Biggest Celebrity Fan for Every NBA Team
NBA celebrity fans are next level. The star power on the sidelines dates back to the 1970s (thank you, Jack) and is unrivaled in professional sports.
With the league’s growth over the years, there is plenty of love to go around when it comes to finding an NBA team to get behind. Every NBA team has its own top celebrity fan, from Oscar winners to Grammy winners to some of the biggest names in music, film and television today.
Here is the biggest celebrity fan for each NBA team.
30. New Orleans Pelicans: Lil’ Wayne
Day job: Grammy-winning rapper
Fan since: 2002, when the Charlotte Hornets moved their franchise to New Orleans
In his own words: “And when it comes down to this recordin’/I must be LeBron James if he’s Jordan/No, I won rings with my performance/I’m more Kobe Bryant of an artist /Same coach, same game, been startin’/Same triangle offense” —Lil’ Wayne, Show Me What You Got (Remix), 2005
Bottom Line: Lil’ Wayne
The Pelicans are definitely due for their own celebrity fan, but none have stepped forward so far. Until that happens, Lil’ Wayne gets the nod.
The New Orleans native has a lot of different allegiances when it comes to sports (most notably the Lakers and Heat in the NBA) but who says you just have to like one team?
Most people do, but in this case, we had to give Weezy some leeway.
29. Charlotte Hornets: Ben Folds
Day job: Platinum-selling singer/songwriter
Fan since: 1988, when the Hornets came to Charlotte, and Folds, recently graduated from UNC-Greensboro, was just starting his career playing bars and fraternity parties across North Carolina
In his own words: “My band Ben Folds Five are from NC and would like to volunteer to be a pit band @bobcats game this season.” —Ben Folds, Twitter, November 2012
Bottom Line: Ben Folds
Ben Folds, you say? Of the Ben Folds Five? Why yes.
The indie rock impresario is a North Carolina native and was a Hornets fan dating back to before the team folded, came back as the Bobcats, then changed back to the Hornets.
Folds once famously volunteered his entire band, all North Carolina natives, to be the pit band for Bobcats games in the early 2010s.