Basketball has been a favorite sport in most of America’s households, from afterschool games at the local community court to watching the NBA at the country’s grandest arenas. Through the years, the fanbase of this sport has evolved. Where once fans supported the team closest to their home, basketball now has an international audience, drawing millions of fans and billions of dollars each year.
Read on to discover how the fandom of basketball has changed over the decades, both in America and globally.
Localized and Regional Watching
When American basketball was still in its infancy, fans were mostly limited to watching local or regional games—any games within driving or walking distance. Basketball was not yet popular in the 1930s and came second to baseball, football, and boxing.
The National Basketball League (NBL) merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1949 to create the National Basketball Association (NBA) of today.
Making basketball more official through the NBA helped to attract more viewers, however, fans were still restricted to games in community centers or local gymnasiums. Those who wanted to support teams further afield were restricted to radio broadcasts, newspaper stories, or getting updates from neighbors.
Notably, the basketball fanbase consisted predominantly of white males during this period as there was restricted access based on societal demographics.
The Rise of Media
Television broadcasting helped to transform basketball from a regional sport to a national obsession.
Games were covered across networks like CBS and NBC in the late 20th century, bringing the NBA into the living rooms of millions of people across America who had not watched the sport before.
Rivalries between teams and players captivated viewers, while prime-time broadcasts and highlight reels allowed fans to watch the game in real time. This helped to solidify basketball as a staple of American culture.
American Basketball Becomes a Global Phenomenon
The “Dream Team” that won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics catapulted basketball to new heights. This team included Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, and Larry Bird, and attracted millions of new fans to the sport, from as wide as Asian and European countries.
The rise of digital media further fed the fandom monster, as fans could now engage with basketball in new ways. Social media allowed fans to directly interact with their favorite players, while fantasy leagues added another layer of competition.
Online sports betting became popular for regional and collegiate teams. For example, sports betting has allowed fans of the Bulldogs to wager on the outcome of the team, while also staying up to date with team stats—even if the bettor did not live in the state. For example, sports betting in Georgia remains illegal, but that doesn’t stop Georgia-based sports fans from using legal offshore betting sites to place basketball bets.
The biggest fandom shift was the “player-centric” approach. Fans no longer support teams, instead, they become fans of a specific player and will support whichever team this player is drafted for.
Basketball Players Become Superstars
With the advent of TV broadcasting also came a new era of basketball where the players suddenly became famous.
The 1970s saw the fiercest rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, two players who became the faces of the NBA. Matches between their two teams, the Lakers and the Celtics, attracted the attention of fans across the country, with the rivalry broadcast at prime time.
The 1990s saw another player become a superstar: Michal Jordan. This era saw his team, the Chicago Bulls, dominate the NBA for six consecutive years. Jordan was no longer just a basketball player, he became an international icon, rivaling the stardom of Hollywood actors.
More recently, names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, have become household icons, transcending the space between basketball and fame.
The Future of Basketball Fandom
- Studio games: During the pandemic, games were played without fans in the stands, mimicking a studio filming experience. Most TV shows and movies are filmed in this way and allow cameras to create content specifically for home viewers. Although it is unlikely that live games are going to disappear anytime soon, games played in studio settings may increase.
- Simulated games: Virtual reality and artificial intelligence have made it possible to create simulated games. These are not set to replace real-time games but will allow fans to watch two unlikely teams match up, like watching the 1990s Dream Team play against today’s Cavaliers in a virtual setting.