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

[QUOTE=G-train]It's easy for the player fans. They followed Jordan then he retired so they followed Kobe. [b]Kobe bacame a b!tch so they followed Lebron[/b], or if they were b!tches themselves they kept following Kobe. In 10 years they will switch to somebody else.

Begs the question, where will the Kobe b!tches be in 3 years?

[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/al4shi.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]
wut

[QUOTE=NuggetsFan]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.[/QUOTE]

I like players that bring something that I've never seen before. that's why I love Shaq.

It really makes more sense to like a player opposed to a team (especially cuz most fans of teams live in the same area.) At least by liking a player you are being an individual instead of going along with everyone else's cheering for the hometown team. I think you're more of a bandwagon fan to jump on the local bandwagon than you are to, say, enjoy LeBron's game and follow him around.

-Smak

I'm a fan of the game. I'll root for the Lakers over any team, but there's a lot of players I love watching. Back in the mid 90's when the Lakers were at their worst I was still a die hard fan, but Shaq and Kemp were my favorite players, and I wished they were on the Lakers.

Sometimes a fan's favorite team makes the playoffs once every decade and never has a shot of winning the title, but he/she still watches the playoffs.

The playoffs a lot more fun when one has something to cheer for... ie favorite players and/or storylines. Oh, and the NBA loves to sell their stars... I hope none of this is news to you.

Why are people fans of franchises to begin with? How do they become fans of franchises? Millions of people don't live in LA or Pittsburgh, yet they are fans of franchises currently located in those areas.

[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.[/QUOTE]

what? american bar or the internet? ur a idiot. either way... plain n simple

I'm from the mountains, so I like random teams- like the early 2000's Kings, the run n' gun Steve Nash Suns, and this years Clippers. For me, it's all about the players, both individually and with compelling groups.

Ask LeBron23. Dude has the nerve to call out kobe stans :lol

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

You're right, I won't switch teams, just will no longer bother with the league.

:lol [QUOTE=d.bball.guy]While for me, I'm a Laker fan and my favorite player is Kobe so I'll still follow Kobe if he goes to a different team but my heart will belong to the Lakers if he retires. :">:lol[/QUOTE]

I'm a laker fan first when, Kobe wanted that traded I was hoping that mitch sent his ass too Toronto (even tho I knew it wasnt gonna happen) even still until this day it still annoys. My thing is if you don't wanna play on my te Deuces. Same goes with shaq thanks for the 3 rings but after he wanted out he became the enemy.

I'm just a huge laker fan 2nd generation so after Kobe I will still be a laker fan. Even if we get swept by dallas lol

I don't get that either. My favorite players are Wade, Zo, and Haslem. :lol

[QUOTE=wakencdukest]I'm a fan of the game. I'll root for the Lakers over any team, but there's a lot of players I love watching. Back in the mid 90's when the Lakers were at their worst I was still a die hard fan, but Shaq and Kemp were my favorite players, and I wished they were on the Lakers.[/QUOTE]
Right on. It is interesting to see different poster's takes on what a basketball fan [i]should[/i] be. Some even seem offended that others may attempt to like the game without suffering through low points and drudgery. I feel there are a million reasons to be a fan of basketball. Seeing players do out-of-this-world things on the court never gets old. I say being a fan of teams, players, performances, whatever. It's all good.

I've been a Bulls fan since I was a kid. I was a Jordan fan before he came to the Bulls because I am a UNC fan and I loved his play at the Olympics in 84. I was happy when he was drafted to the Bulls because I was sick of Reggie Theus and Orlando Woolridge, etc.

I was a Bulls fan then and I was Bulls fan after the second three peat (during the Artest, Brand, Crawford, Mercer, Rose - Jalen -, Duhon, Curry, Chandler, Starks, years.), I love my team and still root for former Bulls to do well no matter where they end up (except for Gordon).

The only player I'm a fan of is Dwyane Wade, partially because I think he's one of the best in the league, and the other part because I grew up with his family.

I'm a Derrick Rose fan because he's from where I'm from (Englewwod), and he made it out of there to be MVP of the league. That's an awesome accomplishment and if you've ever been to Englewood, you'd know why it's such a big deal.

If he leaves the Bulls, I'd still be a fan, but I'm still going to be a Bulls fan.

Period.

I rode with the Pistons through the teal days, stuck with them through the Glory Years, and I will continue to support them during the "JOE D MUST GO" years. Other than the Tigers (first ever pro game was a Sox game at Fenway, there is no experience like it), I will support Detroit and Michigan teams before all others, even when they are laughingstocks. It makes me sad that so few others do as well. Makes it difficult for real rivalries to form. The Kobe vs. LeBron bullshit is... well, bullshit. I want to see someone do something that sparks a rivalry like the Claude Lemieux hit on Kris Draper in the mid 90's sparked the greatest pro sports rivalry - Avs and Wings.

Until we get people who actually like teams, there is no way this will happen. As soon as the one player leaves, the rivalry ends. The Avs-Wings rivalry survived for years after Lemieux left Colorado. Such a rivalry now is just... unlikely.

The thing with these Player-fans slowly started with the Jordan-hype. Nike helped to bulid a hero to an unbelievabel extend so many guys (often those are younger people) think that Jordan won those championships alone. I think fans who grew up in the 80s you wouldn't find such thing as Player-fans. It started with the idolizing of Jordan and has gone on with Kobe and Lebron. Many guys on this board forget that Basketball is a team-sport.

[QUOTE=Semi]The thing with these Player-fans slowly started with the Jordan-hype. Nike helped to bulid a hero to an unbelievabel extend so many guys (often those are younger people) think that Jordan won those championships alone. I think fans who grew up in the 80s you wouldn't find such thing as Player-fans. It started with the idolizing of Jordan and has gone on with Kobe and Lebron. Many guys on this board forget that Basketball is a team-sport.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. People blame LeBron for quiting last playoffs even though it was not his fault. People think Shaq is the only one who won the Lakers 3 peat but Kobe was an important second option. They say it's a fluke ring because he's a second option which makes everybody else on the team has a fluke ring. Remember, there is no I in TEAM.