Images via Getty, USA Today
The NBA continuously gains popularity as more Aussies make their way across the states in hopes of getting drafted. The most recent draftee is Benigo native Dyson Daniels, and preceding him was Josh Giddey. Both stars love the AFL, and most footy fans even have an NBA team they support.
The NBA's history shares a different story as the league learns the ins and outs of the sports business, and only five teams have won more than three championships in its history. It is exceptionally skewed in comparison to the VFL/AFL premiership storyline.
But if you're unsure of which team to support, or are just beginning to take an interest in the NBA, here is part one ultimate guide to knowing which NBA team you should support based on your AFL following.
Houston Rockets
The Crows draw similarities with the Houston Rockets. Both teams claimed back-to-back titles in the 90s, the Rockets winning the championship in 1994 and 1995, and the Crows got it done in 1997 and 1998. They have been unable to find success since.
Houston has had a roster that has taken them to the Western Conference finals in 1997, 2015 and 2018, yet they haven't been victorious. The Crows lost the grand final in 2017 and made the finals consistently in the last two decades.
Feeling the loss of a potentially winning team is also what both fans have stuck with them. In their respective games, Patrick Dangerfield and James Harden, two stars, left their teams to hunt for the elusive title.
Dangerfield has had a slightly different path and claimed his title as of the 2022 season; however, with Harden now putting the work in Philadelphia, some would say he is closer than ever. He couldn't make it work in Brooklyn and has made changes this off-season to have a chance and finish an incredible career.
If you are yearning for some success that is further away than you would hope, the Houston Rockets make a perfect pairing with the Adelaide Crows.
Miami Heat
The Lions and the Miami Heat are long-lost relatives, parallel down to the weather. Both teams were not founded until years after their sports were up and running. Both teams were expansions to bring the sport to new parts of the country.
They both made the big dance four times in a row; however, Brisbane got it done three times in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and then lost in 2004. Miami could only get it done twice in 2012 and 2013, as they lost in 2011 and 2014.
Both teams were lucky enough to experience a 'big three' era, and these were the times that they won those championships.
As franchises, they have been unsuccessful post championships, and their lacking fan bases reflect this too. The fans have been criticised for not caring about their team and not rocking up to games.
It is starting to change as both teams have acquired star players like Jimmy Butler, who moved from the Philadelphia 76ers to Miami, and Joe Daniher, who moved from Essendon to the Lions.
These big-ticket players have brought these cities a bit of life along with the more recent success from both teams. The clubs have young rosters and have a bright future of success ahead. Brisbane was closed in 2020 and 2022, and Miami lost to Boston earlier this year.
If you need some success in the next few years, stick around with Miami, and they should get the Championship title with their talent.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Blues draw a likeness to the Lakers, the long history of winning and, in recent years, are facing more of a challenge. However, the Lakers experienced more luck with a championship win two years ago.
They both have passionate fans who tend to show up to games, making it hard to get a close seat. A slight difference is the cameos that appear more frequently at Lakers games than the Blues.
The recent finals attempt by the Blues has moved them closer to the similarities of the Lakers. The championships won are on par as the Blues have reached Everest 16 times, and the Lakers pip them to the top as they reach the summit 17 times.
The Blues' big two key forwards, Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, draw upon the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal era.
Fans can reflect on how similar the pairs can be compared in a few years. The truth will lie in the premiership success or not. These teams are very easy to hate.
They have a lot of history built upon success and have players rivals fans don't despise. When these teams are going well, and you aren't a part of that success, you don't want to buy into it.
The future of these teams will play out and determine if this comparison is relatable; however, history tends to repeat itself, so maybe some domination by Carlton and the Lakers is on the cards.
Boston Celtics
The Magpies are not drawing likenesses to the Boston Celtics for just their success but their fan base.
Collingwood arguably has the most hated fan base in the league. It is on par with the hatred in the NBA world for the Celtics. However, as much as we could substitute the fans for each other, it cannot go without saying their success over the years is an accurate comparison.
