Some Of The Biggest Names Out There Love Watching The Action Firsthand
Perhaps more than any other sport, the NBA caters to celebrities. No other sport can have fans so close to the action, which is why so many famous people like to sit courtside. Over the years, more and more celebrities have taken up frequenting NBA games even if they don’t necessarily root for the teams that are playing.
Academy Award-winning actor Jack Nicholson essentially wrote the book on being a celebrity NBA fan. Though Nicholson grew up in New Jersey, he has dedicated much of his life to being a die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan. He became a season ticket holder in 1970 and hasn’t looked back ever since. He’s been to as many Lakers games as anybody. At 86 years old, Nicholson hasn’t been able to make it to many Lakers games in recent years but made an appearance during Game 6 of the team’s first-round playoff matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.
LeBron James and Jack Nicholson embrace before Lakers-Grizzlies 🙏🏽pic.twitter.com/QW9EY2mwus
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 29, 2023
It was the first game he attended since 2021 and he got to see the team dominate en route to a series win over the Grizzlies.
If it weren’t for Nicholson, acclaimed director and writer Spike Lee would be the most famous celebrity NBA fan. His love for the New York Knicks is legendary. The Brooklyn, New York native has been seen at many Knicks games for decades now. Unlike Nicholson, he hasn’t seen his team win very much in a long time, although they made it to the playoffs this season.
The Knicks have won a playoff series for the first time since 2013 1st Round vs the Celtics.
Entering this postseason, the Knicks had won 1 playoff series since 2001, the fewest of any team during that span.
Spike Lee celebrates a series win for the first time since 2013. pic.twitter.com/1P7vTpNeoF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 27, 2023
Lee isn’t the only New York celebrity who has a stake in a team. Rapper Jay-Z is a big fan of New York’s other team the Brooklyn Nets.
JAY-Z tonight at the Barclays Center for the Brooklyn Nets v. Cleveland Cavaliers game
[LA hat in Brooklyn] pic.twitter.com/fHW00YuKRh— JAY-Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) April 13, 2022
Also, famous rapper and Los Angeles native Snoop Dogg and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea are also among the most famous Lakers fans frequently seen at games.
If we go north of the United States border, we’ll see rapper Drake going crazy at Toronto Raptors games. As the “global ambassador” for the team, he’s become the team’s most notable fan. He was seen courtside during the Raptors’ championship run in 2019. Though Drake loves his Raptors, he can be seen at Lakers games occasionally.
Drake and Adonis sitting courtside in Toronto pic.twitter.com/uOxx1EGV0N
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2022
Of course, nobody can forget former president Barack Obama and his fandom of the Chicago Bulls. He’s not able to make it to many games and sit courtside due to the nature of his career but that hasn’t stopped him from following the team closely over the years. Unfortunately, he hasn’t seen his hometown team win a championship since the Michael Jordan days.
No trip to Chicago is complete without a @ChicagoBulls game – and this time I brought along some of the young people who are part of our @MBK_Alliance and @GirlsAlliance. pic.twitter.com/LjZmleio5o
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 7, 2022
Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest golfer of all time but he had a tough draw when it came to choosing a favorite NBA team. He loves the Orlando Magic but has never seen the team win a championship. They also haven’t won a playoff series in over a decade.
There are celebrity fans all over the NBA. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart loves the Philadelphia 76ers, singer Beyonce stays true to her hometown Houston Rockets and the same goes for rapper Eminem and his Detroit Pistons. Celebrities will always play an important role for the NBA and there’s no sign of them losing interest in the league.
