The NBA season tips off tonight, with a handful of marquee teams taking to the court, beginning a journey they hope will culminate in a championship come June.
Over the past few years, social media has become an increasingly prominent element of sports fandom, and high-profile athletes are now expected to have a strong presence on major social media outlets.
The NBA is no exception to this trend.
In anticipation of the 2013-14 season, we looked into which NBA players have the biggest presence on social media, using Twitter followers, Facebook Likes, and Instagram followers. Here are the 10 most popular NBA players according to our findings:
The results are largely unsurprising, with all members of Miami's "Big Three" and three Los Angeles-based superstars in Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol finding themselves on the list. We were a bit surprised to find that no player from the San Antonio Spurs, who were seconds away from winning the title last season, cracked the top 10, but that may be due to the team's smaller media market.
While all 10 social media titans are superstars in their own right, there can only be five starters on our First Team All-Social Media roster. With two players vying for each position, we'll need your votes to decide our starting five.
Let's examine the positional battles one-by-one.
Point Guard: Derrick Rose vs. Chris Paul
The Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose will be making his return from an ACL injury that wiped out his season last year and effectively knocked the Bulls out of title contention. However, all reports out of the preseason say that Rose looks healthy and will look to add another MVP trophy to the one he already has from 2011.
However, Chris Paul is coming off a strong season with the L.A. Clippers, who are well-known for their high-flying game and will look to make some noise in the Western Conference this year. While Paul has yet to win an MVP, he made the All-NBA First Team last season and boosted his off-court fame thanks to State Farm's popular Cliff Paul ad campaign.
Rose has higher overall numbers, but Paul has the stronger Twitter presence. Who deserves to make first team?
Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade vs. Kobe Bryant
Miami's Dwyane Wade has won 3 NBA Championships and will look to take home a fourth this year as an integral member of Miami's "Big Three." He took home a Finals MVP in 2006, and, as this recent Twitter feud with Kevin Durant indicates, he's certainly not bashful about his success on social media.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers boasts an impressive resume: 5 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, and a regular-season MVP. While a season-ending achilles injury from last season will leave Kobe sidelined to start the season, it also spawned this epic Facebook rant, which could help explain why Kobe's Facebook page has significantly more Likes than any other player's.
Which accomplished veteran deserves the starting spot more?
Small Forward: LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant
Miami's LeBron James is universally considered the best player in basketball right now, and with 4 MVPs and 2 championships to his name, it's difficult to argue otherwise. As a result, "King James" boasts the most impressive social media following out of all current NBA players, with over 10 million Twitter followers and over 15 million Facebook Likes. However, some fans still harbor resentment toward LeBron for his "Decision" to leave Cleveland.
If anybody is going to challenge LeBron for a spot in our starting five, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is the man for the job. Durant has made the All-NBA First Team for the past 4 seasons and led the league in scoring from 2010-2012. While Durant often finds himself in LeBron's shadow, his Twitter feud with Wade shows he's not scared of the Heat, and his recent ad campaign with Nike makes it clear that he's done playing nice.
Is this the year of Durant, or will LeBron's reign continue?
Power Forward: Carmelo Anthony vs. Pau Gasol
The New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony led the league in scoring last year and has been the face of the Knicks franchise since 2011. Carmelo also gained some international buzz when he scored a Team USA-record 37 points against Nigeria during the 2012 Olympics. He looks to lead the Knicks to another strong season this year.
While the Lakers' Pau Gasol has always given the spotlight in Los Angeles to Kobe Bryant, he has two things Carmelo Anthony does not: an NBA Championship (two, in fact) and international fame. Gasol was born in Barcelona and started his basketball career with FC Barcelona. Gasol moved to the NBA in 2001, but he is still hugely popular in Spain, and he led a 2012 Spanish Olympic Team that almost stole the gold medal from heavily-favored Team USA.
'Melo has the clear advantage on Twitter, but Pau's Facebook page has significantly more Likes. Who deserves the starting spot?
Center: Chris Bosh vs. Dwight Howard
While Chris Bosh is often regarded as the third wheel of Miami's "Big 3," he's won 2 NBA championships and made the last 8 All-Star games. Bosh may not own the spotlight in Miami, but he has a strong social media presence and is known for being somewhat of a goofball. He also boosted his Internet cred with his cameo on Parks and Recreation this season.
The Houston Rockets' Dwight Howard has yet to win an NBA Championship, but he has made the past 7 All-Star games and has made the All-NBA First Team for the past 5 years. Howard's season with the Lakers last year brought him plenty of media attention, but it wasn't all positive. The self-proclaimed "Superman" looks to make a fresh start and a title run this year on a strong Houston team.
Bosh has a strong Instagram following, but Howard has a significant advantage on Twitter and Facebook. Which rim protector do you prefer?
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Mashable composite: Images via Flickr, Keith Allison
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