Is this possible with NBA fans?

[NYC Rebel]

I reading the stories of Eagles fans, going to their parents or grandparents graves, adorning their headstones with Eagles gear.

Football and baseball are really the only two sports that hand down their fandom from generation to generation.

Is this even possible with basketball fans? I don't see that happening because its so player centric.

When some of these players retire, NBA fans move on to the next player. Nothing team about it for the most part with the new age fan.

 

[Mentch15]

My NBA team doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for a decade. I havent moved on. I'm still a huge fan of the game and the league itself but I want my team back

 

[Anerdyblackguy]

Let the Knicks win a championship and I guarantee our emotions will rival whatever baseball or football is doing right now.

 

[NYC Rebel]

Let the Knicks win a championship and I guarantee our emotions will rival whatever baseball or football is doing right now.

It's far and few between though.

Knicks fans go hard no matter how shytty the team is. And they've had fans handed down for generations. The NBA wave now is to celebrate players more than teams. I don't see how many can hand down team love or rivalries to their kids.

 

[NYC Rebel]

 

[Uitomy]

You forget a lot of nba teams are young as hell compared to football teams,

Like most of the teams in the leauge have come in and after the 70’s (magic, hornets, raptors, super Sonics-: thunder, timberwolves, suns, pelicans, nets, pacers, Cavs, Mavericks, nuggets, spurs, clippers, heat, kings)

Football been more main stream for a few decades earlier than the nba so the history is deeper thus more generations of fandom.

When the magic or nets win a chip in about 30 years they’ll start doing the same thing lol

 

[cartierhoe]

For teams with rich history like the C's, Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, etc yeah

 

[Moody]

Let the Knicks win a championship nd I guarantee our emotions will rival whatever baseball or football is doing right now.

This.

You will see this kind of devotion in specific markets, and the age of the franchise is also an important factor. Some cities go all out for their teams, and some cities like philadelphia aren't anywhere near as spoiled with championships as a city like LA since the 70s.

I promise you when the leafs and raptors finally get it together (even though the raptors aren't even 30 years old) you will see this kinda thrill. I can say the same for Philadelphia if the flyers and sixers win again. It has been over 30 years for the sixers, and over 40 years for the flyers. Only difference is the super bowl is a new era trophy so even the die-hard fans that enjoyed their previous championships still had something to hop for in the merger.

 

[NYC Rebel]

For teams with rich history like the C's, Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, etc yeah

Old east coast teams and the Lake show for the most part.

I just don't see the NBA making team love a selling point where fan allegiance is tied to teams. It's more so along the lines of the WWF or single player sports where it's built around the players and if you like or dislike them.

 

[Frump]

As a whole I don't see the same passion for nba teams as much as NFL and MLB teams probably because of how long the teams have been around and like you said it's more of a follow the player league then the others

 

[thenatural]

I guess not. Just about every team that has the longevity of the Eagles won a title in basketball.

Also, i don't like being that guy, but a lot of black folks don't let sports define their identity like white people. I'm sure it was a fair amount black folks in South Chicago reminiscing about their loved ones when the Cubs won, but that is a really special case. With the NBA having such a large black fanbase (and white people holding a grudge against black millionaires), I doubt you'll see something similar to that.

 

[NYC Rebel]

For teams with rich history like the C's, Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, etc yeah

But lets think about it.....are we REALLY handing our kids the Knicks/Heat rivalry in 2018?

Doesn't matter how shytty the teams are, Ravens/Steelers, KC/Raiders, Jets/Dolphins, Sox/Yanks will always go hard.

The NBA's shelf life relies too much on its players.

 

[Mr. Jack Napier]

You should ask the Bron stans

 

[cartierhoe]

Old east coast teams and the Lake show for the most part.

I just don't see the NBA making team love a selling point where fan allegiance is tied to teams. It's more so along the lines of the WWF or single player sports where it's built around the players and if you like of dislike them.

That's true, I get where you coming from. I guess cause in basketball all you really need is one or two guys to take your team from nothing to something, in other sports you can't really win with just one or a couple guys.

 

[NYC Rebel]

You should ask the Bron stans

None of these dudes are going to give two shyts about the Cavs after he retires the same way Kobe stans don't give any real fukk about the Lakers.