A new report from Betway reveals the most popular NBA teams.
The Chicago Bulls are the most loved NBA team in the league.
The LA Lakers are the most followed team having over 52 million followers across all social media platforms.

Major league sports leagues are followed by millions of dedicated fans across America, whether it’s NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS. But which teams are the most loved around the US, and which has the most significant reach on social media?
A new report from Betway reveals the most popular NBA team across the US. Through social listening, all major league teams were analyzed to highlight the ones with the most positive online sentiment throughout the last 12 months.
Additionally, through analyzing social media data, Betway has created a social media power ranking, giving the teams with a voice something to shout about.
The Chicago Bulls Dominate Around the US.
The team, which has homed legends such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, takes the crown as the most loved NBA team online. The Bulls scored a massive 20.80% likeability score throughout the last 12 months.
The 2022 NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, come in a close second. Having players on their roster like Steph Curry, it’s no surprise the team has been ranking high in likeability throughout the last 12 months.
Despite coming in last place in the Eastern Conference, having only 22 wins, the Orlando Magic came in 3rd on the list with a 16.3% likeability score. The Knicks (16.1%) and Bucks (15.6%) make up the top five.
The table below ranks the NBA teams based on popularity:
Rank | Team | % sentiment | Total Following |
1 | Chicago Bulls | 20.80% | 30,435,628 |
2 | Golden State Warriors | 19.10% | 48,149,619 |
3 | Orlando Magic | 16.30% | 6,161,629 |
4 | New York Knicks | 16.10% | 11,755,482 |
5 | Milwaukee Bucks | 15.60% | 10,288,717 |
6 | Denver Nuggets | 15.50% | 5,618,580 |
7 | LA Lakers | 14.90% | 52,321,433 |
8 | Sacramento Kings | 14.80% | 10,624,663 |
9 | Phoenix Suns | 14.60% | 6,479,573 |
10 | Utah Jazz | 13.80% | 8,164,010 |
11 | San Antonio Spurs | 13.30% | 14,554,210 |
12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 13.10% | 5,430,199 |
13 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 12.30% | 14,379,492 |
14 | Dallas Mavericks | 11.80% | 10,535,695 |
15 | Boston Celtics | 11.20% | 19,952,367 |
16 | New Orleans Pelicans | 10.40% | 6,016,902 |
17 | Miami Heat | 10.10% | 25,825,318 |
18 | Houston Rockets | 9.89% | 25,544,036 |
19 | LA Clippers | 9.40% | 10,709,842 |
20 | Detroit Pistons | 9.25% | 4,443,090 |
21 | Brooklyn Nets | 9.19% | 9,902,212 |
22 | Toronto Raptors | 8.63% | 8,798,856 |
23 | Atlanta Hawks | 8.30% | 5,635,700 |
24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 8.01% | 23,853,389 |
25 | Portland Trail Blazers | 7.06% | 7,117,111 |
26 | Philadelphia 76ers | 6.81% | 7,925,637 |
27 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 5.26% | 5,790,088 |
28 | Indiana Pacers | 5.09% | 6,768,683 |
29 | Washington Wizards | 3.95% | 8,209,114 |
30 | Charlotte Hornets | 3.41% | 5,802,049 |
The NBA’s Social Media Power Ranking
With 17 championships under their belt, the LA Lakers sit comfortably at the top of the list as the most followed NBA team with 52 million followers! In fact, the Lakers have the highest Facebook following (over 21.5 million) and take the crown as the most followed team on Twitter.
The Warriors are known for their massive following on the ‘gram and have almost 4 million more followers than their rivals in the NBA. The Warriors have also utilized TikTok the most, taking the crown as the most followed TikTokers in the NBA. Overall, they’re ranking second in Betway’s social media power ranking list with a total of 48,149,618 online followers.
Trailing behind in 3rd and 4th place are the Bulls and the Heats, who both have a following of over 25 million.
Methodology
To determine the teams with the most positive online sentiment, we used the Linkfluence social listening tool that crawls data on mentions across the internet from the past 12 months.
From then, we ranked the teams based on who’s most positively talked about online.
Data accurate as of 06/21/2022
Featured Image: Getty Images