REVEALED: The most influential NBA teams
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The Los Angeles Lakers top the list with an astonishing 192.5 million followers between the team and its players
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The Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers are second and third, respectively
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The least influential team is the Portland Trail Blazers, with 5.8 million combined followers
New research has discovered the most influential NBA teams, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking the top spot.
Experts at Casinos Sweeps analyzed the number of Instagram followers each team and its players have, to determine which team is the most influential. The research also revealed which teams have the highest average likes, comments, and engagement rate.
|
Rank |
Team |
Team and players’ combined followers |
|
1 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
192,497,182 |
|
2 |
Golden State Warriors |
126,530,905 |
|
3 |
LA Clippers |
53,479,336 |
|
4 |
Chicago Bulls |
40,791,247 |
|
5 |
Dallas Mavericks |
37,154,677 |
|
6 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
35,927,327 |
|
7 |
Phoenix Suns |
27,412,303 |
|
8 |
Miami Heat |
26,952,108 |
|
9 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
26,920,386 |
|
10 |
Boston Celtics |
23,741,276 |
At the top of the list is the Los Angeles Lakers, with an impressive 192,497,182 Instagram followers between the team and its players. The team’s official page alone has 23.9 million followers, with an average of 215,000 likes and 1,000 comments per post. Their most notorious player, LeBron James, has more followers than any other player in the NBA, with 159.5 million.
In second place is the Golden State Warriors. The team and its players have a combined following of 126,530,905, with 55.9 million of those attributable to their most followed player, Stephen Curry. The team’s official page has over 32 million followers, higher than any other team, and an average of 155,000 likes and 1,000 comments per post.
Third is the LA Clippers, who have a following of 53,479,336 between the team and its players. The team’s page alone has 5.2 million followers, with an average of 26,000 likes and 182 comments on their posts. Russell Westbrook is their most popular player, with over 23 million followers.
The Chicago Bulls are next on the list. Despite being sidelined since 2022 due to a knee injury, Lonzo Ball has the most followers on the team, with over 18 million. The team’s page has over 10 million followers and receives an average of 29,000 likes and 166 comments per post. Overall, the number of followers between the team and its players is 40,791,247.
Fifth is the Dallas Mavericks, with 37,154,667 followers between the team and its players; 3.9 million of these are accounted for by the team’s official page, which has an average of 29,000 likes and 252 comments per post. Their most influential player is Kyrie Irving, who has 19.8 million Instagram followers, making him the fourth most followed player in the NBA.
In sixth place is the Milwaukee Bucks, whose most popular player is Giannis Antetokounmpo. His personal Instagram page has just under 16.2 million followers, which contribute to the team’s combined following of 35,927,327. The team’s page has 5.5 million followers and an engagement rate of 0.7%, the highest in the top 10 teams. They also rake in an average of 43,000 likes and 365 comments on each of their posts.
The Phoenix Suns are seventh in the ranking, with 27,412,303 combined followers between the team and its players. The team’s account alone has 3.5 million followers, receiving 20,000 likes and 238 comments per post on average. With 13.4 million followers, seven-foot-tall Kevin Durant is their most popular player.
Next on the list is the Miami Heat; between the team and its players, they have 26,952,108 followers on Instagram. With an average of 53,000 likes and 654 comments per post, the team’s official account has over 6.7 million followers. Their most influential player is Jimmy Butler, with 9.9 million fans following his personal Instagram.
In ninth place is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their combined following is 26,920,386, with 16.6 million of those attributable to the team’s official page, which has an average of 8,000 likes and 108 comments per post.
Number ten is the Boston Celtics, with a total of 23,741,276 followers between the team and its players. Their most popular player is Jayson Tatum, who has 6.7 million followers on Instagram. The team’s page has 7.8 million followers, and, on average, they receive 51,000 likes and 185 comments on each of their posts.
The least influential out of all 30 teams in the NBA is the Portland Trail Blazers, with just 5,846,280 followers between the team and its players.
