Passionate NBA Celebrity Fans You Often See at Courtside

Basketball fans are everywhere in the world, and this is not surprising. With such loyal fanbases, no wonder the NBA is brimming with celebrity fans. It is one of the few sports where fans are so dedicated that they even purchase stakes to have ownership of their favorite teams. 

These diehard and recognisable fans are as famous as the teams they support and have always been there sitting courtside and supporting the NBA players over the years. Each NBA team has a celebrity fan, and the following are some of the most known ones. 

Toronto Raptors: Drake

If we are talking about one of the most tight-knit fan-team relationships, then Drake is a perfect example. The rapper has been supporting the Raptors for years and was even hired as their “Global Ambassador” in 2013. Because of this, the NBA team was able to raise its profile and signed some huge stars. Last year, the Raptors renamed their practice facility in honor of Drake’s record label to the OVO Athletic Centre. 

Brooklyn Nets: JAY-Z

Another iconic rapper that helped change the future of his favorite NBA team is JAY-Z. Back in 2012, he helped the Nets move from New Jersey to Brooklyn. He was a huge fan and even had an ownership stake in the team, although it was just for 0.15%, he had to pay about a million dollars. Even though he later sold it, he still has his stake in the Barclays Center, which is an indoor arena that’s home to the Brooklyn Nets. It is valued at $2 million.

Chicago Bulls: Barack Obama

The celebrity fan of this NBA team is no less than the previous president of the United States! Obama is known for being an avid sports fan, but basketball might be the sport that is closest to his heart. During his presidency, he even made time to get courtside seats for a Bulls home game in 2015. There’s also a book that was written about the former president’s love of the sport and how it influenced his career.  

Atlanta Hawks: 2 Chainz

This NBA team is known to have the best partnerships with their celebrity fans of any franchise in the NBA, according to Forbes. Because Atlanta Hawks is at the heart of one of the hip-hop capital cities, it has rap icon fans like T.I., Future, and 2 Chainz. In fact, 2 Chainz announced last year that he had bought a minority stake in the College Park Skyhawks, which is Atlanta Hawks’ NBA G League affiliate. He also performed in several halftime shows at this NBA team’s games and has his own custom jersey-style T-shirt.

Houston Rockets: Travis Scott

Travis Scott actually worked as a ball boy for the franchise while in high school, so you can see why he is a fan. He is also known for being a Houston boy through and through. You can often see him sitting courtside at various Rockets games. James Harden, who is a famous player in the team, is someone he is close to, and he even featured him in his “Way Back” music video. Last year, Scott also designed a custom Rockets jersey, which was inspired by his “Astroworld” album.   

Boston Celtics: Matt Damon

One of the many celebrity fans of the Celtics is Matt Damon. If you confuse him with his lookalike, Mark Wahlberg, it’s alright because Wahlberg is a Celtic fan too. Damon, who is a Cambridge, Massachusetts native, has been a fan of the team and has seen them win six championships. Back in 2008, he even predicted that Boston Celtics would win another NBA title over the Lakers while accepting an award in LA, Damon was right despite the many boos he received from the crowd. 

Because of such fans, the NBA has come a long way. But, you also have to remember that regardless of whether you are famous or not, it doesn’t take much to support your favorite teams. You can try out sports betting with bespoke bookmakers and see for yourself how fun and profitable basketball betting is.

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