Top Three NBA Fanbases

There are some great NBA fanbases out there, but I’ve narrowed my top three down to the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls. It was a hard decision, especially when I think about how crazy Boston Celtics’ and San Antonio Spurs’ fans are. Fans of the Portland Trailblazers, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are up there as well, but I think the Knicks, Thunder and Bulls have them all beat.

One word for New York Knicks’ fans: loyal. It’s been almost 40 years since the Knicks won a championship, and their last finals appearance was in 2011 as the eight seed (their first time in the playoffs since 2004) where they were eliminated in the first round against the Celtics, losing the series 0-4. The team’s got great players: Caramelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler to name a few, but they haven’t got their rhythm down yet. Does that stop Knicks’ fans from attending games and supporting their team? Nope. If the fans have been faithful this whole time I can’t image how they will be when the Knicks actually get good in a couple years. By then they will really have something to cheer about.

I’ve said this in past posts and I’ll say it again: OKC’s has the loudest fans in the NBA. OKC has come a long way: They were the eight seed in the Western Conference playoffs in 2010; the following year they went to the Western Conference finals again where they eventually lost to the Dallas Mavericks; this year they went all the way to the NBA finals where they lost to the Miami Heat. People like to joke that it’s because there is nothing else to do in OKC other than watch basketball. Whatever the reason, the Thunder is clearly one of the best teams in the league, and as a result, OKC has a deafening fanbase.

Many people will think I pick Bulls’ fans in the top three since I’m from Illinois, and although I am biased, there is proof that the Bulls have great fans! We have had the highest game attendance for the past three years according to Bleacherreport's 10 Most Passionate Fanbases. Even though Rose will be missing most of the upcoming season, I believe Chicago will continue to support the team and be number one in attendance for the fourth straight year.

Which team(s) do you think have the best NBA fans?