You think the Sixers have a problem getting a green light for a new arena in the Old Gallery (now the Fashion District), and getting point guard James Harden to quit doing his Ben Simmons imitation? (In case you don’t follow basketball, the aging Harden has announced he won’t play for the Sixers despite having a contract worth $35.6 million.)
James Harden is not showing the Sixers much brotherly love
Here’s more bad news, or at least embarrassing.
The Philadelphia Sixers have one of the smallest overseas followings, according to research done by gambling.com.
This might not mean much, but it means something, because the NBA is marching from a national to a global enterprise. No one says so (out loud) but it has a wet dream of displacing soccer as the world’s No. 1 sport.
Gambling.com analyzed the social media following of every team in the NBA to find which has the highest percentage of international fans, and which countries they come from.
The research revealed that only 35.7% of Sixers’ fans live outside the U.S., the third smallest foreign fanbase in the league. Only the Atlanta Hawks (31.6%), and the Detroit Pistons (23.8%) trail the Sixers. Most of the Sixers foreign fans are in Australia.
Leading the league with foreign fans is Brooklyn Nets. More than half — 52.8% — of its fans live outside the U.S. In second place, the Golden State Warriors, 52.3%, followed in third place by the L.A. Lakers, 52%.
Brazil is the most common country of the international fanbases of the NBA, appearing seven times as a team’s largest international fanbase. Canada is close behind in second place appearing five times on the list, while Australia places third with four appearances.
Owners don’t “get it”! They’re from a different planet and play in a different “game”. Phillies and Eagles owners do. Bad Karma w “the process” and MM worship and bell ring BS. IMO of course.
The Sixers are an organization that is steeped in stupidity!
I think there’s something this study is missing. Other than the Warriors and Lakers, pair each teams international star players with the country they’re from. I suspect (unconfirmed) that the teams with at least one European star fair better internationally than those without. Joel Embiid is from Cameroon. Do we need a European star to get more international recognition? Question more than a comment really. I was here in Houston when the Rockets took Yao Ming; interest in the Rockets rose dramatically (I couldn’t say skyrocketed) in China. Just a casual observation.
Surprised not to see Serbia on that list, given Nkola Jokic’s superstar status and performance (and contract!). He’s the best I’ve ever seen.
The “Process” was an exercise in abject failure.
The Process was a PR gimmick to pacify the fans.
Will Coucilman Squilla have the stones to say no to the building trades unions? Will be interesting….
I think we all know it will be approved and Squilla will soon be a sixers ‘executive’
I do not know that at all. I do know Mark Squilla.