Who to Choose?

[Virginia Gamecock]

I'm a big fan of the NBA, but I feel like I've been without a team I passionately route for for quite some time. Some background: I grew up in South Carolina and pulled for the Charlotte Hornets from Day 1. I used to live a half hour south of Charlotte and went to many Hornets games (Mugsy was my favorite player). Over the years, I watched as George Shinn traded away our best players for peanuts and just take a dump on Hornets fans over and over. When the city refused to build a new arena for him, he packed up the Hornets and moved them to New Orleans. That left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth and I stopped watching the NBA for a while. Over the past several years, my interest in the NBA has returned. But who do I pull for? I don't want to pull for a team that is constantly winning championships (I hate bandwagon fans), and I would like a team that plays on the east coast so I can see them more on TV and in person. I basically have it down to three teams:

1.) Washington Wizards
Pros: I live near DC, John Wall and Bradley Beal are exciting players to watch.
Cons: They are the poster team for mediocrity. Never losing enough to get a high draft pick, never winning enough to actually contend. Plus, not a fan of the "Wizards." Maybe if they were the "Bullets..."

2.) New York Knicks
Pros: Even when I was a kid I always had a soft spot for the Knicks. Center was my favorite position and I loved watching Ewing. They're on TV a lot and they play in the famous MSG. Porzingis is a beast.
Cons: One of the reasons they are on TV a lot is because they come across as more of a dysfunctional reality show. Year after year, it's always something (Isiah, Starbury, bloated contracts, Larry Brown, Melo, Phil Jackson's poor GM skills, etc.)

3.) Charlotte Hornets
Pros: Team that plays in the Carolinas, where I am from. They are no longer the Bobcats. They reclaimed the name "Hornets" and took back the purple and teal. Kemba Walker is one of the hardest working players in the NBA.
Cons: Still have a sour taste in my mouth from the last time they moved. MJ is the owner (who should be prevented from ever having GM duties again or stepping foot in the war room during the draft). Like the Wizards, they are pretty mediocre every year.

So who should I choose? Are there other suggestions? I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Battlelyon]

I liked my teams since I was a kid

 

[trojanfan12]

I'm a big fan of the NBA, but I feel like I've been without a team I passionately route for for quite some time. Some background: I grew up in South Carolina and pulled for the Charlotte Hornets from Day 1. I used to live a half hour south of Charlotte and went to many Hornets games (Mugsy was my favorite player). Over the years, I watched as George Shinn traded away our best players for peanuts and just take a dump on Hornets fans over and over. When the city refused to build a new arena for him, he packed up the Hornets and moved them to New Orleans. That left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth and I stopped watching the NBA for a while. Over the past several years, my interest in the NBA has returned. But who do I pull for? I don't want to pull for a team that is constantly winning championships (I hate bandwagon fans), and I would like a team that plays on the east coast so I can see them more on TV and in person. I basically have it down to three teams:

1.) Washington Wizards
Pros: I live near DC, John Wall and Bradley Beal are exciting players to watch.
Cons: They are the poster team for mediocrity. Never losing enough to get a high draft pick, never winning enough to actually contend. Plus, not a fan of the "Wizards." Maybe if they were the "Bullets..."

2.) New York Knicks
Pros: Even when I was a kid I always had a soft spot for the Knicks. Center was my favorite position and I loved watching Ewing. They're on TV a lot and they play in the famous MSG. Porzingis is a beast.
Cons: One of the reasons they are on TV a lot is because they come across as more of a dysfunctional reality show. Year after year, it's always something (Isiah, Starbury, bloated contracts, Larry Brown, Melo, Phil Jackson's poor GM skills, etc.)

3.) Charlotte Hornets
Pros: Team that plays in the Carolinas, where I am from. They are no longer the Bobcats. They reclaimed the name "Hornets" and took back the purple and teal. Kemba Walker is one of the hardest working players in the NBA.
Cons: Still have a sour taste in my mouth from the last time they moved. MJ is the owner (who should be prevented from ever having GM duties again or stepping foot in the war room during the draft). Like the Wizards, they are pretty mediocre every year.

