Study: Lakers have NBA's most loyal, engaged fans
Los Angeles Lakers supporters are the most loyal and engaged fanbase in the NBA, according to a recent study.
Michael Lewis, the faculty director of Emory University's marketing analytics center, used three metrics to determine NBA fan loyalty and engagement: Fan equity (home revenue), road equity (how teams draw on the road), and social equity (reach via Twitter).
The Lakers led the NBA in road equity and social equity, and ranked second in fan equity, landing them the top overall spot in the study. The Golden State Warriors were second overall, followed by the Chicago Bulls in third.
Here's the full list:
| Team | Overall Rank | Fan Equity | Road Equity | Social Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Warriors | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Bulls | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Celtics | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Cavaliers | 5 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| Heat | 6 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Knicks | 7 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| Rockets | 8 | 8 | 13 | 9 |
| Thunder | 9 | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| Spurs | 10 | 12 | 18 | 6 |
| Mavericks | 11 | 10 | 16 | 14 |
| Kings | 12 | 7 | 27 | 17 |
| Raptors | 13 | 14 | 19 | 11 |
| Bucks | 14 | 16 | 11 | 20 |
| Suns | 15 | 17 | 8 | 26 |
| Magic | 16 | 21 | 20 | 10 |
| Trail Blazers | 17 | 11 | 26 | 24 |
| Hawks | 18 | 23 | 12 | 16 |
| 76ers | 19 | 18 | 25 | 13 |
| Pacers | 20 | 22 | 21 | 12 |
| Jazz | 21 | 20 | 30 | 15 |
| Nuggets | 22 | 19 | 29 | 19 |
| Pelicans | 23 | 27 | 14 | 18 |
| Clippers | 24 | 15 | 28 | 29 |
| Timberwolves | 25 | 25 | 15 | 23 |
| Pistons | 26 | 24 | 17 | 27 |
| Nets | 27 | 30 | 10 | 30 |
| Hornets | 28 | 29 | 24 | 21 |
| Grizzlies | 29 | 28 | 22 | 25 |
| Wizards | 30 | 26 | 23 | 28 |
Lewis's last NBA fan ranking, conducted in 2016, saw the New York Knicks claim the top spot, followed by the Lakers and Bulls.
- With h/t to Yahoo Sports