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 $1.65 billion 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.
Clearly the table below reflects the Arizona fans have to be courted with a little more intensity to jump near the top even with the Phoenix Suns who are ranked near the bottom of NBA cities although Tucson made a respectable rank of 44th for NCAA communities.
| Rank | City | Score | NBA | NCAA |
| 32 | Phoenix, AZ | 26.18 | 27 | 104 |
| 64 | Tucson, AZ | 14.61 | 28 | 44 |
| 186 | Tempe, AZ | 9.52 | 28 | 178 |
| 249 | Flagstaff, AZ | 7.64 | 28 | 247 |
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. Wallethub 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.
| Best for Basketball Fans | Worst for Basketball Fans | |||
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | 282 | Fairfax, VA | |
| 2 | Boston, MA | 283 | Jonesboro, AR | |
| 3 | Oakland, CA | 284 | Lynchburg, VA | |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | 285 | Colorado Springs, CO | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | 286 | Hackensack, NJ | |
| 6 | Miami, FL | 287 | Riverside, CA | |
| 7 | Oklahoma City, OK | 288 | Pocatello, ID | |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | 289 | Clinton, SC | |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | 290 | Daytona Beach, FL | |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | 291 | New Britain, CT | |
Best vs. Worst
- New Orleans has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, $30.20, which is 3.2 times less expensive than in New York, the city with the highest at $97.77.
- The Golden State Warriors have the highest performance level among NBA teams, 84.15 percent, which is 3.7 times better than that of the Philadelphia 76ers, the team with the lowest at 22.76 percent.
- The Villanova Wildcats have the highest performance level among college basketball teams, 89.35 percent, which is 5.3 times better than that of the Central Connecticut Blue Devils, the team with the lowest at 16.87 percent.
- Miami, Fla. has the highest fan engagement for NBA teams, 47.08, which is 34.1 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at 1.38.