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Sports October 23, 2023
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn

Most Popular NBA Teams & Players: Who’s Really No. 1?

The Lakers and Celtics boast the NBA's oldest rivalry. Among fans today, how do they continue to stack up against the league's best? (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Last Updated: October 26, 2023
It’s time to settle this once and for all. We explored the data to determine the teams and players that can truly lay claim to the title of the NBA’s most popular.

It was easier to do this 60 years ago when the NBA only had eight teams.

So, in these days of In-season Tournaments, second aprons, and Dillon Brooks simply Dillon Brooksing non-stop, who is the most popular team in the NBA, anyway?

Well, when Boardroom asked the same question about the NFL and Major League Baseball, we discovered some intriguing insights. Some of them felt intuitive; others caught us off-guard. What is immutably true, however, is that these topics are ludicrously fun to argue. With that in mind, we are NOT about to deny ourselves a good time.

Based on both Reddit user data and market research from YouGov, here’s what we found regarding the most popular NBA teams and players, here and now.

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Most Popular NBA Teams by Fan Survey Results

Based on percentage of YouGov survey respondents who reported overall positive opinions of a given team as of Q3 2023.

RANKTEAM
1Chicago Bulls
2Los Angeles Lakers
3Boston Celtics
4Miami Heat
5Golden State Warriors
6Phoenix Suns
7Dallas Mavericks
t8Denver Nuggets
t8Cleveland Cavaliers
t10New York Knicks
t10Orlando Magic
t10Utah Jazz
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Most Popular NBA Teams by Subreddit Members

Data as of June 18, 2023 via Reddit.

RANKTEAM
1Golden State Warriors
2Los Angeles Lakers
3Boston Celtics
4Toronto Raptors
5Philadelphia 76ers
6Chicago Bulls
7Milwaukee Bucks
8Denver Nuggets
9Dallas Mavericks
10Houston Rockets
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Top 10 Most Popular NBA Players

Based on percentage of YouGov survey respondents who reported overall positive opinions of a given player as of Q3 2023. Includes both active and retired athletes.

RANKPLAYERTEAM
1Stephen CurryWarriors
2LeBron JamesLakers
3Kevin DurantSuns
t4Giannis
Antetokounmpo		Bucks
t4Paul GeorgeClippers
t4Carmelo AnthonyRetired
t4Russell WestbrookClippers
t4Dwight HowardFree agent
t9Nikola JokićNuggets
t9Anthony EdwardsTimberwolves
t9Vince CarterRetired
t9Derrick RoseGrizzlies
t9Kevin LoveHeat
t9Jeremy LinNew Taipei Kings

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Sam Dunn

Sam Dunn is the Managing Editor of Boardroom. Before joining the team, he was an editor and multimedia talent for several sports and culture verticals at Minute Media and an editor, reporter, and site manager at SB Nation. A specialist in content strategy, copywriting, and SEO, he has additionally worked as a digital consultant in the corporate services, retail, and tech industries. He cannot be expected to be impartial on any matter regarding the Florida Gators or Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter @RealFakeSamDunn.