So who should I choose? Are there other suggestions? I appreciate the feedback.

Why does being a fan of a team that wins a lot of championships make one a bandwagon fan?

 

[Virginia Gamecock]

Why does being a fan of a team that wins a lot of championships make one a bandwagon fan?

It's a perception thing. I don't want to suddenly start pulling for a team that has been winning championships. It would seem like I was pulling for them because they win. As someone who has pulled for teams that haven't won squat in so long, so pulling for an NBA team that hasn't won anything in my living memory would make a championship win fill more fulfilling. For example, if I started pulling for the Cavs and they won the championship this year, it would not resonate with me as much since they won it last year.

 

[Virginia Gamecock]

I liked my teams since I was a kid

As have I. But when one of your teams you have pulled for since a child is ripped from your home state, relocated halfway across the country and changes their name, what do you do?

 

[trojanfan12]

It's a perception thing. I don't want to suddenly start pulling for a team that has been winning championships. It would seem like I was pulling for them because they win. As someone who has pulled for teams that haven't won squat in so long, so pulling for an NBA team that hasn't won anything in my living memory would make a championship win fill more fulfilling. For example, if I started pulling for the Cavs and they won the championship this year, it would not resonate with me as much since they won it last year.

To me it depends on what happens going forward. If you become a fan of a team while they're winning, but stick with them when the inevitable downtime hits, then you're not a bandwagon fan.

It's the fans who hop from team to team based on who's winning or has the most popular player that are bandwagon fans.

Having said the above...we are currently accepting applications for a few more Lakers fans.

 

[bksballer89]

I liked my teams since I was a kid

Same

 

[trojanfan12]

As have I. But when one of your teams you have pulled for since a child is ripped from your home state, relocated halfway across the country and changes their name, what do you do?

I know how you feel. I was a die hard Rams fan from 8 years old (I'm talking back when they had Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Roman Gabriel, etc.) until they went to St.Louis.

Fortunately, the Seahawks had become my 2nd favorite team because of hiring Chuck Knox (my all-time favorite Rams coach) and I loved Jim Zorn and Steve Largent, so the transition was easy.

Want me to PM you that Lakers fan application? Once it's filled out and accepted @ChiefsLakers67 will swear you in.

 

[Mecca]

I was forced into my fandom due to economic constraints.

But, to answer your question:

You don't need to justify your fandom to anyone.

Pick a team, celebrate the highs, suffer through the lows.

As long as you don't team hop to a frontrunner every year, like David West, nobody should have a problem.

* if I sound bitter about West, you are reading it right *

 

[Virginia Gamecock]

Same

Like I mentioned earlier, so have I. But what do you do when the team you have pulled for since a child leaves town and becomes a different team?

 

[Mecca]

Like I mentioned earlier, so have I. But what do you do when the team you have pulled for since a child leaves town and becomes a different team?

Hate hard on them and either become a nomad or pick another Team.

If the Clippers went to Seattle, I'd likely root for the Suns or the Heat.

 

[trojanfan12]

Hate hard on them and either become a nomad or pick another Team.

If the Clippers went to Seattle, I'd likely root for the Suns or the Heat.

 

[Virginia Gamecock]

Hate hard on them and either become a nomad or pick another Team.

If the Clippers went to Seattle, I'd likely root for the Suns or the Heat.

I was forced into my fandom due to economic constraints.

But, to answer your question:

You don't need to justify your fandom to anyone.

Pick a team, celebrate the highs, suffer through the lows.

As long as you don't team hop to a frontrunner every year, like David West, nobody should have a problem.

