Every NBA Franchise’s Total Followers On Instagram

In the age of social media, the presence and popularity of something on Instagram often validates it. Likes and followers have become currency in the modern age, with people being able to monetize social media rapidly.

NBA teams are no different. Every single NBA team has a presence on Instagram that has generated over a million followers for them. However, while some teams have barely cracked a million, other teams are pushing on bigger digits. To find out who’s hot and who’s not, let’s take a look at the popularity of NBA teams by Instagram followers.

30. Utah Jazz – 1.2M Followers 

The Utah Jazz sit dead last in the world of NBA teams on Instagram. While a million followers is nothing to scoff at, the Jazz are decidedly the least popular team on IG. They might be on the way up, fielding one of the most exciting teams in the NBA this season. They currently have a record of 14-12, much to the surprise of the rest of the league. But if being the No. 1 seed in 2021 didn’t help matters much, this season won’t change anything.

T28. Washington Wizards – 1.4M Followers 

The Washington Wizards have had success and some big names, but that hasn’t translated to the popularity of the team. They currently have a former scoring champion, Bradley Beal, on the roster and saw John Wall’s prime on the team in recent years. However, their inconsistent playoff success with a second-round ceiling means they haven’t captured enough eyes yet. They’re having a mixed season so far, with good moments but an 11-13 record.  

T28. Detroit Pistons – 1.4M Followers 

The 2004 champions slot in tied with the Washington Wizards as the second-least popular NBA team. The Pistons haven’t had recent success or generational stars to boost their popularity. Outside a late-career Allen Iverson and the last of All-Star Blake Griffin, they haven’t had much to talk about. The team now has a future point guard in Cade Cunningham, who might just be a generational prospect, though this season seems to be a tanking year for the 6-19 Pistons.

T26. Memphis Grizzlies – 1.5M Followers

The second-best team in the regular season last year, the Memphis Grizzlies are among the least followed teams in the NBA. However, this is a team that is going to grow in future years because of the sensational Ja Morant. The Grizz have already built a solid team around Ja, as they started the season 14-9, even after struggling with injuries.  

T26. Orlando Magic – 1.5M Followers

The Orlando Magic have been a franchise that has been in no-mans-land for years before finally settling as rebuilders in the NBA. They are among the leaders in the Victor Wembanyama tankathon, with a pitiful 5-19 record. However, they do have a fantastic young core headline by 2022 No. 1 draft pick, Paolo Banchero. 

T24. Sacramento Kings – 1.8M Followers

The team with the longest playoff drought in the NBA is among the least followed on social media. The Sacramento Kings haven’t had a lot of success or marquee talents to boast about since Chris Webber was on the team. Things are changing, as Sacramento is looking to end its playoff drought this season and have a 13-9 record to start the season. 

T24. Denver Nuggets – 1.8M Followers

The team of 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic isn’t as popular on Instagram as it could be. The Nuggets play in one of the smallest NBA markets and have become Western Conference contenders under Jokic’s generational talent. They are having another strong season, starting 2022-23 with a 14-9 record.  

23. Charlotte Hornets – 2.1M Followers 

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA since their rebranding in 2010. The team has barely seen the playoffs and doesn’t look any closer to doing so. They did draft online sensation LaMelo Ball, who became an All-Star with the franchise as a sophomore. However, LaMelo’s injury-plagued start to the season has made the Hornets among the worst teams in the league, with a 7-16 record so far. 

22. Atlanta Hawks – 2.2M Followers

The Atlanta Hawks have enjoyed years of relevance in the Eastern Conference with competitive teams. Tanking for a few years gave them Trae Young, one of the most fun players to watch in the NBA. The 2021 Eastern Conference Finalists are hoping to become a contender in the East after trading for Dejounte Murray and currently have 13 wins and 11 losses on the season. 

21. New Orleans Pelicans – 2.5M Followers

The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the newest teams in the NBA but enjoyed the start of their era under this name, with Anthony Davis making them must-see TV. After his departure, the Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson and built a fantastic core with Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum around him. They are looking like the real deal in the West, currently having a 15-8 record. 

T18. Minnesota Timberwolves – 2.6M Followers

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the quiet franchises of the last decade, struggling to make the playoffs for most of their recent history before a 7th seed appearance last season. They are having a tough start this season after trading almost all future assets for Rudy Gobert, sitting with an 11-12 record. 

T18. Indiana Pacers – 2.6M Followers

The Indiana Pacers enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most consistent teams in the East, always competing for the playoffs since the Paul George era. The Pacers were expected to be tankers this season, but Tyrese Haliburton is looking like a future superstar and has led the Pacers to a 12-11 record so far this season. 

T18. Portland Trail Blazers – 2.6M Followers

The Portland Trail Blazers have one of the most exciting players of the recent era on their books in, Damian Lillard. Lillard has been the one constant in Portland for over a decade, slowly building the team’s popularity on Instagram through his marketability and on-court skills. The team is defying expectations and are looking like genuine playoff contenders with a 13-11 record. 

17. Phoenix Suns – 2.7M Followers

The Phoenix Suns are the best team in the Western Conference for the second successive season. The 2021 NBA Finalists had a pitiful run through the late 2010s but have bounced back as one of the most consistent teams in the NBA with the emergence of Devin Booker as a superstar. An actual championship win could boost their popularity, and the 16-7 Suns are working hard toward that goal.

16. Dallas Mavericks – 3.0M Followers

The 2011 Champions miss out on the top half of this list. The Mavericks are headlined by their superstar players and nothing else. They became champions because of Dirk Nowitzki and currently have a superstar in Luka Doncic, wowing everyone on the court. But the lack of proper roster building means the team isn’t competing for a title this season, something their 11-11 record agrees with. 

