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Fansided

Boston Celtics Fans Overlooked in FanSided Fandom 250

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 16: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics high fives fans after the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 16, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 16: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics high fives fans after the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 16, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics Fans deserve more credit in the FanSided fandom 250

FanSided has recently released their latest rendition of the Fandom 250, where the top 250 fans of anything people can be a fan of are ranked. To no one’s surprise, the Boston Celtics made the list. In fact, they managed to crack the top 100, finishing 63rd. While a lot of fan bases would be pleased with a ranking like that, there is little doubt that Celtics fans were overlooked.

Obviously it is difficult to cross compare different kinds of fandoms, but Celtics fans have as good of a case at number one as anyone else, and 63rd feels far too low for what should easily be considered the best fan base in the NBA.

First of all, you have the history. The Celtics are the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA, with the most iconic home court advantage in all of sports. The Bill Russell era set the tone, because nobody was able to walk into TD Garden and get a victory when it mattered most.

It has carried over for the rest of history, and to this day TD Garden is an experience like no other in the NBA. Even while the team was rebuilding, with early exits in the playoffs, the beloved overachievers left the court to thunderous cheers.

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TD Garden has been more battle tested than any other home court advantage, and Celtics fans have maintained the greatest reputation you can possibly ask from their fans. Celtics fans bring the kind of passion on any given regular season game that some teams cannot get in the playoffs, and they have rallied around everything this team has tried to stand for, even as they struggle.

When you look further ahead on that list, you see that the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden state Warriors and LeBron James all rank ahead of the Celtics. It is hard to argue with other kinds of fans, but when it comes to the NBA, having some of these ahead of the Celtics makes no sense.

Starting with the Warriors. Okay, they could be on the brink of a once in a generation type dynasty. They sparked an arms race in NBA front offices that created one of the most amazing off seasons ever, and they have a collection of talent that is great to get behind. They have started a revolution in the game, and it is easy to see the kind of impact the splash brothers have on the younger generation.

To have them ahead of the Celtics is a joke. They are hot right now because they get all the fair weather fans that are jumping on the bandwagon to celebrate their success, and they have a solid history behind them. They have a good home court, but it pales in comparison to what TD Gardens stands for.

The Warriors are a generation away from becoming the kind of fan base that the Celtics are, and this feels like the worst kind of recency bias by putting the least likeable team in the NBA ahead of the Celtics.

The 76ers, have some sort of case. They have fans who have stuck through a long a brutal rebuild, and they have a long history to go back on. Right now, however, they are still too far behind the Celtics. Maybe in a few years, when the 76ers are real contenders, the fan base will grow to the level that the Celtics are at.

You cannot compete with the history of the Celtics, and they have shown as much loyalty as anyone, even if the rebuild was not as difficult. The 76ers fan base deserves plenty of respect, but still have more to prove than the Celtics.

The Lakers may be the only team with a legitimate case against the Celtics. These are the two most established fan bases in the NBA, and they are more battle tested than any other. They check off all the boxes, and you will not find better home court advantages over their history.

That being said, right now, the Lakers do not have the stability of the Celtics fan base. You have all the madness of Lonzo Ball, but if it was not for that, there would be much less interest round this team. The Lakers have the history to stand up with any fan base, but right now it is hard to think this Lakers team has a better following that the Celtics.

Then we get to James, which is a bit more complicated. He is the biggest sports star in the NBA and maybe even the entire world right now. On an international level, it would be hard to argue against James. That being said, it is still a very different kind of fan. It is a different kind of appreciation to follow James, because he has been an otherworldly talent his whole career.

Next: Shane Larkin Embodies the Celtics Bench

With James, there is no down time, being a fan of him has almost guaranteed a trip to the finals every year. With teams, however, there is the test of loyalty, and sticking through the tough times. James had tough times with the media, but has never slowed down the success on the court, making it hard to know how real all of his fans really are.

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