Why Small-Market NBA Teams Hold the Secret to Unmatched Loyalty and Joy — What Big Cities Can’t Rival
Reggie Theus still vividly recalls that 1981 playoff clash—the kind of brawl you circle on your calendar years later. It was the Chicago Bulls locking horns with the New York Knicks in a first-round battle that felt monumental, kicking off in the legendary Madison Square Garden. You had heavy hitters like Artis Gilmore, Bill Cartwright, and Michael Ray Richardson throwing down, and Theus? He dropped 37 points in the series clincher on home turf, pushing Chicago past New York in overtime. But oddly enough, despite a lengthy NBA career, he says nothing quite matched that electric moment again.
That series wasn’t just a game. It was the glitz and glamour of big-market basketball at its height. Yet, despite the spotlight chasing teams in cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston, Theus’s journey took him through smaller arenas—from Kansas City’s Kings, which eventually landed in Sacramento, to Orlando’s Magic. His time in the league paints a compelling picture: NBA stardom isn’t solely reserved for those playing under bright lights in massive media markets. In fact, some of the most gripping stories—and authentic experiences—are woven through those quieter, less heralded towns.
With playoffs this year boasting a surprising number of small market contenders, it begs the question—what’s the real life like for players finding their stride away from the trappings of fame and nightlife? For Theus, those places weren’t just stops on a career map; they were communities. The kind of down-to-earth vibes that big cities can’t always offer. As he puts it, sometimes it’s that close-knit atmosphere, the family feel, that writes the best chapters in basketball lore.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“There is no place like Madison Square Garden,” four-time All-Star Michael Ray Richardson tells the Guardian. “Sugar,” as he was known then, played in the Big Apple for four years before suiting up across the river in the smaller New Jersey for four more. “In New York, you got all the movie stars and actors and all of that,” he says. “In New Jersey, you really didn’t have none of that.”
“There is no place like Madison Square Garden,” four-time All-Star Michael Ray Richardson tells the Guardian. “Sugar,” as he was known then, played in the Big Apple for four years before suiting up across the river in the smaller New Jersey for four more. “In New York, you got all the movie stars and actors and all of that,” he says. “In New Jersey, you really didn’t have none of that.”
“There is no place like Madison Square Garden,” four-time All-Star Michael Ray Richardson tells the Guardian. “Sugar,” as he was known then, played in the Big Apple for four years before suiting up across the river in the smaller New Jersey for four more. “In New York, you got all the movie stars and actors and all of that,” he says. “In New Jersey, you really didn’t have none of that.”
In this year’s playoffs, many of the franchises came from small markets, including the top seeds in each conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as several of its now-Conference finalists. But while big markets like New York, Miami or Golden State can draw free-agents thanks to their reputations and attraction for nightlife and entertainment, it’s hard not to wonder what life is like for the pros who live and hoop in smaller, more modest locales?“Small markets sometimes feel like they’re on an island by themselves,” he says. But there’s also a big benefit to that, he notes: “[The players] become closer.” Theus says he is still in regular touch with teammates he had in Sacramento and Orlando. But that’s not the same with those in Chicago. It’s a tradeoff. In smaller markets there’s less attention but with that comes, perhaps, a more normal life.Age can also be a factor in how you see playing in a smaller market. When Theus played in Chicago, he was in his early 20s – and the world was his oyster. When he was in Orlando, he was more mature, and in his 30s. In between, he was in sleepy Sacramento. Today’s NBA stars earn tens of millions of dollars a year. That affords a lavish life, from private jets to vacations around the globe. If you’re young and want to party, you can find a way today, even if you’re in a smaller city. Still, though, when it comes to a city’s reputation or celebrity fans? Some have all the luck.Related: The strange twilight of Russell Westbrook, the NBA’s ultimate fetish playerFor Richardson, who now lives in Lawton, about 70 miles south of Oklahoma City, he’s seen what a winning team can mean to a region that is otherwise devoid of major pro sports. It’s something to rally around, he says, to enjoy together as a community. A winner like OKC can make a state feel like one giant college campus. “The whole state is going crazy,” says Richardson, “because there’s no other professional team here. So, if you go to an Oklahoma City Thunder game, it’s like a college atmosphere. It’s unreal.”
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