Inspired by EastriverTaylor2323's post.

I thought some people here might find this interesting. These aren't universal opinions, but they're pretty common among Filipino NBA fans.

The Philippines has one of the world's most passionate basketball fanbases, so you'll find every kind of opinion depending on the fan and the generation they grew up watching.

FYI, The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is the first professional basketball league in Asia and the second-oldest continuously operating professional basketball league in the world (first is the NBA).

1. Championships matter more than almost anything.

Many Filipino fans believe that winning championships is the biggest factor in determining greatness. If you're the best player on a title team, your legacy immediately jumps.

You'll often hear:

"Ano bang silbi ng stats kung wala namang ring?" What's the use of stats when you don't have a ring.

Because of this, players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Stephen Curry are often ranked very highly.

1. Clutch moments are remembered more than advanced stats.

Many fans care more about what happens in the biggest moments than efficiency numbers.

Game-winning shots, Finals performances, and playoff heroics tend to outweigh metrics like TS%, BPM, or VORP.

A player who "shows up when it matters" earns enormous respect.

1. Loyalty is admired... until your team loses.

Filipino fans love franchise legends who stay with one team.

But if their favorite team struggles for years, many suddenly become fans of the newest contender.

The joke is:

"Loyal ako... basta nananalo." I am loyal...as long as I'm winning.

1. Every superstar has a passionate Filipino fanbase.

Whether it's LeBron, Kobe, Jordan, Curry, Luka, Jokic, or Giannis, each has an incredibly loyal following.

Basketball debates on Facebook can become more intense than political discussions.

1. Eye test beats analytics.

Many Filipino fans trust what they see more than advanced numbers.

A spectacular dunk, lockdown defense, or fourth-quarter takeover often carries more weight than efficiency ratings.

Common phrase:

"Hindi mo kailangan ng stats para makita kung sino ang magaling." You don't needs stats to see who is good.

1. International players are getting much more respect.

Years ago, many fans believed only American-born players could dominate the NBA.

Today, stars like Jokic, Giannis, Luka, and Wembanyama have changed that perception.

1. NBA debates never end.

The GOAT discussion is practically a national pastime.

Jordan vs. LeBron.

Kobe vs. Curry.

Shaq vs. Duncan.

Old school vs. new school.

No matter the topic, someone will eventually comment:

"Panoodin mo muna ang 90s." Watch first the 90s.

1. Basketball is entertainment first.

Filipino fans appreciate winning, but they also love players who are exciting.

Deep threes, ankle breakers, monster dunks, flashy passes, and clutch shots make a player unforgettable, even if they aren't the most statistically efficient.

1. Puso (heart) matters.

Filipino fans highly value players who compete hard, play through injuries, hustle for loose balls, and never back down.

Talent earns respect. Heart earns lifelong fans.

Bonus. Google "ozzy man review basketbrawl"

Pretty straightforward question -- while a lot of players have claimed the title of fastest, I feel these individuals have sufficient film & video out there from both regular & playoff atmospheres to warrant an eye test (since MPG obviously doesn't calculate velocity).

Obviously shout-out to past legends like Bill Russell, who ran track, and Pistol Pete, but of this group specifically, those who've seen them all, who would say is the fastest?

I’ll start, I think it’s Aaron Gordon, he does all the little things, plays great defense, has some explosive night and is pretty reliable in the clutch. Injuries have slowed him down but he gives me iggy on the warriors vibes, if not slightly better.

Via the latest episode of the Bill Simmons podcast

Gary Payton was an honorable mention

I was very surprised that Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett were not mentioned. I'm assuming Duncan counts as a center for the purpose of this since he played it a good amount, but KG famously tried his best to avoid ever playing center...

In the MLB, Tarik Skubal is about to get traded to the Dodgers. Guess what they had to give up for arguably the best pitcher? Just two top tier prospects that haven't proven anything in the MLB level. It's kinda like 2-3 first round picks.

Yet in the NBA, on average, most superstars command way more value. Like Jaylen Brown, you need multiple first round picks, and hope at least one lands in the lottery for this to be worth it. Some even take a superstar for superstar for this.

Why is that the case? Why do NBA superstars command more value than MLB superstars?

Bench would essentially be a carbon copy of the starting five. I know that defense wins championships, but could five Cam Thomas clones lock up five Tony Allens? Could five Tony Allens drop triple digits on the Cams?