15. New York Knicks – 3.5M Followers

One of the most valuable teams in the NBA and in the biggest market comes smack dab in the middle of this list, the New York Knicks. A perenially underachieving franchise, the Knicks are doing what they do every year and occupy the middle of the table. No success in recent years means they haven’t been able to draw casual fans as easily as their name would suggest they can.  

14. Philadelphia 76ers – 3.6M Followers

The star tandem of Joel Embiid and James Harden hasn’t made the Philadelphia 76ers IG sensations just yet. The 76ers are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of IG popularity despite being a pre-season favorite to be a title contender. They’ve been trying to contend for years but haven’t put it together just yet, evidenced by their slow start to the season and current 12-11 record. 

13. Toronto Raptors – 3.8M Followers

The only team in Canada, the Toronto Raptors have an entire nation pulling for their success. However, the hockey-fueled Canadians haven’t poured in on IG to boost the 2019 NBA Champions further up this list. Their follower total is solid and will grow given their success this season with a young core, having a record of 12-11 despite injuries.  

12. San Antonio Spurs – 4.3M Followers

The San Antonio Spurs had a nearly 20-year dynasty from the late-’90s to the late-2010s. Despite not being in a large market or having flashy superstars, the Spurs have cultivated a fanbase based on their continued success under Gregg Popovich. The current Spurs are the worst in the league but have promise for the future under Popovich’s terrific coaching. 

T10. Los Angeles Clippers – 4.5M Followers

The ‘little brother’ of the Lakers, the LA Clippers are proving to be a more consistent team than the Lakers. Despite injuries to stars like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers are keeping their head above water. Having Kawhi and PG13 coupled with the social media sensations that were the Lob City Clippers, their popularity seems worthy enough to crack the top 10.  

T10. Brooklyn Nets – 4.5M Followers

The Brooklyn Nets are situated in the New York market but enjoy more Instagram success than their neighbors in the Knicks. That is because they have a couple of NBA Finals appearances in the 2000s, and they currently employ superstars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The team is struggling this season, with off-court controversy hampering their season once again. 

9. Milwaukee Bucks – 4.8M Followers

The Milwaukee Bucks have become extremely popular in recent years with 2-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. They have been contenders for over half a decade and cemented their success with a title in 2021. They’re trying to do the same again this season, currently sitting as the second-best team in the league with a record of 16-6.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder – 5.4M Followers

The Oklahoma City Thunder were one of the most exciting teams in the NBA since their inception in 2008 to trading Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns in 2020. They have been among the worst teams in the NBA for the last couple of seasons, but their heyday with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden is hard to match.  

7. Houston Rockets – 5.8M Followers

The Houston Rockets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA today but were one of the most consistent in the 2010s. With James Harden, the team’s popularity blossomed in the new age and has made them extremely popular. They are the second-worst team in the NBA right now but are building for the future. 

6. Miami Heat – 5.9M Followers

The Miami Heat have been one of the most glamorous franchises in the NBA for the last 2 decades. While they are a relatively new team, the fate of the franchise changed when they drafted Dwyane Wade and then signed NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. LeBron James and Chris Bosh came in 2010 and made the franchise one of the most famous in the world. Jimmy Butler is the superstar of today on the squad and is hoping to lead the Heat past their slow start to the season, which sees the roster sit 11-12.

5. Boston Celtics – 6.8M Followers

The team that is tied for the most championships of all time, the Boston Celtics, are the first team in our top five. While their popularity is dwarfed by some of the teams ahead, the Celtics have enjoyed a very strong fanbase on the merits of their success. They have been a top Eastern Conference team for the last 6 years and won a championship last in 2008. That might change this season under Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as the reigning Eastern Conference champions are currently leading the NBA with a 19-5 record. 

4. Chicago Bulls – 8.9M Followers

The Chicago Bulls were the most popular team of the ’90s by virtue of their employing Michael Jordan. Jordan made the Bulls one of the greatest teams in NBA history and won 6 championships with the squad. Having had exciting players like Derrick Rose and Zach LaVine since MJ’s era means the Bulls have been able to slowly continue cultivating their popularity as one of the most recognizable NBA franchises.  

3. Cleveland Cavaliers- 13.8M Followers

The Cleveland Cavaliers headlined the NBA at the end of the 2010s because of LeBron James and their 4 consecutive Finals appearances against the Golden State Warriors. Despite LeBron leaving in 2018, the Cavaliers still enjoy the third-largest social media presence in the NBA and are looking ready for the next generation with their stacked squad. Another Finals dynasty may be brewing in Cleveland. 

2. Los Angeles Lakers – 20.7M Followers

The Lakers are arguably the most recognizable NBA teams in the world. The most successful franchise in the modern era of basketball, the Lakers currently field LeBron James, the most popular basketball player on Instagram, and arguably the greatest of all time. His co-star is another superstar in Anthony Davis. The team had a rough 2-10 start to the season but is currently 8-2 in their last 10 games. 

1. Golden State Warriors – 26.8M Followers

The most popular NBA team on Instagram is the Golden State Warriors, and by quite a margin. The most successful team of the last decade deserves this spot, fielding all-time greats like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry in this era. The Warriors have accumulated one of the largest fanbases in the NBA, and the most financially valuable team in the NBA is also the most popular on Instagram. The reigning champions have had a tough start to the season but are on their way back up the table.

Does Social Media Popularity Count For Anything?

In terms of the bottom lines of the team, these numbers are incredibly valuable and proof of their marketability. However, success on the court often drives these numbers. Small-market teams like Cleveland and San Antonio enjoy more followers than the New York Knicks by virtue of fans seeing them in multiple Finals in recent history.

All good teams are bound to see their followers rise, so a good on-court product will lead to that success as well.  

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