Over 700 First Nations athletes are in Kelowna for a five day All First Nations basketball tournament.
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December 29, 2023 - 3:30 PM
More than two decades after Vancouver lost its NBA team, a poll finds that a majority of British Columbians would be happy with the return of a professional basketball team.
Research Co. conducted a poll evaluating the desire and support to bring back an NBA team to Vancouver after NBA commissioner Adam Silver commented on the possibility of adding new franchises to the league.
“In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 59% of British Columbians believe it would be a 'good idea' to have an NBA team in Vancouver,” read the Research Co. media release issued today, Dec. 29.
Northern BC is the most supportive region, with 63% of respondents saying they would support the return of an NBA franchise to Vancouver. The rate is 62% in Metro Vancouver, as well as in the Fraser Valley, and drops to 52% in Vancouver Island and 50% in Southern BC.
Between 1995 and 2001, 23% of British Columbians attended a Grizzlies' game, a proportion that goes up in the Metro Vancouver area to 28%.
If a franchise were to be re-established in Vancouver, 20% of British Columbians say they are “very likely” to go to at least one home game a year.
“In Metro Vancouver, about one-in-four residents (24%) are very likely to go to at least one home game if an NBA franchise is established in Vancouver. In this region, 5% of residents would seriously consider purchasing season tickets,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in the release.
When it comes to watching the games, 22% of British Columbians would consider themselves “very likely” to do so at home while only 13% would watch them at a bar or a pub.
Most British Columbians do not own any NBA merchandise and of the 29% that do, 14% own Toronto Raptors apparel and 12% own Vancouver Grizzlies merchandise.
Currently the league isn't popular in BC with 59% of those surveyed saying they don't root for a specific team. Of those who do, 25% cheer for the Raptors, 9% for the Los Angeles Lakers, 4% for the Golden State Warriors, 2% for the Boston Celtics and 2% for other franchises.
If a team were to be established in Vancouver, 32% of British Columbian fans say they are “very likely” to stop rooting for their current team to support a Vancouver franchise. This includes 36% of male fans and 35% of fans over the age of 55.
The survey was conducted online from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10, among 800 adult participants, the results were then weighed according to Canadian Census data to obtain age, gender and region-based data.
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