Just as NFL season is getting into full swing (and you better believe we’re covering it!), it’s already time for NBA season. If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need me to tell you that the official start of basketball season is October 17th.

Our post last month profiling the NFL fan was so popular, we’d be pretty silly not to follow up with a  profile of the NBA fan, especially since 1/4 of all respondents follow the NBA at least a little.

CivicScience graph showing that 25% of Americans are fans of the NBA.

So, get your sneakers on and meet us at the free throw line – here’s our list of 10 insights about the average NBA fan.

1. We’ll start with the great equalizer. 84% of NBA fans (meaning, those who watch the NBA at least a little) also say that they follow the NFL at least a little closely.

2. 66% of NBA fans are also NCAA Men’s Basketball fans, with 54% saying that they follow both leagues very closely.

3. 51% of NBA fans say that they follow trends and current events in music at least somewhat closely, compared to just 32% among non-NBA fans.

4. Of those who say that they follow the NBA at least a little closely, 54% say that they like or love Scarlett Johansson. Non-NBA fans were the most likely to say that they don’t care for this actress, at 13%.

5. Fans of the NBA are most likely to follow TV and movie trends at least somewhat closely (55%) with 14% saying they follow TV and movie trends very closely.

6. 61% of NBA fans are also fans of Adam Sandler, as opposed to just 48% of those who don’t follow the League.

7. 20% of NBA fans attend a sporting event at least monthly. In addition, 75% of NBA fans attend a sporting event a couple times a year or more, while only 45% of non-NBA fans attend a sporting event a couple times a year or more.

8. 56% of NBA fans have a favorable opinion of the Cheesecake Factory, while only 43% of non-fans have a favorable opinion of the restaurant.

9. 32% of NBA fans have a favorable opinion of The GAP, and 17% have an unfavorable opinion. The rest remain neutral.

10. NBA fans are much more likely to read The New York Times, at 23%. Only 14% of non-NBA fans read The New York Times.

Rapid Fire Round!

NBA fans are most likely to be:

  • Men
  • College educated ( or have taken a few college classes)
  • Non-parents (and least likely to be grandparents)
  • Generation X (35-54)
  • Making 50-75K per year, or under 25K per year
  • Suburban (and least likely to be rural)

To check out an infographic of how NBA fans differ from NFL fans, click here.