Americans love basketball. How much? Let’s put it this way: It has a fanbase that exceeds the population of Spain. And on the business side of things, it’s growing. Today, the average NBA franchise is worth $1.9 billion (an increase of 13% from 2018) and draws additional revenues from TV partnerships, merchandise sales and, as of 2017, advertising on NBA team uniforms.
So it’s safe to say — considering the tens of millions of people who regularly watch basketball and the billions of dollars we shell out in its name — that we’re a little more than crazed about the sport.
But what defines a good basketball city? Top-performing teams, revenues and traditions are all part of the equation, of course, but there’s simply no game without the fans. The city itself should encourage attendance and engagement, too. That means, for instance, making stadiums accessible or keeping ticket-costs affordable — at least for a time.
With basketball fans in mind, WalletHub crunched the numbers to find the best spots in America to love on your favorite sport. We compared more than 290 of the largest cities based on 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility. Read on to find the full list of winners, a ranking by city size, commentary from a panel of experts and an explanation of how we ranked the cities.