Collingwood has the third most premierships in history with 15 and has closed in on Carlton and Essendon in the past dozen years. Boston has the most championships in NBA history.
Ask any AFL fan; if they don't go for Collingwood, they hate them (though the exciting season they just provided us made it more challenging than usual). It is a general rule; don't forget your ABCs; 'anything but Collingwood'. The same logic applies in the states, and it's 'anything but Celtics'.
Both clubs will claim their history of success is fueling the hatred, but it is beyond that. The fans are disliked for their arrogance and intolerable tweets if they win a few games.
The players are not helping their cause as they begin to get a ''bad boy'' reputation. The obvious Jack Ginnivan comes to mind with his 'shushing' of the crowd in the ANZAC Day clash.
The controversy continues with the 'ducking' or clear high tackles for a free kick. He is a polarising player, which will make you, as a non-Magpie supporter, love or hate him even more.
A comparison to Boston guard Marcus Smart wouldn't be too far off the mark. Another is Kevin Garnett, who retired in 2016 and had a 'whatever it takes' mentality.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Bombers have had almost as many in-house club problems the last decade as premierships in their history. It is the likeness of the Ben Simmons saga that Philadelphia experienced, these teams are way off base with the success side of the comparison, but their tales and fans are more similar than some may admit.
The Essendon fans are not the most sportsmanlike in the competition. The most recent incident is when they booed Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury on ANZAC Day a few years ago. Philly is not any better; in fact, they are worse.
Philly boo and shout at their own players at times. The whole of Philly is renowned for booing; even if it is out of love, it is still unsportsmanlike and a low blow to be on the receiving end of it.
The Dons have been in shambles all season, they were a significant letdown. They embarrassed their coach, didn't do their due diligence and have legends of the club calling them out for lying to the public.
It sits with Ben Simmons ruining a championship chance and creating many enemies. Simmons was the number one hated person before he left Philly and is still hated by the franchise.
Suppose you enjoy watching your club go up in flames every other week; it's the right team for you. However, Philly has more recent success than Essendon, so it may fill that void.
Phoenix Suns
Flagmantle, I mean Fremantle, the success was so close, but instead, you were shut down by a club that is simply better than you. The same happened to Phoenix, as both teams are left still waiting for the ultimate success.
Both fan bases were newly introduced into their respective leagues and have struggled to find any success until recently. The Dockers hunted for the flag this year, which ultimately fell short. The Suns almost got their first title in 2021.
The stars of Fremantle and the Suns are young and upcoming. Andrew Brayshaw is of likeness to Devin Booker. They are both putting up great stats in the earlier half of their career and are sometimes the ones dragging their team across the line.
Chris Paul compliments Booker, as did David Mundy, who is now retired, and Paul is not far off. Mundy lost the race against time-fighting for a premiership, and Paul is not far off either.
The Suns have a worrying season ahead after losing to the Adelaide 36ers in a pre-season match, and the Dockers seem to be brewing some internal issues as players want to leave for the east coast.
Despite these teams' woes, both have promising futures and a chance at getting a title in the next five years.
If there is any bandwagon you are considering joining, the Suns are an excellent place to start and complement the 'Flagmantle' bandwagon you may already on.
San Antonio Spurs
The greatest team of all, that is, according to the song. The recent success and continued greatness year after year are what the San Antonio Spurs franchise has experienced this century. Both clubs have had a consistent coach that brings them success, it is not always a championship, but it is happiness.
Gregg Popovich is the heart and soul of the Spurs team, as are Chris Scott and Joel Selwood.
Both teams had ageing rosters yet are continuing to make a statement and have consistently made finals across the past two decades. Geelong has made every final since 2004, apart from 2006 and 2015. The Spurs have also experienced this glory since 1990, making 29 out of 30 post-season opportunities.