* if I sound bitter about West, you are reading it right *

Sound advice. Thanks. Funny, when the Hornets left, the closest teams around were all rivals of the Hornets, so I couldn't pull for them. The move left me so jaded, I just stopped watching the NBA for a time. I started to get interested when the Bobcats came, but that was a hot mess. MJ was a terrible GM just like he was in Washington and a horrible evaluator of draft talent (Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, DJ Augustin over Brook Lopez, etc.). When MJ became owner and the team became the Hornets again, my interest started to come back, but I had been slowly pulling for the Knicks in that time period. Hence why I'm torn.

With all of my teams, I have been there through the highest of highs (Panthers in SB 50, Gamecocks three straight 11-win seasons) and lowest of lows (1-15 Panthers, winless Gamecock seasons, the Strawberry era in LA). Seeing your team move away when you have stuck with them was pretty painful.

Feel you about West. Hate players that do that.

 

[Mecca]

Sound advice. Thanks. Funny, when the Hornets left, the closest teams around were all rivals of the Hornets, so I couldn't pull for them. The move left me so jaded, I just stopped watching the NBA for a time. I started to get interested when the Bobcats came, but that was a hot mess. MJ was a terrible GM just like he was in Washington and a horrible evaluator of draft talent (Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, DJ Augustin over Brook Lopez, etc.). When MJ became owner and the team became the Hornets again, my interest started to come back, but I had been slowly pulling for the Knicks in that time period. Hence why I'm torn.

With all of my teams, I have been there through the highest of highs (Panthers in SB 50, Gamecocks three straight 11-win seasons) and lowest of lows (1-15 Panthers, winless Gamecock seasons, the Strawberry era in LA). Seeing your team move away when you have stuck with them was pretty painful.

Feel you about West. Hate players that do that.

Yeah, it's tough to root for a former rival.

I'm from Los Angeles.

But, I have never been a Laker fan.

Oddly enough, Magic Johnson is probably my favorite player of All time.

Sometimes greatness supercedes haterism.

Or, maybe it was easier because Clippers and Lakers weren't really rivals.

A rivalry suggests both Teams have a chance of winning.

Historically, that hasn't been the case.

They were the hammer, we were the nail....lol

 

[Virginia Gamecock]

I know how you feel. I was a die hard Rams fan from 8 years old (I'm talking back when they had Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Roman Gabriel, etc.) until they went to St.Louis.

Fortunately, the Seahawks had become my 2nd favorite team because of hiring Chuck Knox (my all-time favorite Rams coach) and I loved Jim Zorn and Steve Largent, so the transition was easy.

Want me to PM you that Lakers fan application? Once it's filled out and accepted @ChiefsLakers67 will swear you in.

You can totally understand what it's like being a Rams fan! How do you feel about them being back? I guess that's a similar situation to what I am going through with the Hornets.

Hm, hold off on that Lakers application. Not sure if I'm ready to go down that road, though pulling for the Lakers post-Kobe might be interesting.

 

[Mecca]

You can totally understand what it's like being a Rams fan! How do you feel about them being back? I guess that's a similar situation to what I am going through with the Hornets.

Hm, hold off on that Lakers application. Not sure if I'm ready to go down that road, though pulling for the Lakers post-Kobe might be interesting.

Now's the best time to get on the Laker train.

Young, up tempo and frustrating as hell...lol

But, the future looks good.

 

[trojanfan12]

You can totally understand what it's like being a Rams fan! How do you feel about them being back? I guess that's a similar situation to what I am going through with the Hornets.

Several of my friends asked me if I'd go back to being a Rams fan. Told them it's too late.

 

[trojanfan12]

Now's the best time to get on the Laker train.

Young, up tempo and frustrating as hell...lol

But, the future looks good.

Your Lakers fan application is pretty well rubber stamped.

Jes sayin'

 

[Mecca]

Several of my friends asked me if I'd go back to being a Rams fan. Told them it's too late.

What do you think Randle needs to take the next step?

A. Time

B. A Mentor

Some games I watch him and I'm blown away.

Others, he is invisible.

 

[Mecca]

Your Lakers fan application is pretty well rubber stamped.

Jes sayin'

I watch virtually every game...lol