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The Denver Nuggets first joined the NBA in 1976 and it's taken the team a half a century to make a Finals appearance. They'll be playing in the 2023 NBA Final game. As of this writing, we await the winner of the Eastern Conference Championship game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. This leaves us with just five franchises that have never made it to the Finals: Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Nuggets have had varying degrees of success throughout the year by winning division titles. They have never come close to dynasty status. Facing off against a team that has held the dynasty title such as the Boston Celtics would certainly help drive numbers at sportsbooks for the 2023 NBA Finals.
The Miami Heat have also tasted success in recent years and their fan base continues to grow.
But the Celtics do have one of the largest fan bases in any sport. In 2023, they ranked 5th in the NBA in terms of overall fan base (the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and Bulls currently beat them out).
So where do the Denver Nuggets rank in terms of fan base?
They make the list of 30 teams at just No. 19 at Fandom Analytics:
"Denver is a team with solid history (love these ABA teams). But middling marketing results. Average in terms of attendance but below average in pricing power and social following. Good retro (Issel) and current (Jokic) jersey possibilities for the fans, combined with playoff runs, make the Nuggets a team to watch. I think there is unharnessed potential here. Denver has long-been a Broncos town, but Denver’s trajectory suggests more future NBA fandom."
No offense to our friends in Denver but the sportsbooks wanted a Lakers-Celtics or even a Lakers-Heat Final. Either of those two matchups would likely bring in more money.
It does help that Colorado has a regulated sports betting market. Neither Florida or California do. Massachusetts only recently began regulating sports betting but prohibits funding one's wagering account with a credit card.
Those 18 and up can place bets from either of the represented states courtesy of our friends at BetOnline. No social security number necessary to register and credit cards are accepted, as is Bitcoin.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
