Supporters groups in Major League Soccer have grown in size and importance over the years — even more so very recently.
Whether it's through giant tifo displays or simply singing and chanting for their side for 90 minutes straight, they've made a huge difference in MLS. Now the NBA wants a piece of it. At least one specific NBA team.
Taking a cue from MLS supporters groups, the Milwaukee Bucks announced plans this week to start an in-arena supporters group of their own.
And here's the part that you might find pretty cool: They're using photos of MLS and other supporters groups from around the world to recruit fans for the movement which they call "FAN SQUADS."
The proposed iteration of a Bucks supporters group is a rehash of Squad 6, a group organized and paid for by former Bucks player, and Australian, Andrew Bogut in 2009. That year, Bogut purchsed 100 lower-level tickets for every home game and gave them out to fans who he felt would raise the noise level and atmosphere inside the arena. But Squad 6 seems to have dissolved around the time Bogut was traded by the Bucks in 2012.
One characteristic that has always made MLS supporters groups special is the organic nature by which they formed and are still run to this day. It was the fans who wanted join together and support their team.
Can it work in the NBA if the teams take on the responsibility themselves for creating the supporters group? If it does, it could prove a game-changer for a smaller market team like the Bucks.
What do you think of NBA teams trying to establish supporters groups? Good idea? Great idea? Destined for failure?
