Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando ranks among best cities for basketball fans

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 22: The Orlando Magic dance team performs during the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 22, 2017 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 22: The Orlando Magic dance team performs during the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 22, 2017 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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WalletHub ranked every basketball city based on a variety of metrics. Despite poor team performance, Orlando is still among the best for fans.

It has been a tough few years for Orlando Magic fans.

The team is stuck in a long rebuild and has not been able to get much traction on the court. This is the worst six-year stretch in team history. Fan interest remains high, but apathy is setting in.

Everyone seems like they are waiting for the team to right the ship before bringing the passion Orlando sports fans very clearly have.

Yet, the Amway Center is surprisingly full each game. The team was in the middle of the pack in terms of average attendance last year, continuing a trend even through this rebuild. According to Basketball-Reference, the team averaged 17,915 fans per game at the Amway Center. That is roughly 95 percent of the arena’s capacity.

Orlando has done a great job marketing games to tourists — especially from overseas — and still offer fairly cheap tickets for fans looking to catch a game. The team still surprisingly filled the arena for a 25-win team. How long season ticket holders will wait is another story, but the Magic as a business and an entertainment option in the city still seem to meet some relative success.

Believe it or not, Orlando remains a fairly strong basketball market. Especially for a city its size.

According to WalletHub, Orlando is the 17th best market for basketball fans in the country and rank 12th among NBA markets.

Source: WalletHub

WalletHub rated each city based on several factors including team performance, ticket prices and stadium accessibility. You can read more about their methodology and scoring system in the link above.

Orlando ranked fairly well even with the team as one of the worst-performing NBA teams in the survey. It was really the Amway Center that helps boost Orlando. WalletHub ranked the Amway Center as the second-most accessible stadium in the NBA.

What perhaps might be most interesting for Magic fans to learn is Orlando is tied for first with the most engaged fan bases in the league. WalletHub measured engagement by looking at Twitter followers and Facebook likes per capita. It seems that even with the team struggling, a lot of people remain followers of the Magic, especially relative to the city’s size.

There may be a lot of frustration these days among the Magic faithful. But they still seem engaged enough to either watch games, talk about it or pay attention to the rest of the league. Or have a stray like or follow on their profiles. You take them where you can get them.

But it is all a sign that while Magic fans and basketball fans in Orlando do not have a lot to watch for on the court at the moment, they are merely waiting.

The city’s growing populace and passion for sports — just look at Orlando City — seems ready to burst out. The Magic just have to give them a reason to show up and be passionate.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman is not promising a quick fix. His hire of Steve Clifford was certainly a long-range move too. The team may not take that next step this year. But they certainly can make things a bit more hopeful with a solid draft pick and some encouraging performances on the court.

As it has always seemed to be, Orlando is a bit of a sleeping giant. It is not a market established enough to have passionate support through thick and thin — and probably still have plenty of transplant fans filling the arena with opposing colors for big games. But Orlando is certainly a market that will come out for its team when it is winning.

That has usually always been the case from the team’s infancy through the 2009 Finals run. Give fans a product to watch and the arena will sell out every night.

Despite the seemingly bleak scenario, the Magic find themselves in right now, Magic fandom does appear strong. It just may not be loud right now. Not until the team begins to turn the corner.

WalletHub’s study seems to suggest that. Orlando is a market that wants basketball and supports basketball. And the Magic have created a stadium and an experience that can match it.

Next: Orlando Magic play it safe hiring Steve Clifford

They just need a team to anchor it all in.