Celtics Have One Of The Largest International Fanbases In The NBA

At the start of last season, NBA rosters included 120 international players from 40 different countries. Commissioner Adam Silver has made great initiatives with summer programs or simple marketing efforts to expand the game.

Gambling.com recently published a report that ranked each of the NBA's 30 teams by their international fanbase popularity. To determine this part of their methodology was to collect data on, "the social media following of every team in the NBA to discover which teams have the highest percentage of international fans along with the country in which their largest international following is from."

Almost half of the Boston Celtics' followers are international. In fact, 49.16% live outside the U.S. To take this information step further, Gambling.com found that the Celtics' largest international fanbase is in Angola. 3.5% of their fans are based in this South African nation.

The Celtics certainly have a strong place in global brand recognition and fanbases outside the country, ranking in the top 10. The Brooklyn Nets are the top-ranked team, with 52.8% of their followers being international. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers then round out the top three.

The NBA reported that each of the 30 teams had at least one international player last season. Of the 120 players, 22 were from Canada, making it a record number.  This was the most in the NBA.  Australia then had ten players in the NBA, and France had nine. The Toronto Raptors had eight international players on their roster.

Jason Tatum's #0 was the fifth best-selling jersey of last season. Newly signed Jaylen Brown had the 14th best-selling jersey.

As for the Celtics maintaining their top 10 ranking in NBA international fanbases in 2023, they are assured of having one player from Latvia on the team. Center Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to Boston in late June.

The Boston Celtics have secured the second seed in the east. They will take on the seventh seed on Saturday afternoon. Here, we take a look at the shoes the Boston Celtics players wear as they step onto the court.

In the modern NBA, players have the flexibility to rock whatever color pattern they desire on their footwear. Do they go for comfort? Do the go for support? Or what looks best. It's a personal preference and varies with each athlete. However, one consistent thing is that there are plenty of options.

Sneakers have long been the most popular basketball "gear." There's even a movie out about it. Air tells the riveting story of Nike, Michael Jordan, and the world-famous Air Jordan sneaker empire. Larry Bird was a Converse player. Paul "The Truth" Pierce was a Nike athlete. And Kevin Garnett primarily wore Adidas.

Another major difference in the present-day NBA sneaker game is that players opt for a lower cut. High tops used to be the clear choice due to their ankle support. But now with modern design, it's all about flexibility and the shoe being lightweight.

Nike has been the official partner of NBA uniforms since the 2017-18 season. Their deal runs through the 2024-25 season. However, each player has the individual right to secure their own shoe deal. In addition to endorsement money, each player decides what look and feel works best for them. Furthermore, they must consider their body type.

The 2022-2023 Boston Celtics roster collectively has four shoe brand partners. They are Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Jordan/Jumpman. What's fascinating is that not every player has their own signature shoe with their partnered brand. In fact, most do not. So, you very well could have a player sporting a Lebron shoe or a KD. Or even the "Zoom Freak" made famous by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, their Eastern Conference rival (and #1 seed).

Here are the brands and shoes the Boston Celtics players wear.

Nike is the most common shoe amongst Celtics players. You will see more swoosh logos upon the hardwood than any other. They players wearing Nike are: Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Mike Muscala Malcom Brogdon, Mfiondu Kabengele, Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Grant Williams, Robert Williams, JD Davis and Justin Champagnie.

Jason Tatum and Blake Griffin sport the infamous Jumpman logo. Though Jordan brand is still technically under the Nike umbrella, they operate as a standalone brand. Tatum is the only athlete on the team that has a signature shoe named after him. The Jordan Tatum 1 even comes in a Pink Lemonade colorway option.

Though they've recently steered more towards lifestyle and runners, Adidas still has a presence in the NBA. Danilo Gallinari wears Adidas.

Last but not least, one of the Celtics most important players wears Puma. Marcus Smart resigned with Puma last year. Puma's main U.S.A. corporate office is in Boston. It makes sense for them to pair with a local hometown pro. It doesn't hurt that he is also the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.