Starting your fandom for a team can always be tricky. Whether you begin to cheer for a franchise because of a specific player, due to family ties, or simply because they have the coolest jerseys, there are sometimes situations where new NBA fans have no allegiances or ties to any team.
This leads to locality being the biggest reason that most fans begin to follow a specific NBA franchise. However, there are currently 30 states without NBA teams, and unless you are from Canada, outside of the United States, there are no regional franchises for you to follow closely either.
In 2023-2024 there is one team that would be perfect to start cheering for if you want to start emotionally investing in an NBA franchise. That team is the Indiana Pacers and here are the 5 biggest reasons as to why:
5. The Pacers have not won an NBA title yet
Cheering for a team to win their first ever NBA title is incredibly rewarding, as Denver Nuggets fans could tell you firsthand after last season. It means that despite just joining Pacers fandom starting next season, you will still be able to enjoy the biggest moment of their franchise history if and when they do win a championship.
Of the 30 NBA franchises, only the following have never won a championship: the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz.