The ongoing NBA playoffs started on April 15th, with many basketball enthusiasts eagerly following the games. A recent report by the personal finance website WalletHub has identified cities that are both ideal and not-so-great for basketball lovers.
To determine the top cities for basketball enthusiasts, they conducted a comparison of over 290 of the largest cities, utilizing 21 key metrics. These metrics included the performance of both NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams, as well as factors such as ticket prices and stadium accessibility.
Miami ranks number 6.
Miami has an overall rank of 6 with a total score of 46.17. Interestingly, the NBA team in Miami has the most engaged fans on social media, with a score of 43.96, which is significantly higher than the city with the lowest score, New York, at 1.47. Meanwhile, Orlando fell a bit lower in the ranking and was placed at number 21 with a total score of 34.02.
Other Florida cities ranked.
Several cities in Florida have been ranked, including Boca Raton (at number 230), Daytona Beach (at number 294), DeLand (at number 190), Fort Myers (at number 238), Gainesville (at number 165), Jacksonville (at number 168), Tallahassee (at number 108), and Tampa (at number 265).
Highlights from the study.
The average ticket price for NBA games in Charlotte, North Carolina is only $32.82, the lowest in the league. In contrast, San Francisco has the highest ticket price at $139.49, which is 4.3 times more costly.
Among NBA teams, the Milwaukee Bucks have the highest performance level at 67.60%, which is 2.4 times higher than that of the Detroit Pistons – the team with the lowest performance level at 28.71%.
According to the study, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have the most impressive performance level out of all the college basketball teams with a percentage of 92.77, which is 10.9 times greater than the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils with the lowest percentage of 8.49.
View the full report and see how other cities ranked here.
6 Reasons Florida Sports Teams Are Killing It Right Now
Florida Panthers
With a win tonight at home, the Panthers will reach the conference finals. After losing their first game to the Boston Bruins in round one, the Panthers have gone 7-2, including winning the last six games in a row. They are an aggressive team who plays relentlessly every night until the final buzzer. Let’s not forget they were a #8 seed that knocked off a #1 Bruins team that had just broken the record for the most wins in a regular season ever.
Miami Heat
After beating the New York Knicks Monday night, the Heat are also one win away from advancing to the conference finals. Every game of the postseason, we are again learning why Jimmy Butler is called both Jimmy “Buckets” Butler, and “Jimmy Playoffs.” He is willing his way through, and the rest of the team is also playing with the heart required to make a championship run. Coach Erik Spoelstra is one of the best in the business.
Tampa Bay Rays
Let’s get right to the point, they are 29-8. Not only are they standing alone in first place atop the American League East (where each team has a winning record), but they also have the best record in all of Major League Baseball right now. The Atlanta Braves are second with 24 wins. The Rays started the season by winning the first 13 games in a row. They have only lost two out of 11 series so far. With their young nucleus, a lineup that plays team baseball, and top notch manager in Kevin Cash, this should only continue.
Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Everyone understandably has their fingers crossed on Dolphins Quaterback, Tua Tagovailoa. However, the Dolphins also have the fastest receivers (and offense) in the NFL. This offseason they also traded for Jalen Ramsey, one of the best defenders in the game. Coach Mike McDaniel is a player’s coach with a very unique approach to the game.
The Jags have one of the best quarterbacks in Trevor Lawrence. They were an exciting team towards the end of this past season that peaked at the right time. Now with extra young talent around Lawrence, they will be going into the 2023 season as a team to watch out for.
The Bucs are an unknown with Tom Brady’s retirement. This will be a future-defining year, after being a solid playoff team three years in a row, and throwing a Lombardi Trophy parade after their Super Bowl LV victory.
College Football
Ten players from the Florida “Big 3” were drafted last month by NFL teams. Anthony Richardson, out of the University of Florida, was the biggest name, being selected fourth by the Indianapolis Colts. Florida State has been penciled in at #7 in the early NCAA 2023 rankings. The Miami Hurricanes have one of the top-rated quarterbacks with Tyler Van Dyke.
Honorable Mention
They beloved Tampa Bay Lightning had a good season, before losing in the first round of the playoffs. They are consistently a winning team with an all-world goalie.Nuzzled between Fort Myers and Naples you will find the Everblades continuing their success. This minor league hockey team (affiliated with the Panthers) won the Kelly Cup last season, and are currently in the second round of the playoffs themselves.
The Miami Marlins have some work to do. Centerfielder Jazz Chisolm Jr. is an electric player who makes the game fun to watch. The team’s manager, Skip Schumaker, is a young coach who is considered to be a mastermind of the game.
