Basketball remains one of the most popular sports in the U.S. In fact, the NBA is in the top three of most watched leagues nationwide. Big cities can banner two teams, while other cities can only manage to accommodate one NBA team. This allows fans to place various NBA betting lines on online sportsbooks.
There are 28 U.S. cities competing in the NBA and one city from Canada. Which of them has the biggest population?
What Is the Largest NBA City?
New York City is the largest NBA city, with 8,467,513 in total population. The city houses two of the richest teams in the league – the Knicks and the Nets, the top one and top seven richest franchises in the NBA, according to Forbes in 2021. Following New York is Toronto which has 6,255,000 residents.
Los Angeles came in third with 3,849,297 and also banners two NBA teams, the Lakers and the Clippers, who are third and sixth in the most valuable teams on Forbes’ list. Aside from the first three cities mentioned, there are only six other NBA teams with over 1 million citizens in their town: Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Dallas.
Largest NBA Cities: Ranking NBA Cities by Population
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| City | Population | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | 8,467,513 | Knicks and Nets |
| Toronto | 6,255,000 | Raptors |
| Los Angeles | 3,849,297 | Lakers and Clippers |
| Chicago | 2,696,555 | Bulls |
| Houston | 2,288,250 | Rockets |
| Phoenix | 1,624,569 | Suns |
| Philadelphia | 1,576,251 | 76ers |
| San Antonio | 1,451,853 | Spurs |
| Dallas | 1,288,457 | Mavericks |
| Indianapolis | 882,039 | Pacers |
| Charlotte | 879,709 | Hornets |
| San Francisco | 815,201 | Warriors |
| Denver | 711,463 | Nuggets |
| Oklahoma City | 687,725 | Thunder |
| Washington, D.C. | 670,050 | Wizards |
| Boston | 654,776 | Celtics |
| Portland | 641,162 | Trail Blazers |
| Detroit | 632,464 | Pistons |
| Memphis | 628,127 | Grizzlies |
| Milwaukee | 569,330 | Bucks |
| Sacramento | 525,041 | Kings |
| Atlanta | 496,461 | Hawks |
| Miami | 439,890 | Heat |
| Minneapolis | 425,336 | Timberwolves |
| New Orleans | 376,971 | Pelicans |
| Cleveland | 367,991 | Cavaliers |
| Orlando | 309,154 | Magic |
| Salt Lake City | 200,478 | Jazz |