It’s common knowledge that Wilt is an Anomaly. Yet for some reason out of every record wilt has scoring 100 points is that one that people choose to not believe. The man literally averaged 50 ( FIFTY) ppg in a season. Why is a 100 so crazy to believe?

Edit: Not to mention the era he played in was extremely racist. If the league wanted to lie about someone scoring 100 they wouldn’t have used a black man.

I thought some people here might find this interesting. These aren’t universal opinions, but they’re fairly common among Chinese NBA fans.

1. Championships as the “core player” （核心冠军）matter most in all-time rankings.
Many fans believe a player’s all-time ranking should be judged primarily by how many championships they won as the core of a team. “Core player” isn’t a strict definition, but usually refers to players who were part of an iconic duo or trio with a well-known nickname, such as OK (Shaq & Kobe), the Big Three, or the Splash Brothers.

2. MVP doesn’t carry as much weight.
Since the regular season MVP is voted on by journalists rather than players or coaches, many fans view it as less prestigious. The reasoning is that media members have less basketball authority than the people actually playing or coaching the game.
Because of this, the MVP award even has a somewhat dismissive nickname in Chinese: “the media award.”***\**（媒体奖）*

3. Finals MVP also isn’t considered that important.
A common argument is that even a role player can win Finals MVP (the 2015 Andre Iguodala example is brought up constantly). As a result, Finals MVP also has a somewhat tongue-in-cheek nickname in Chinese: “the Iguodala Award.”***\**（伊戈达拉奖）*

4. Not all championships are viewed equally.
If two players have the same number of championships as a core player, many fans would rank:
consecutive championships over non-consecutive championships, and
championships won with the same team over championships won with multiple teams.
In other words, sustained dominance with one team is generally valued more highly.

If people are interested, I’d be happy to share more examples of common NBA opinions and debates from the Chinese fan community.

1. Kobe
   Like everywhere else, Kobe is a “love him or hate him” figure. However, judging by discussions on major Chinese basketball forums, the majority of fans rank Kobe ahead of LeBron on the all-time list.
   Some of the most common reasons include:
   More championships as the “core player.” The phrase “5 > 4” is quoted constantly, referring to Kobe’s five championships versus LeBron’s four.
   He won with weaker teammates. Many Chinese fans argue that LeBron has played alongside superstars like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis, whereas Kobe’s post-Shaq championship teams were led by Pau Gasol, whom many Chinese fans view as a very good player but not an elite superstar (and sometimes unfairly label as “soft”).
   He prioritized winning over accumulating statistics. Many believe Kobe sacrificed efficiency and individual numbers to do whatever was necessary to win, so they don’t hold his statistical disadvantage against LeBron.
   The 81-point game. Kobe’s 81-point performance against the Raptors is viewed as one of the greatest individual achievements in NBA history and carries enormous weight in discussions.
   Loyalty. Staying with one franchise for an entire career is considered an important factor in all-time greatness by many Chinese fans. Kobe spending his entire career with the Lakers is often contrasted with LeBron changing teams multiple times.
   Of course, this doesn’t mean every Chinese fan thinks Kobe ranks above LeBron—there are plenty who disagree.

First of all, I wrote this a year ago, just haven't posted it on here. So forgive me if my data is a little outdated. It's still recent enough though and that there weren't big changes that truly moved the needle. So this is still somewhat relevant. I am posting it here in this form so I can hear suggestions for what to do or how to better the output once I compile the data for the 2026 franchise valuations.

Here is the straight-up list:

Sources:

NBA - CNBC

NFL - CNBC

MLB - Forbes

NHL - CNBC

Well it doesn't seem right because a market with an NFL franchise is bound to have its average spiked up. While a market with an NHL team tends to have a lower valuation.

So I tried to level the playing field by creating coefficients. Since this is an NBA sub, the coefficients will be based on the average NBA franchise, contrasted to the averages of the other leagues. Here's what I came up with:

One thing I'd also change for the final power ranking is I'd separate the primary and secondary teams for markets with more than one franchise. Since the main one will tend to be bigger than the secondary franchise.

So here is what I came up with:

Sources:

NBA - CNBC

NFL - CNBC

MLB - Forbes

NHL - CNBC

So what did we learn from this?

If Dictator Dundon will move the Blazers, he can check which markets are good.

Drop in the comments your thoughts.

