakers.
Their five-year attendance change of 5% further adds to their strong overall performance, showing an increase in average attendance alongside an already substantial arena fill rate.
San Antonio Spurs have the biggest five-year attendance increase
While some teams have traditionally attracted large crowds, others have seen their attendance grow considerably over the past five years.
The San Antonio Spurs rank seventh overall with a score of 5.5; however, they stand out for having the largest five-year attendance increase in the NBA with a 23.7% increase over the past five years. The Texas-based franchise is one of the league’s most successful teams historically, most recently reaching the final last season against the Knicks.
The San Antonio Spurs are followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder, which recorded a 22.4% increase in attendance. The Detroit Pistons rank third with 21.5% growth, followed by the Orlando Magic at 20.5% and the Denver Nuggets at 16.9%.
At the other end of the scale, the Philadelphia 76ers have recorded the largest decline, with attendance down 8% over the five-year period. The Milwaukee Bucks follow with a 4.6% decrease, while the Chicago Bulls have seen a 3% drop.
Which NBA teams score lowest for fan loyalty?
While some NBA franchises attract huge crowds and millions of followers online, others score less strongly across the metrics analyzed in our data. At the bottom of the overall loyalty ranking are the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Washington Wizards finish in last place with a score of 1.9. They record the lowest average arena fill rate in the league at 80.7%, alongside one of the smallest combined social media followings at 2.5 million.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank second from the bottom with a score of 2.6. Their combined social media following totals 3.6 million, while games have seen a 2% drop in attendance over the past five years.
The Portland Trail Blazers complete the bottom three with a score of 3.5. Despite attracting an average of 17,864 fans per game across the past five seasons, their relatively modest combined social media following of 4.5 million and 1.8 million Google searches hold them back in the overall rankings.
With a new NBA season underway, it remains to be seen whether the Lakers can hold on to their position at the top or if another team’s fans will make their presence felt. Which team will come out on top this season?
Sources and methodology
To determine which NBA teams have the most loyal fan bases, Bovada analyzed all 30 NBA franchises across the following metrics:
- Average attendance: Average number of fans attending home games across the past five seasons.
- Average attendance percentage: The average percentage of each team’s arena capacity filled by supporters.
- Five-year attendance change: The percentage change in attendance over the five years.
- Instagram following: Total followers on each team’s official Instagram account.
- TikTok following: Total followers on each team’s official TikTok account.
- YouTube subscribers: Total subscribers on each team’s official YouTube channel.
- Total social following: Combined followers and subscribers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
- Google search interest: Total Google searches recorded for each NBA team.
Each team received a score out of 10 for each measure. These scores were then combined to calculate an overall loyalty score and establish the final rankings.