With all due respect to NBA, NHL, MLS, and other leagues and associations, none of them are comparable to the best gridiron competition in the world. Notable Names: Kobe Bryant, Paul Arizin, DeJuan Blair, Sam Bowie, Wilt Chamberlain, Tyreke Evans, Richard Hamilton, Pete Maravich, Donyell Marshall, Cuttino Mobley, Jameer Nelson, Earl Monroe, Maurice Stokes, Rasheed Wallace. A Twitter map made by sports analytic site ZCodeSystem.com reveals the most-hated NBA team by state, and the Warriors won (lost?) Boozer and Chalmers might draw the ire of some, but there's no doubting either player's place in the league. Fanatics conducted a study by setting out to find the most loyal fans in the NBA, but based on the metrics they used to measure their devotion (attendance, social media following, and jersey sales) it’s pretty safe to say that it’s a good indicator of the most popular teams in the league in 2018. Some would like to argue that Ohio deserves to be higher up on this list due to LeBron alone, but I’m not one of them. Notable Names: Kevin McHale, Kris Humphries, Devean George. 2. State Lines Rule the Midwest … Notable Names: Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Michael Beasley, Muggsy Bogues, Sam Cassell, Steve Francis, Jeff Green, Ty Lawson, Dennis Scott. There have been some phenomenal contributors to the hardwood from the state, and that’s not something that just recently started. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the USA after Football & Baseball. Utah has gotten a lot of praise for its BYU ballers, but the state needs some more home-grown talent. Notable Names: Alex English, Kevin Garnett, Raymond Felton, Xavier McDaniel, Jermaine O’Neal, Clifford Ray, Ramon Sessions. Logistically, it could be a struggle to have a full-time NBA team there with only one NBA city within a two-hour flight. Someone has to put in an effort to put Colorado on the map. But could there be another state that outdoes them both? Notable Names: Calvin Murphy, Sly Williams, Ryan Gomes, Marcus Camby. Believe it or not, Nebraska just isn’t about producing talent on the gridiron. The city’s 7,382-foot elevation will also wreak havoc on visiting teams. They’re going to need a serious influx of talent in an effort to elevate in the rankings. Louisiana is left out of the conversation with far too much regularity when discussing where the best NBA talent comes from. Bringing up the rear is … Philadelphia 76ers (18-7, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (13-10, fifth in the Western Conference) The most popular Major League Baseball team in every county For teams like the Dallas Cowboys (“America’s Team”), Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks, their popularity is not confined by state borders. Elliott was a critical piece of a San Antonio Spurs team that had immense success. Illinois comes close to cracking the top of these rankings, and the state has really had an influx of talent land in the NBA. Notable Names: Jerry West, Deron Williams, OJ Mayo, Rod Thorn, Jason Williams. A backcourt of Wade and Rose would really be a dream come true for fans of Illinois basketball, but it’s one that will have to wait—at least for now. When Billups was playing for the Nuggets, it must’ve been nice to be able to play in one’s home state. Golden State scored 90 points on the study’s scale, which was 24 points higher than the next closest franchise (Houston Rockets, 66). However, it’s very possible that the most notable name to emerge from this crop is Rajon Rondo when it’s all said and done. DeBusschere was a stout defender before the term was readily applied, and George Gervin continues to be under appreciated to this day. McDaniel was a tough guy in the NBA, but it’s probably fair to say that Garnett is the most intense of any of these guys mentioned here. When this group also includes Big Shot Rob, there’s no doubting the talent that has come from Alabama. The NBA G-League 2020-21 season will take place in a bubble environment in February at Disney World like the NBA used last season. Notable Names: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, Mookie Blaylock, Grant Hill, Stephen Jackson, Larry Johnson, Wesley Johnson, DeAndre Jordan, Wes Matthews, Desmond Mason, Emeka Okafor, Michael Ray Richardson, Bill Sharman. Most wouldn’t imagine Ceballos being from Hawaii, but he was born on the island of Maui. Rounding out the top five are the Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), Chicago Bulls ($2.9 billion) and Boston Celtics ($2.8 billion). This was the team of Yao Ming, a franchise that worked hard to cultivate a following in China before most teams thought of that as a … Not everyone was a fan, but there was no denying Davis’ inclination for finding the bottom of the bucket. Who is the most popular team in the NHL? 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