A spokesperson from Casinos Sweeps has commented: “All teams have had a significant impact on the NBA’s overall popularity, both in the US and internationally. However, it is fascinating to see which ones have ranked the highest.”
“However, the popularity of each team can change dramatically with new stars, management strategies, and on-court success, so it will be interesting to see how the rankings change in future seasons.”
This information was provided by Casinos Sweeps, casino sweepstake comparison site and experts in the gambling industry.
ENDS
Methodology
|
rank |
team name |
Combined team and player followers |
Team only followers |
average likes (team only) |
average comments (team only) |
engagement rate (team only) |
|
1 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
192,497,182 |
23,865,266 |
215,000 |
1,000 |
0.40% |
|
2 |
Golden State Warriors |
126,530,905 |
32,296,206 |
155,000 |
1,000 |
0.30% |
|
3 |
LA Clippers |
53,479,336 |
5,231,242 |
26,000 |
182 |
0.00% |
|
4 |
Chicago Bulls |
40,791,247 |
10,165,961 |
29,000 |
166 |
0.20% |
|
5 |
Dallas Mavericks |
37,154,677 |
3,885,557 |
29,000 |
252 |
0.50% |
|
6 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
35,927,327 |
5,528,028 |
43,000 |
356 |
0.70% |
|
7 |
Phoenix Suns |
27,412,303 |
3,560,306 |
20,000 |
238 |
0.60% |
|
8 |
Miami Heat |
26,952,108 |
6,755,691 |
53,000 |
694 |
0.30% |
|
9 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
26,920,386 |
16,616,499 |
8,000 |
108 |
0.10% |
|
10 |
Boston Celtics |
23,741,276 |
7,835,649 |
51,000 |
185 |
0.60% |
|
11 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
18,287,313 |
4,316,655 |
32,000 |
155 |
0.70% |
|
12 |
Charlotte Hornets |
17,366,118 |
2,379,302 |
31,000 |
281 |
0.50% |
|
13 |
Memphis Grizzlies |
16,948,858 |
1,993,702 |
12,000 |
93 |
0.60% |
|
14 |
Brooklyn Nets |
15,937,485 |
4,928,085 |
9,000 |
161 |
0.10% |
|
15 |
Orlando Magic |
14,737,075 |
1,866,549 |
60,000 |
377 |
1.20% |
|
16 |
Houston Rockets |
13,814,772 |
6,310,387 |
13,000 |
196 |
0.10% |
|
17 |
New Orleans Pelicans |
13,475,673 |
2,801,485 |
6,000 |
47 |
0.20% |
|
18 |
Toronto Raptors |
12,258,552 |
4,130,275 |
17,000 |
142 |
0.40% |
|
19 |
San Antonio Spurs |
12,045,128 |
5,165,610 |
6,000 |
82 |
0.10% |
|
20 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
11,742,722 |
3,063,033 |
22,000 |
267 |
0.40% |
|
21 |
Washington Wizards |
11,631,626 |
1,542,743 |
7,000 |
90 |
0.30% |
|
22 |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
11,346,375 |
5,905,539 |
10,000 |
129 |
0.20% |
|
23 |
Atlanta Hawks |
11,202,257 |
2,605,704 |
7,000 |
143 |
0.20% |
|
24 |
Denver Nuggets |
9,975,199 |
2,620,253 |
18,000 |
109 |
0.30% |
|
25 |
Sakramento Kings |
8,810,774 |
2,229,483 |
13,000 |
60 |
0.30% |
|
26 |
New York Knicks |
7,900,796 |
3,978,093 |
24,000 |
207 |
0.40% |
|
27 |
Detroit Pistons |
7,092,834 |
1,578,635 |
5,000 |
94 |
0.20% |
|
29 |
Utah Jazz |
7,082,608 |
1,380,350 |
7,000 |
51 |
0.10% |
|
29 |
Indiana Pacers |
6,111,536 |
3,094,518 |
18,000 |
84 |
0.10% |
|
30 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
5,846,280 |
2,935,425 |
5,000 |
94 |
0.10% |
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
