What about college games. They are insane

In 2012 I watched Orlando Magic vs New Jersey Nets and I agree it doesnt have the same atmosphere as a Perth Wildcats game... its not quiet but it isnt as loud as a Cats game.

Yeah the NBA is very quiet unless you're in Boston Oklahoma Oakland San Antonio or Cleveland.

The MSG and Staples center crowds are quiet and boring.

College is completely different obviously, that's where the amazing atmosphere is

MSG and Staples full of tourists

Would have to agree, most NBA arenas I've been to are more like an audience than a passionate fan base.

Obviously still some very good crowds though, and it goes up noticeably once playoffs hit in correlation with the players' intensity!

Despite the similarities, there are many differences between here and the USA.
Here, well-heeled fans will pay for courtside seats and scream their guts out.
American "blue bloods" put the Brits to shame when it comes to upper-crust snobbery.
I would imagine that a lot of fans at for instance a Knicks game would be very reserved.
But I suppose College games would attract more of your ordinary joes.

Isn't the college season short and the NBA season long? Does that mean more hangs on a win vs a loss in college basketball than NBA, during (most of) the respective regular seasons? That might contribute to lower excitement levels among the NBA crowds.

I have to agree somewhat with the article.

I went to Staples in 2008 to see Celtics Vs Lakers and apart from a big pre-game celebration where it was an Nnnth game that the C's and the Lakers have clashed, it was quiet from there on. Probably because the C's were winning the whole game too.

NBA regular season games are fairly quiet to be honest

I remember a comment re this during the Olympics from a U.S. Commentator and they said that their fans more cheer plays while euro crowds tend to clap to music etc

PeterJohn, I think it just has more to do with the culture than number of games

I've watched plenty of NBA games where the atmosphere looked awesome, that's why I found this comment very strange.

You must be watching some very specific games....

Unless you're watching OKC/GSW home games, it's hard to find games where the crowd makes any noise at all!

Was lucky enough to see a Lakers game at Staples and a Knicks game at MSG.

Both teams were in the early stages of perhaps one of their worst seasons of all time. Certainly the Knicks, who were 5-34 at the time on their way to 17 wins. Cant remember where the Lakers were but they down near the bottom and Kobe just got injured.

Both games had an atmosphere that will put you to sleep. Id say that a lot of fans were just tourists, and actual fans there would have already given up on the team and were there probably because they paid for season tickets.

I suppose there would have been a bit of atmosphere when the Knicks were boo'd off the court by their own crowd

I've been to about 20 NBA games in Staples, MSG & United Center. The atmosphere is electric, New Yorkers are ruthless. Very hard on the Knicks. I saw 20,000 fans stand and boo the Knicks in 07 with Marbury playing only 3 mins into the game. Lakers fans are clueless, bulls fans passionate and loud. Don't read into above comments, NBA well worth the look if you're lucky enough to go.
Best I've seen though was Kobe dropping 50 on the suns in the playoffs and seeing the NIT championship for college at MSG between West Virginia and Clemson in 07.

Haven't been to a Wildcats game though, might be ok... just have to put up with their fans haha

If you want ruthless fans go Philly i was there a few months back Covington missed 3 consecutive 3's and they start booing him and yelling for him to get cut. Philly crowd way better than Knicks and Lakers and 1/4 of the price. Knicks biggest rip off in the NBA

You'd have to be watching when the team is going well or even contending for a title. Or when the playoffs are about to start to see a loud and involved crowd. Some teams would be awesome to watch - Bulls, Warriors, Celtics, Cavs or Knicks when they are good.

If they suck, for some teams its a bit of a yawn fest as you get the feeling theyre just going through the motions of a long shitty season.

Spurs atmosphere is awesome too, don't screw then because they're a small market :(

"In the US, watching a Basketball game is very quiet."

At least with regards to the NBA: this is true...

Us wildcats fans bring a lot of noise and KNOWLEDGE.

I was at a game where some SO-CALLED basketball fans made DISGHUSTING comments to Gleeson about what he liked to do on a Saturday night.

It was an outrage to see the great man treated so poorly.

Trev ignored these MORONS, smashed their basketball team into fine shards of glass and then shot them a look as he left the arena that seemed to say THAT'S HOW I DO YA BISH.

When I attended a Knicks game at MSG, the atmosphere was pretty tame. Back in '07 I was privlaged to see LeBron play a home game for the Cavaliers: that was, understandably, much better.

Regardless, pretty much every 36ers home game I've been to easily trump these experiences. The atmosphere is much better. I agree with Paul's comment of "audience" vs "fanbase".

Mock, stop capitalizing everything for emphasis: you aren't making any thought-provoking points, and certainly don't come across as "KNOWLEDGEABLE".

It's just a troll

I'll write how I like you MISCREANT; I never claimed to be making "thought-provoking" posts. I do bring KNOWLEDGE however. What is your claim to fame, you went to a couple of NBA games once? Wow, I'm sure Zach Lowe bows down to your superior basketball intellect.

Jesus Mock you must be very painful to have to deal with IRL

places I've been

Duke men home games are loud.
Duke women home games are quiet
Utah men with Bogut playing were a mix of loud and quiet
Iowa women games with their average crowd of 10,000 can be very loud and intimidating
Second tier NCAA Div 1 colleges in smaller stadiums can be quite loud at times, but rarely any crowd chants.

Euro games in places like Serbia can be quite loud ( and smokey)

NBA games are generally like the average non-chanting non-music blaring NBL games of the 1990s.

Most world championship games are quiet except if the host country team is playing in the final ( eg Sydney 1996 women) but there's no music

Most Olympic games are quiet as were about 70 of the 76 games played in Sydney in 2000 and there's no music


No game has ever been as hair raisingly loud as at the end of the famous Vic Vs SA game at Apollo when L Gaze went to the microphone to reply to Werner Linde

On balance I can understand that 80% of the US basketball fan having never personally been in a continually loud stadium.

Never been to a US game but would love to.

I'm assuming the major difference is the spruiking the court side announcer does. Lachy does a awesome job in Perth, I think the crowd would be pretty tame without him encouraging participation.

Was at Kobe's last game. Didn't really kick off until the 4th quarter when we all got cheering for 40 then 50 then 60. Even probably the biggest retirement game in NBA history wasn't really that crazy as a crowd.

It's no secret that Euro crowds are nuts for anything sports related.

College crowds go crazy because of the history behind the sports and the schools following. Add to that all the 17-22 year olds who want to let loose and have fun. The crowds are generally rowdy

Cats games are closer to college atmosphere....dedicated fans just going at the opposition.

Rotnei alluded to it at half time in Game 3....we've all played college we should be able to cope with it.

It is certainly not the strangest comment of all time.

Wildcats.....lol

hahaha I missed Mock.


or SHOULD i say that I MISSED Mock.