Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets’ fans rank as one of the most loyal fan bases in NBA

By Jerry Stephens

Nov 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts to a basket in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Hawks 100-96. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts to a basket in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Hawks 100-96. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Although the Charlotte Hornets aren’t necessarily known for having diehard fans, the team’s fan base is actually one of the most loyal in the league.

According to a recent loyalty algorithm that HarvardSportsAnalysis.org used, the Charlotte Hornets have one of the best and most loyal fan bases in the NBA. They actually rank as the fourth most loyal fans of any team in the league only behind Knicks, Pelicans and Mavs. This is fairly surprising considering that the have been mostly below average in terms of wins for more than a decade now.

Despite only having three playoff appearances in the past 13 seasons, the team has still found a way to somewhat pack The Hive. While they aren’t anywhere close to the top of the league, fans have shown that they still support the Hornets even when they aren’t winning. That is what defines loyalty and the rankings from Harvard Sports is a combination of total attendance and win percentages.

Looking back at the franchise’s attendance numbers, they have been in the bottom half of the league since returning to Charlotte in 2004. The 2016-17 season was actually their highest mark since then as they ranked 17th in attendance. It hasn’t been easy but they have slowly built their attendance back up.

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Since the results of the system date back to the 1991-92 season, that evens out Charlotte’s low attendance figures as of late. From 1991 to 1997, the Hornets had the highest attendance in the entire NBA. Actually, from their inaugural year in 1988 til 1998, they were either first (eight times) or second (twice) in attendance. They even sold out 364 consecutive games during that time.

After that, the numbers began to drop. Going from sixth to 11th to 21st and finally to 29th in the organization’s final season before leaving to New Orleans.

Slowly but surely, fans have started to show up again. For the past four seasons, Charlotte has seen a growth in their annual attendance. Even though the product on the court hasn’t always been up to par, fans have shown up. With the team’s recent run of success with two postseason berths in the past four years, that has surely helped

For the past four seasons, Charlotte has seen a growth in their annual attendance. Even though the product on the court hasn’t always been up to par, fans have shown up. The team’s recent run of success with two postseason berths in the past four years has surely helped those numbers.

Here’s the full list of each fan base’s loyalty:

It’s surprising to see how low the Los Angeles Clippers, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers rank on the list.

Although the Spectrum Center isn’t rocking the way that The Hive used to back in the day, it’s getting closer to that point with each passing season. Hopefully, the attendance will continue to rise as the organization looks to get back to the glory days.

Next: Prospects Charlotte should take an extended look at

Regardless, it looks like the fans are here to stay. Not many teams have diehard fans and some even have “bandwagon” ones. As for the Charlotte Hornets, they can take pride in having some of the best fans in the NBA.

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