With over two billion fans worldwide, the NBA draws in a global audience each season to watch some of the best athletes in the world play professional basketball. But not everyone necessarily sees it that way. While some watch games through their fingers, some fans barely watch games at all, and would prefer to support their team ‘in spirit’. In fact, there are many kinds of basketball fans, but what are the most common fans?
1. The Typical NBA fan
A typical NBA fan might find themselves supporting a team because of a family member or a friend, or maybe it was a game they saw on TV years ago. But if it weren’t for that friend, family member, or if the game on TV had gone the other way, they might be supporting a whole different team, but I digress.
These people are typically dedicated fans, they enjoy watching the games, especially if they’re winning, but aren’t broken up after a loss or a missed game. They occasionally check scores throughout the week staying up to date on the league, but they’re not going out of their way to read those in-depth articles on tactics and players. These are the people you can casually watch games with, they know enough about what’s going on in the league and can hold their own in a conversation.
2. The (Slightly Delusional) Home fan
A big step above a typical fan, the home fan is the heart and soul of the NBA. Whenever I think of these types of fans, I think of the people who support teams like the Jazz or the Hawks. Teams that are inconsistent with half-built rosters but the fans still go all out. They love feeding into that delusion of hope after every win, only to be battered by a bottom team a few nights later.
Every team has these types of fans, regardless of where they sit in the table. They try to catch every game and will even try getting the local broadcast using a VPN, why? Because the home fans know every player, coach, and even the announcer. Their team could be at the bottom of the table playing a top 5 team and they would still hold out for the possibility of an upset. These are the fans you see painting their faces for game 2 of the play-in tournament and love sparking controversy on r/NBA when they lose.
3. The “Casual” Fan
A Casual fan is how most people would categorize themselves. They are mostly in it for their team, not following the league too much until closer to the playoffs. These fans are sometimes more in it for the narrative, supporting their team but not to the ends of the earth. They typically follow the bigger headlines with things like the In-Season Tournament or big-time injuries, but would most likely rather watch something else during the regular season. They tend to pay more attention to the playoffs and the last few games of the regular season, but typically aren’t too interested in other games unless they have people to watch with.
4. The Bandwagon Fans
Everyone hates a bandwagon fan, simple as that. Though it’s pretty self-explanatory, these fans will start supporting a team right when they’ve reached a level of popularity and success. These are the people like Lebron fans, who started supporting the Cavaliers or the Lakers just because Lebron got them a ring, or those who started supporting Golden State after their hot streak in 2015. These fans are typically easy to spot, as they know a limited amount about the team and could probably only tell you about the recent few years. If the Nuggets make another playoff run this year, I’d be wary of the wave of bandwagon fans coming out of the woodwork if they happen to win another title.
The NBA is a vibrant community of sports fans, reaching people across the globe who support teams across the US. Some ride the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with being dedicated to a franchise, where wins can make the day and losses can ruin the night. Others hop on the bandwagon, following teams during the highlights when they are at the front of everyone’s minds. Then there are the casual fans, who haven’t fully bought into their team yet, but keep up with bigger news and focus mostly on the post-season happenings. Some will follow their team to the bottom of the league, others are more than happy to ride teams to another finals. The question is: what kind of fan are you?
