The NBA is one of North America’s most popular sports thanks to its unique speed and sense of individual style. Unlike most other team sports, star NBA players regularly get to showcase their ball skills as they race from one side of the court to the next. Power duos and triples aren’t unheard of, either, adding yet another lovable dimension to the sport.
At the moment, the NBA has 30 franchises spread across the US and in Toronto. Like the other major leagues, these teams are mobile, meaning they might pack up and move, like the Seattle Supersonics famously did in 2008 when they became the Oklahoma City Thunder. But for the most part, fandoms can stretch down generations.
At the moment, the expansion of sports betting markets across the US has boosted the degree of fan engagement. Most stick to backing their team and their favorites with point spreads and totals bets. If you’re new to betting on the NBA, you can check out the promo code terms here before signing up with a new provider like Borgata. From there, you can use the bonus to start placing your wagers.
With markets expanding every year, most basketball fans can bet on games with a few clicks on their smartphone. Still, not all teams and cities are created equally. Some fans, it seems, are part of a city-wide obsession. In terms of NBA love, which of these cities comes out ahead?
Los Angeles
Like NYC, Los Angeles is the second US city to have two NBA teams—which should tell you plenty about this city’s undying love for basketball. The Lakers are one of the world’s most recognizable basketball teams—and locals aren’t shy about showing their admiration for the team and its top players.
Since 1984, the Clippers have attempted to take a bite out of the Lakers’ fanbase. With stars like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the team, they’ve slowly built their following. But you might be wondering—what makes LA so much different than NYC? After all, both metropolises have two teams to choose from, with a solid range in popularity between them.
It all comes down to identity. The LA Lakers logo and merchandise are synonymous with LA throughout the world. The same is true for NYC and one of its pro teams—the New York Yankees baseball team, not the NBA’s Knicks (and definitely not the Nets).
Toronto
If you’ve been following the rise of basketball in Toronto, then this shout-out should come as no surprise. The one thing that Toronto has going for it is passion. The city is home to an NHL and MLB franchise. Like the Raptors, the Toronto Blue Jays are the only pro team in Canada.
That means that local fans are massively passionate about repping their team, as doing so is also about repping their country in a US-dominated league. In fact, the Raptors helped spearhead a Canada-wide chant with their ‘We The North’ logo and merch during their Finals-winning season.
San Antonio
Texas is overwhelmingly a football state. But that’s not exactly the case in San Antonio, where the fandom of the Spurs is strong and unyielding, despite their struggles in recent history. What’s behind this obsession in a state that prefers Sunday football? And what about other NBA franchises like the Mavericks and Rockets?
It seems that the Spurs have a stronghold on smaller cities and communities in the state, especially toward its center. These areas are underserved in terms of basketball content, which has made San Antonio a hotspot for those who want to watch live games. On top of that, there’s no other competition in terms of the NFL, NHL, MLB or even MLS.
Buy Me A Coffee
The Havok Journal seeks to serve as a voice of the Veteran and First Responder communities through a focus on current affairs and articles of interest to the public in general, and the veteran community in particular. We strive to offer timely, current, and informative content, with the occasional piece focused on entertainment. We are continually expanding and striving to improve the readers’ experience.
© 2024 The Havok Journal
The Havok Journal welcomes re-posting of our original content as long as it is done in compliance with our Terms of Use.