What's up with fans being fans of players first, franchises second?

Fans being fans of players first, franchises second?. Seems like there's tons of people who follow players first and only blame stuff on there teammates and really only care how that player does. Kobe with L.A fans. LeBron with all the people who followed him from Cleveland to Miami. Even with not as popular players like Melo who alot of people switched from Denver to NY. On the internet seems to be guy's who simply just follow around young stars such as Beasley(only a few lol) and Mayo(not so much anymore but when he first entered the league).

Not hating on it, but I just don't understand it. For the most part franchises are around for your entire life. Clearly some exceptions with relocation but for the most part. Players get traded, sign elsewhere, retire. Just don't understand why you'd only want to root for one player in a team sport, where tons of things effect it. Even when your a fan of a team first, player second it can cloud things(Ex. Me with Lawson, not becoming to keen on Felton) so couldn't imagine how much it would it would effect your judgement if you only really wanted one player to succeed first and foremost.

So guess my questions to fans that just root for a player first, team second would be

- What do you do when said player get's hurt or retires? Just pick a new one?
- If he get's traded or signs elsewhere is it just as simple as picking a new favorite player and becoming a fan of the team he plays on?.
- What made you decide to do it?
- Are you loyal to that player no matter what? Like that StroShow guy. Or do you wait for a good player, that's legit?

Once again, not hating on it. Just can't understand the concept really.

bandwagon fans. half of cavs fans have became heat fans since lebron has switched teams

Cant think of a laker/kobe fan that would switch teams if kobe is gone from the lakers.

ehh? the sport is international. not everyone lives in the US. so naturally, ppl living outside the US will have no "home team" to support. making these fans "player fans" first before "team fans."

i've been a kings fan, blazers, suns, cavs, and now miami fan.

[QUOTE=Harion]ehh? the sport is international. not everyone lives in the US. so naturally, ppl living outside the US will have no "home team" to support. making these fans "player fans" first before "team fans."[/QUOTE]

Guess this makes some sense. Still tho, those players wouldn't be "home" players to support, unless you were from the same spot(Dirk, Germany) so it's kinda the same. Only difference is you'd have to change teams up, find a new player once he was out of the league instead of just sticking the same thing through out the years.

Good point tho.

lebrons "mobile" fanbase is the sports lowest form of bandwagoning

[QUOTE=Mr. Jabbar]Cant think of a laker/kobe fan that would switch teams if kobe is gone from the lakers.[/QUOTE]

Yet to be seen. If L.A goes into the lottery the next few years, Kobe retires. Can't see everybody staying on board. Maybe tho since L.A is like the best or second best franchise out there.

Anyways wasn't trying to call out anybody or any team player specifically. Just used some examples. I was actually looking for self admitted player fans, to see what there take on it was.

[quote=NuggetsFan]Yet to be seen. If L.A goes into the lottery the next few years, Kobe retires. Can't see everybody staying on board. Maybe tho since L.A is like the best or second best franchise out there.

Anyways wasn't trying to call out anybody or any team player specifically. Just used some examples. I was actually looking for self admitted player fans, to see what there take on it was.[/quote]

I see. Anyway, to answer the question, which has been made many times, and by me too; I think player fans are mostly younger fellas who are in search of a "hero" or idolize icons too much. Can't think of a grown up man bouncing around NBA teams along with their favorite player.

If you didn't have a team that you rooted for growing up that you have a connection to it's easier to connect and pull for a person than a uniform.

players come and go Franchises are forever. [COLOR=white](no pun intended Seattle fans)[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=NuggetsFan]Guess this makes some sense. Still tho, those players wouldn't be "home" players to support, unless you were from the same spot(Dirk, Germany) so it's kinda the same. Only difference is you'd have to change teams up, find a new player once he was out of the league instead of just sticking the same thing through out the years.

Good point tho.[/QUOTE]
just imagine the sudden dispersal of Chinese basketball fans from rooting for the Rockets to being "teamless" now that Yao is gone. same thing.

[QUOTE]ehh? the sport is international. not everyone lives in the US. so naturally, ppl living outside the US will have no "home team" to support. making these fans "player fans" first before "team fans." [/QUOTE]

this is actually stupid. whos even talking about fans outside of america, we have a population of 300+ milion, lets focus on those fans that have a home team but still follow one player. hell, i'll even go as far as saying that outsider fanbase is more loyal to franchises than inside the states fanbase, with "home teams" to cheer for. europeans for example will stick w their team for life, no matter how good bad or what not happens to it. same w nba, a european kid that was growing up in the jordan era will still be a bulls folower to this day. while in america that kid is probably a "lakers" fan now.
btw so u gota have a "home team" to support a franchise? i bet 90% of lakers fans arent even from la. and no, it is a discrace to the league that certain players have way more fanbase then franchises. we as americans have alowed that because of all the advertisements n attention being thrown onto one player instead of a team. thats the only reason, nba made the league into a superstar league instead of a franchise leage. hell the only real franchise left standing with a serious loyal fanbase in the nba are the boston celtics... maybe even new york but thats a BIG maybe. everything else is just shit... all FAKE

They're either from some backwater area with no squad, or they followed the player since college/etc, or they share some other thing with the player (nationality, from the same city, etc)

[QUOTE=cleveland]this is actually stupid. whos even talking about fans outside of america, we have a population of 300+ milion,[/QUOTE]

No, you're stupid. We are not sitting around a table at some american bar having a few drinks talking about basketball.

we're on the internet and that gets into the BILLIONS around the world.

i think it goes something like this... you can either like Star Wars and watch every Star Wars movie or you can like Carrie Fisher and watch all her movies (in which case you will not bother with Epi 1-3)

you can't say which one is right or wrong