Getty Images Philadelphia 76ers fan holding up a sign
The Jimmy Butler effect is undoubtedly in play for the Philadelphia 76ers, but let’s not act like he’s the only reason fans are interested this season. The Sixers have gotten more and more active interest over the last two years as “The Process” started coming together. Fan favorite Joel Embiid already had everybody’s attention since the day he was drafted, and Ben Simmons was putting on a show during his rookie season.
Apparently, the addition of Butler was just a significant addition. So far in 2018, the Sixers fans have not been absent. In fact, the Sixers currently lead all of the NBA in attendance-per-game. According to Basketball-Reference, the 76ers average 20,331 fans-per-game. That’s a nice little lead over the Chicago Bulls, who rank second with 20,284.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Top 5 teams in attendance per game:
1. Sixers – 20,331
2. Bulls – 20,284
3. Raptors – 19,813
4. Mavs – 19,720
5. Heat – 19,610
Bottom 5:
26. Suns – 15,536
27. Grizzlies – 15,384
28. Hawks – 14,592
29. Nets – 14,489
30. T-Wolves – 14,302
Where are all of the top-ranked teams at? I guess it’s too early in the season for everybody to be showing up. After all, we still have a long way to go before the NBA season gets to the home stretch. A lot can change in that time. Teams that are hot now can cool down, and teams that aren’t doing all that well can begin to improve their records and go on a run.
As for the 76ers, they are part of the latter. They had a slow start to the season and struggled to win any games on the road for the first few weeks, but the team is finally beginning to hit its stride. And with the addition of Butler, the 76ers are definitely going to be in the playoff picture throughout the season.
Right now, the 76ers are second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 12-7. They are sitting 2.5 games back from the Toronto Raptors, and about two games in front of the third place Boston Celtics. A lot can change in this 82 game season, but so far the 76ers have definitely kept their fans interested this year. I guess being undefeated at home boosts fan interest.