Milwaukee fans wear foam cheese hats. It started as a Packers thing but spread to the Bucks after the 2021 championship. Giannis wore one during the parade. 65,000 people in the Deer District watching on screens. Small market, massive heart.
Pat Riley trademarked it. It means: show up early, work harder than everyone, no excuses. The Heat fine players for being late. They have the strictest dress code. Jimmy Butler embodies it. Love it or hate it, it works — 3 championships.
Every NBA arena does it. The organ plays. The crowd screams "DE-FENSE!" It's been happening since the 1960s. Nobody knows who started it. Everyone does it. It probably doesn't help. But it feels like it does.
Jack Nicholson (Lakers, 50+ years). Spike Lee (Knicks, courtside since 1986). Drake (Raptors, too involved). NBA courtside is where sports meets entertainment. $2,000-50,000 per seat. The real show is sometimes in the stands.
Detroit fans threw a chair in 2004 (Malice at the Palace). Toronto fans threw trash at KD when he got injured. Philly fans threw batteries at Santa Claus (NFL, but the energy carries over). Fan passion sometimes goes too far.