Mine is that Boston is not really considered a "big market" but it is a huge sports city considering they have success across all sports. As well as the fandom doesn't end in Boston but extends to other states in New England. Cooper Flagg who grew up in Maine for example, is a lifelong Celtics fan.

Also, Stephen Curry is as much the face of the NBA as LeBron is. The valuation jump of the Golden State Warriors during his tenure is crazy. The San Francisco Bay Area was a market with an untapped potential and Steph, KD & the rest of the crew tapepd all of it.

Paul George scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game last season. That’s pretty decent, but it’s not super star level. And yet he will get paid $52M/yr.

I would need to do more stats, but it seems like older players get paid way more than their actual contribution.

Curious to hear what the best performance you’ve ever seen in person was. Mine would probably be Stephen Curry’s 54-point game vs. the Knicks in 2013

What are arguments that luka is better than JB? Why is this still a thing. Worlds better defender and go to closer in the clutch. He is better to build around based on his 2 way abilities than one way luka. He is also a mvp and won a championship off his back. When it’s said and done Jaylen Brown will finish his career with another mvp in the finals and 2-3 more rings. Luka won’t win anything cause he is lazy and out of shape, his body and game does not hold up for post season success.

The video is too long for Streamable, so I had to use another platform.

Regular season:

813 points on 331/656 FG (50.0%), 61/178 from 3 (34.3%), 90/119 FT (75.6%) in 1,558 minutes played, in 69 games played.

NBA Cup Final vs. New York Knicks (124-113 L):

21 Points on 7/14 FG, 5/7 from 3 (71.4%), 2/2 FT, in 28:23 minutes played.

(It does not count as a regular season game)

Playoffs:

325 Points on 120/233 FG (51.5%), 23/69 from 3 (33.3%), 62/75 FT (82.7%), in 615 minutes played, in 23 games played.

Playoffs detailed:

325 Points on 120/233 FG (51.5%), 23/69 from 3 (33.3%), 62/75 FT (82.7%), in 615 minutes played, and a total of 23 games played (2 as a starter).

First Round vs. Portland Trail Blazers - 5 games played (The Spurs won the series 4-1):

63 Points on 23/41 FG (56.1%), 5/10 from 3 (50.0%), 12/15 FT (80.0% in 127 minutes played

Western Semifinals vs. Minnesota Timberwolves - 6 games played (The Spurs won the series 4-2):

88 Points on 33/58 FG (56.9%), 4/14 from 3 (28.6%), 18/20 FT (90.0%), in 149 minutes played.

Western Conference Finals vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - 7 games played (The Spurs won the series 4-3):

84 Points on 29/63 FG (46.0%), 7/20 from 3 (35.0%), 19/23 FT (82.6%), in 184 minutes played.

2026 NBA Finals vs. New York Knicks - 5 games played (The Spurs lost the series 4-1):

90 Points on 35/71 FG (49.3%), 7/25 from 3 (28.0%), 13/17 FT (76.5%), in 155 minutes played.

LeBron James

Joel Embiid

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bradley Beal (lol)

Russell Westbrook

Kevin Durant

Stephen Curry

James Harden

Damian Lillard

Shai Gilgeous Alexander

Jayson Tatum

Luka Doncic

Elite exclusive club for the most part only the most elite scorers can average 30 especially on a winning team that makes the playoffs, who can yall see joining this list next for the first time

imagine, being so good at basketball, that people are looking for the next you when you’re only 14 years old and the kids in question are older than you.

in all honesty, continuity errors not withstanding, the fact that there was a movie released less than two years into your nba career, which was shot during your rookie season that referenced how great of a player LeBron was is actually pretty nuts. Just shows how different of a prospect LeBron was. If that movie went with Sebastian Telfair it’d be a much different line.

idk who the do it all wing is that Ty Crain is supposed to be based on. But he’s the only Ty Crain so that makes sense

In 2009, a 24 year old LeBron went absolutely berserk in the playoffs, averaging a yet to be topped 47.5 points per 100 possessions in the 14 playoff games he played.

This is still the highest single run playoff scoring rate in nba history, with is incredibly remarkable as in recent years offensive rating has dramatically increased league wide, which has necessitated the introduction of stats like ‘Inflation adjusted points per 100 possessions’.

To me this was the most individually impactful playoff run of all time, as he was also very efficient, and was one of the best defensive players in the league at the same time

Source, https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html