Michigan: Pistons Have The Lowest Number Of International Fans

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. Unfortunately, the Detroit Pistons currently have the smallest NBA international fanbase.

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 one quarter of the Detroit Pistons' followers are international. Just 23.8% live outside the U.S. according to Gambling.com. To take this information a step further, Gambling.com found that the Pistons' largest international fanbase is in Columbia.  2% of their fans are based in this South American nation.

The NBA as a professional basketball organization certainly has a strong place in global brand recognition and fanbases outside the country. 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 on the roster last season. Of the 120 players, 22 were from Canada.  This was the most in the NBA.  Australia had ten players in the NBA, and France had nine. Moreover, the Toronto Raptors had eight international players on their roster.

The 2022 - 2023 Pistons roster had the following international players; Cory Joseph from Canada, Bojan Bogdanović from Croatia, and Killian Hayes from France. Unfortunately, the Pistons still had the smallest NBA international fanbase, according to Gambling.com's social media numbers.

One thing Michiganders love about spring is the return of baseball. There's something about the smell of fresh hot dogs and popcorn under the bright stadium lights. Maybe it's the sound of the crowd cheering or the crack of a bat that gets fans excited. Whether you’re a super fan of baseball or going for the food and cold beer, a baseball game in Michigan has something for everyone to enjoy.

Michigan has one professional major league baseball stadium, three Michigan minor league baseball parks, an independent league baseball park, three summer collegiate ballparks, and over twelve college baseball fields. These fields can be found spread across Michigan. So you can stay close to home and still catch a game, wherever you are in the state.

Here are 8 places to catch a baseball game in Michigan.

Make your way to downtown Detroit for a trip to Comerica Park. This stadium is home to the Detroit Tigers. Attendees can enjoy the baseball game or take a trip through the Big Cat Food Court with options ranging from elephant ears and Guernsey ice cream to gyros and hot dogs. The stadium is full of history with statues of Tigers legends. A walk through the main concourse has a Tigers Walk of Fame with even more moments of Tiger history. This park is very kid friendly, featuring the Comerica Bank Carousel and the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel. Before leaving the game, fans can catch a colorful firework display.

Jimmy John's Field is home to the United Shore Professional Baseball League. Here you can see four Metro Detroit teams play. This includes The Utica Unicorns, the Eastside Diamond Hoppers, the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers, and the Westside Woolly Mammoths. Michigan's Lawrence Tech University plays home games here too. The league gives undrafted college players and those released from minor league contracts an opportunity to continue playing and improve their skills. The stadium has a capacity of 4,000 and offers a variety of food options from hot dogs to burritos. They occasionally feature guest food trucks. Jimmy John's Field is community-driven and often hosts special nights in partnership with local businesses and charities.

LMCU Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps. This ballpark has over 200 events annually. Most take place during the baseball season. Some past events include Marvel's Defenders of the Diamond series of games where players wore superhero jerseys, Star Wars Night, and Made in Michigan Wednesdays with appearances by former Detroit players.

Located in Mayors' Riverfront Park is Homer Stryker Field. This ballpark is home to the Kalamazoo Growlers, a Northwoods League affiliate. The stadium features the Bell's Bear Cave which is an indoor space with an attached patio. They also offer unique food items including bacon-wrapped shrimp kebabs, beef sliders, brats, and brownies. Visitors can catch special events and promotional nights at the stadium as well. One night the stadium hosted a What Could Have Been Night where the team changed their name for a game.

The MCCU Field is located at C.O. Brown Stadium in Bailey Park. The stadium is home to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. A Michigan Northwood League team and rival of the Kalamazoo Growlers. The two teams compete for the I-94 Rivalry Cup every year. The ballpark can host over 2,000 people. It has a large outdoor sports bar, multiple playgrounds, and several picnic areas.

This Lansing ballpark has had many name changes over the past several years. From the Oldsmobile Park to the Cooley Law School Stadium. Now, one can find the venue under the name Jackson Field. The home of the Lansing Lugnuts. Over 10,000 fans can gather at the ballpark and enjoy classic ballpark foods.

If you venture off to downtown Midland, you'll find Dow Diamond ballpark. Home to the Great Lakes Loons, a Class A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's a "Loontacular" fireworks display after every home game and food specials during Friday home games.

Located 3 miles south of Traverse City is the Turtle Creek Stadium. The 4,660-seat stadium was originally the home to the Traverse City Beach Bums and is now home to the Traverse City Pit Spitters. The Pit Spitters play in the Northwoods League which features some of the best college players in the nation.