FanSided has released the 2017 edition of the Fandom 250. Where did the New York Knicks finish overall and amongst NBA franchises?
FanSided recently released its annual ranking of the 250 greatest fanbases in the world. The Fandom 250 ranges well beyond the world of professional sports, thus pitting franchises such as the New York Knicks against everything and everyone from Apple to Marvel to Rihanna.
After ranking No. 51 in the Fandom 250 in 2016, the Knicks suffered a slide down the rankings in 2017—one that fans should use as motivation to support their team with even more pride.
Being a Knicks fan is an indescribable experience that one must live through to truly understand. New York is The Mecca of Basketball, yet it hasn’t been able to field a championship team since 1973, let alone a postseason team since 2013—and we’re not even going to mention those cross-town new arrivals.
Unfortunately, Knicks fans may not have been adequately recognized for just how loyal they are when they were placed at No. 75 overall in the Fandom 250.
"New York is steeped in basketball history but they have won just a single playoff series in the past 18 seasons. Over that span, their fans have been treated to a cavalcade of front office chaos and a parade of potential saviors, each of whom has fallen flat.Through all that, Knicks fans have held true, sometimes wearing their angst and disappointment as a badge of honor. And despite the organization’s struggles, the team has remained very close to the center of the basketball universe."
Ranking in the top 75 is an undeniable achievement on a set of rankings like this, but New Yorkers would likely argue that they deserve to be No. 1.
New York ranked No. 6 among NBA franchises, trailing the No. 1 Golden State Warriors, No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers, No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers, No. 4 Boston Celtics, and No. 5 Cleveland Cavaliers. One could quite easily question the loyalty of fans to the Cavaliers, but that’s neither here nor there.
What’s clear is that Knicks fans need to silence the skeptics by continuing to support their favorite franchise through hell and high water.
While some fans have been fortunate enough to embrace their favorite franchise at a prosperous time, Knicks fans have remained loyal through 16 years of misery.
Kristaps Porzingis has arrived as the potential savior of the organization, but only loyalists truly know why a savior is needed. It’s easy to state that New York has only made the playoffs just four times over the past 16 seasons, but it’s another to live through it.
The proof of the unparalleled loyalty is that Madison Square Garden has remained filled to the brim and flush with screaming fans during the days of overpriced tickets and underwhelming play.
Must Read: Who are the 25 greatest players in franchise history?
A top 75 ranking is nothing to scoff at, but New York Knicks fans will be back in full force come the 2018 release of the Fandom 250.