From Matthew Coller at The Biz of Basketball:
If the early season numbers are an indication of how NBA attendance will end up, than Commissioner David Stern should be pleased. Overall attendance is down two percent, but considering the current economic state, two percent isn’t bad. Also, the percentage statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent (the league average is currently 88.9 percent of capacity).
Though some teams have only played four home games thus far in the 2009-’10 season, there has to be some panic within a few organizations, especially the 76ers. They averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies probably thought they couldn’t go much lower, ranking 29th in the NBA in attendance last season filling only 70 percent of their arena, but this season they are down to 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons may also have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent.
Click here to view the report, complete with a chart listing team-by-team attendance through November 16, with comparisons to the same period last season.
