Like Harden, the world disses the Sixers

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.