Last year, when the NBA had to play their games without fans, it was hard for the players. There is something about a group of 15,000 people yelling at the top of their lungs in unison when a player catches a pass and throws it down for a go-ahead alley-oop dunk. Or, when you need a defensive stop with under 10 seconds to keep the lead. Fans make the game in person enjoyable for the player, but it is also even more invigorating when you watch the broadcast.
- 14,000+ NBA Fans
- 15,000+ NBA Fans
- 16,000+ NBA Fans
- 17,000+ NBA Fans
- 18,000+ NBA Fans
- 19,000+ NBA Fans
- 20,000+ NBA Fans
- Chicago Bulls (20,881), Philadelphia 76ers (20,655)
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What we have learned is that some teams can be terrible and still have a loyal fan base. Other teams are chomping at the bit to get teams into their building. Now that the season is over, we can look at the attendance data for each team. Only two teams averaged over 20,000 fans this season.
Here are the team’s attendance by tiers starting with 14,000 fans on average and working our way up every 10,000 fans. The number in parentheses is the team’s average number of fans for their 41 home games.
14,000+ NBA Fans
Oklahoma City Thunder (14,877), Sacramento Kings (14,439), Indiana Pacers (14,359)
The Indiana Pacers won the award for least fans in the building this season. Given the hype that surrounded the team before the year, it should feel embarrassing for that franchise. The season began with Malcolm Brogon, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner all on the roster. Two of those players were eventually traded, Turner got hurt, and T.J. Warren, the fifth piece to the puzzle, never played. The hiring of Rick Carlisle didn’t bring fans in either.
The Kings somehow averaged more fans despite finishing a record 16th straight season with a losing record. Given the norm for losing, you would have thought the Kings would have the fewest fans, but still hovered around that ballpark. As for the Thunder, the fans knew this would be a rebuilding year with the hopes of landing a high draft pick. That will happen in this year’s draft, on top of the plethora of other first-rounders, but seeing the Thunder near the bottom should not be a surprise.
15,000+ NBA Fans
Memphis Grizzlies (15,775), Houston Rockets (15,584), Washington Wizards (15,541), New Orleans Pelicans (15,510), Orlando Magic (15,192), San Antonio Spurs (15,014)
The biggest shame on this list is the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies had a magical season. Ja Morant finished as an All-Star. The team scored the second-most points in the league. This team is not boring, so why is the team in the middle of the road in attendance? It’s all about the market and Memphis is not a big market town, so it has a part to do with the team’s history and where they are located, which is why fans might be worried about Morant leaving down the road.
As for the other teams on the list, there are no major surprises. The Rockets and Magic finished at the bottom of the standings and will probably go one and two in the draft. The Wizards led the East at one point, but then trailed off and Bradley Beal got hurt, so that took away their star power. The Pelicans went the whole season without Zion Williamson, so plenty of fans didn’t go for that reason. As for the Spurs, the team has been a middle-of-the-road team since Kawhi Leonard left. It’s going to be a while before the team rises back up the attendance rankings.
16,000+ NBA Fans
Denver Nuggets (16,957), Los Angeles Clippers (16,926), Phoenix Suns (16,567), Atlanta Hawks (16,408), Detroit Pistons (16,184), Minnesota Timberwolves (16,028)
Do you want to know what a loyal fan base looks like? The Detroit Pistons had no business being in the same conversation as some of these teams. The Pistons saw Jerami Grant miss significant time this year and there is no reason for a valid argument to say 16,000 fans came to see 2021 No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, in his rookie season each night. The Pistons won 23 games this year but finished in the middle of the pack in attendance.
The true tragedy is that more fans weren’t in Phoenix. The team that led the league in wins finished 18th in the attendance rankings. The Clippers finishing lower could be partial because Leonard missed the whole year, while Paul George missed significant time. As for the Hawks, their play this season matches their middle-ranking, while the Nuggets should be higher. After all, the team has the reigning MVP, who scored over 2,000 points, recorded 1000 rebounds, and had 500 assists to be the first player ever. It’s a guaranteed show every time Nikola Jokic plays.
17,000+ NBA Fans
Milwaukee Bucks (17,453), Brooklyn Nets (17,354), Portland Trail Blazers (17,209), Charlotte Hornets (17,091)
Once we start making our way to the middle, there are some questions. For starters, what was going on in Portland to gather more fans than the league’s leader in wins? The Trail Blazers traded CJ McCollum and had Damian Lillard have the worst season of his career. Another example of a loyal fanbase. As for the other three teams, there are plenty of reasons for fans to show up.
For the Bucks, there is an MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the team is a title contender. That is easy. The same goes for the Nets as Kevin Durant remains a top-5 player when healthy. If Kyrie Irving was healthy and James Harden stayed, the number might have been higher. As for the Hornets, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges were two of the most electrifying young stars in the game. Charlotte also contended for a playoff berth this year, so basketball was fun in Carolina again.
18,000+ NBA Fans
Toronto Raptors (18,873), Los Angeles Lakers (18,649), New York Knicks (18,621), Cleveland Cavaliers (18,493), Utah Jazz (18,306), Golden State Warriors (18,064)
Give Nick Nurse a ton of credit. Give the fans in Toronto more. The contracts to Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet looked horrendous before the start of the year. VanVleet finished the season as an All-Star. The team brought back the tenacious defensive intensity. Games in Toronto are fun to watch, which is why the team finished sixth in attendance. The Raptors may not be at the same level as the 2019 team, but they are scrappy and fun to watch.
It’s no surprise to see your big market teams in the Lakers and Knicks. The Knicks were supposedly back and reverted to their disappointing selves. The Lakers had three of the biggest names on the roster, so naturally, fans would show, but also disappointing. The surprising number is that the Cavaliers had more average fans than the Warriors. Apparently, fans in town were excited to see Darius Garland and Evan Mobley grow.
19,000+ NBA Fans
Dallas Mavericks (19,739), Miami Heat (19,628), Boston Celtics (19,156)
Making the top five was the Boston Celtics, which should not come as a surprise. The Celtics have the brand and the competitive basketball team to back it up. Jayson Tatum could be the next Kevin Durant if we are lucky. The Celtics continue to churn out top talent to fill the stands. As for the Heat, the team was winning all season long. The Heat fanbase has consistently been loyal. The team won 53 games and the No. 1 seed in the East, so fans love to watch a winner.
Making the top-3 in attendance was the Mavericks, who have one of the most exciting players in the league. Luka Doncic is making her way towards being the next face of the league. He is the type of player that will bring fans to the arena just to watch him. It helps when the team is winning, but history repeats itself. In 2007, the Mavericks were the No. 1 seed with Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs were fourth in attendance.
20,000+ NBA Fans
Chicago Bulls (20,881), Philadelphia 76ers (20,655)
The Chicago Bulls led the league in attendance, but the team is historically loyal. In 2019, the Bulls were second in the attendance report and had a terrible team. In 2020, the team dropped to 11th in attendance, which led to administrative changes. The Bulls brought in DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso, who did not disappoint this season. When healthy, the team competed for the No. 1 seed in the East before falling down the stretch.
As for the 76ers, fans had to deal with the drama surrounding Ben Simmons. All it did was fuel the fire of one Joel Embiid. All season long, Embiid was remarkable. He led the league in scoring, becoming the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. The 76ers finished fourth in the standings but battled for the one seed. Philadelphia can have some harsh fans when they don’t like you. When they support you, they are some of the most loyal fans around.Â
Source: ESPN
Credit for an idea: Slam Studios