The clubs' success in recent history is unparalleled, and many fans are envious of their continued success. They both experienced the success of winning three championships in five years, with Spurs in '03, '05 and '07 and Geelong taking the cake in '07, '09 and 2011.
The success had haters thinking their reign would be over, but the Spurs snapped back at that with a championship in 2014, as did Geelong this year. In 2022-2023 Geelong is bringing the same core back, while the Spurs are doing a full tear down and rebuild.
To have the success that both of these clubs experience, it is more than just their players and coach. It is the culture among the four walls and the ability to create that culture. Both systems are so well embedded into their club that they are designed to succeed.
Geelong's older list designed to get players with more experience has been criticised, but it works.
Geelong's recent acquisition in the trade period proves they will continue to be a powerhouse in the competition. The Spurs have fallen slightly from the pedestal, but it won't be long until they fight for the Championship again.
If you are looking to experience continued success and get a championship every so often, then the Spurs will consistently deliver and give you season-round happiness.
Sacramento Kings
One of the three teams that have not won a Premiership yet is the only team yet to play finals. Sacramento has had a troubled playoff history, too; it has not made a championship since relocating to Sacramento and hasn't made finals in the last ten seasons.
Both teams have an abysmal win rate, as the Kings have won 35.8% of their games over the previous ten seasons, and the Suns have only won 27.03% of their time in the AFL. These teams are quite the opposite of the Cats and Spurs franchises, with wins few and far between.
It could almost be classified as heartbreak, but that suggests there was love for the team's success. Despite that, they do not succeed; they have some fans in their small cities.
The Kings have slightly more history than the Suns, as the franchise has been around since 1923, formerly known as the Rochester Seagrams and went through several renamings before becoming the Sacramento Kings in 1985. Even with all this history as a franchise, they had only one Championship in 1951.
It may be a pre-curser to the Suns, who only have a long history ahead of them as they look to make their way to the finals for the first time in 2023. The Kings' account may be as long as the Suns as they would not be missing much and would be gifted with a cleaner slate.
Both clubs have had success with legends of the game joining them to help boost their chance at a title race; however, for the Kings, it wasn't meant to be, and the Suns were too inexperienced to take advantage of their stars.
You could compare the likes of 60's star Oscar Robinson to the likes of Gary Ablett; however, their stories of winning a Championship come out in opposite ways. Ablett started on a successful team, and Robinson finished on one.
Both players are respective greats in their clubs and are widely regarded as the best of their franchises to this day. It seems it may be a while until there is another Hall of Famer from their club, but the Gold Coast Suns' Touk Miller has a chance.
You probably don't want to go for the Kings; a disappointing history and a bleak future only suggest it will be a long, drawn-out season. But if you are at rock bottom, you can only go up from there, right?
Charlotte Hornets
The newest team in the competition may have more success than Gold Coast, but they had more hope for the future five years ago than they do now. They, as you might have guessed, are the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets joined the NBA in 2004; however, they were named the Bobcats, much more recent than the other league's franchises. It has proved a difficult time for them as they have managed to make the playoffs ten times in their time in the NBA.
They are currently the oldest North American franchise not to have won a division championship. Similarly to the Giants, who also have not reached glory yet, they have slightly more grace as they have been in the league for a shorter time.
Both teams have struggled to get wins on the board, with GWS having the worst percentage of any club in 2012 at 46.2% since 1901 and 1902 St Kilda. Charlotte had a lousy year in 2011-2012, too, as they won only 7 of 66 games and had an NBA record low of .106 winning percentage.
Even though their futures were looking positive ahead and after a few bad seasons and just missing out, you would think success is right around the corner. It isn't, unfortunately.
Both teams want to bring you positive news and excitement for a new season, but for this to happen, every other team around them needs to forget how to play. Even with problems inside the four walls, both teams have a chance to prove the critics wrong this coming season. If you want to cheer on an underdog all season where you think you might win but then lose, these are the teams for you.