Celebrity fans of every NBA team
The NBA is riding high. With high-priced TV deals and an impressive number of superstars, basketball is more popular than ever, especially among famous fans. All 30 NBA teams have celebrities sitting courtside every night. Here is a look at each franchise’s arguably most famous fan.
Rapper Jay-Z – a former minority owner of the Nets – is one of Brooklyn’s biggest fans. He had to sell his stake in the team when he started Roc Nation Sports, a sports management company.
Houston Rockets: Beyonce
While Beyonce does join her husband at quite a few Nets games, the beloved singer is fiercely loyal to her hometown Rockets.
San Antonio Spurs: Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez isn’t afraid to show her loyalties in enemy territory. The Texas native wore her Tony Parker Spurs jersey (pictured here) at a recent Lakers game.
Chicago Bulls: Barack Obama
President Obama has never tried to hide his love for basketball and Chicago sports. Recently, Mr. Obama thanked the Cavaliers for beating the Warriors in the NBA Finals because it cemented the 1996 Bulls as the greatest team of all time.
Memphis Grizzlies: Justin Timberlake
Timberlake frequents many Lakers games, but the Memphis-born entertainer has been a minority owner of the Grizzlies since 2012. The Grizzlies even enlisted Timberlake in their successful effort to re-sign star Mike Conley in the off-season.
Miami Heat: Serena Williams
Serena Williams, who’s a minority owner of the Dolphins, is a big fan of Miami’s basketball team too. The all-time great tennis star celebrated the Heat’s 2014 NBA Championship with fellow tennis phenom Caroline Wozniacki (pictured here).
Toronto Raptors: Drake
Drake might be known for rooting for a lot of different teams, but he’s been most loyal to the Raptors. The entertainer — who can often be seen cheering courtside — was announced as the Raptors’ “global ambassador” in 2013.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Usher
Usher, a minority owner of the Cavaliers, was disappointed when LeBron James originally departed for the Heat. The singer reportedly helped in the recruiting effort to win back the MVP in 2014.
Los Angeles Lakers: Jack Nicholson
Attend any Lakers game at Staples Center and you’ll see countless A-list celebrities, but there is no bigger fan than Nicholson. The star has owned courtside seats with the Lakers since the 1970s.
New York Knicks: Spike Lee
In a crowd full of celebrities, no one can top Spike Lee’s love for the Knicks. Lee can always be seen (and heard) at Madison Square Garden, where he’s had many famous courtside arguments with rival teams’ players.
Dallas Mavericks: Jamie Foxx
Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx is a Texas native who recently celebrated his hometown Mavericks’ championship at their victory parade (pictured here).
Charlotte Hornets: Michael Jordan
While Jordan did win six titles with the Bulls and spent his basketball twilight years with the Wizards, His Airness is now the majority owner (and huge fan) of the Charlotte Hornets.
Golden State Warriors: Jessica Alba
Don’t call Alba a bandwagon fan. The “Fantastic Four” actress was a die-hard supporter of the Warriors long before the team had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Philadelphia 76ers: Will Smith
If the fact that he was “West Philadelphia born and raised” isn’t enough for you to believe that Will Smith is a 76ers fan, then the October 2016 announcement that the actor acquired a minority stake in the squad should settle it.
Boston Celtics: Mark Wahlberg & Matt Damon
Boston’s own Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon are two brave souls who cheer for their hometown Celtics from the courtside of their rivals, the LA Lakers.
Los Angeles Clippers: Billy Crystal
While the Clippers bandwagon has been filling up the past few years, Billy Crystal has remained loyal to Los Angeles’ second-favorite team when few other celebrities would.
New Orleans Pelicans: Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne, like Drake, is a fan of a laundry list of teams. But the New Orleans-born rapper’s NBA allegiance, reportedly, is with the Pelicans.
Atlanta Hawks: 2 Chainz
It’s true: The Georgia-born rapper is a fan of the feisty Atlanta Hawks. In fact, the team recently had a 2 Chainz night, where he performed three times throughout the evening.
Milwaukee Bucks: Aaron Rodgers
Since joining the Packers, Rodgers has thrown his support behind every Wisconsin team. He has regularly attended Bucks basketball games.
Orlando Magic: Tiger Woods
An Orlando resident, Woods is one of the most notable Magic fans. In fact, the golfer reportedly has owned season tickets for years.
Phoenix Suns: Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley is one of the best players in Suns franchise history. Barkley also lives in the Phoenix area and has proclaimed the Suns fans as the best in the league.
Washington Wizards: Wale
The rapper is such a die-hard Wizards fan that he was anointed “creative liaison” for the squad. The position included a live performance on opening night in 2014.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Bill Hader
On an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Hader — an Oklahoma native — said he’s not a “sports freak,” but became a fan while he was on the steroid Prednisone, joking that he bought season tickets while under the influence.
Detroit Pistons: Eminem
The rapper and “8 Mile” star is quite loyal to the city of Detroit. That includes the basketball team. Eminem was recently featured in a new Pistons ad that poked fun at the rapper’s song “Lose Yourself.”
Portland Trail Blazers: Elizabeth Banks
Banks married into being a Trail Blazers fan. Her husband, a film producer, is a die-hard follower who converted the “Hunger Games” actress into a big supporter.
Indiana Pacers: Mike Epps
Epps is one of the select few celebrities who happens to be a fan of the Pacers. In fact, he was once famously caught lying about attending a Pacers playoff game.
Utah Jazz: Macklemore
Seattle doesn’t have an NBA team (for now), so Macklemore has thrown his support behind the Jazz. The rapper was spotted wearing a Gordon Hayward jersey at a recent concert.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Craig Kilborn
Former “Daily Show” host Craig Kilborn supports his hometown Timberwolves. Kilborn even once practiced with the squad (pictured here).
Denver Nuggets: John Elway
Elway built his Hall of Fame football career leading the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowls. The Broncos executive now frequently attends Nuggets games.
Sacramento Kings: Kevin Johnson
Johnson might be one of the best players in Suns history, but he’s also the mayor of Sacramento, and he helped keep the Kings in northern California.