Which NBA fans have the most (and least) faith in their team?

With the new NBA season just getting underway, not everyone is convinced their squad has what it takes… Three out of five fans don’t expect their favorite team to reach the Finals this season, and nearly half say they’re anxious about how their team will perform. That’s according to a survey of 2,000 basketball fans from across the country, conducted by The Grueling Truth.

Key findings

• Utah Jazz fans are the least optimistic, with only 1 in 10 believing their team will reach the NBA Finals.
• An impressive 81% of Denver Nuggets fans expect their team to make the Finals this year — the highest confidence level of any fanbase.
• Houston Rockets have the most nervous fanbase this season, with 65% of fans feeling nervous, while the LA Clippers have the fewest worriers at just 25%.

Most NBA fans fear their team won’t make the Finals

For NBA fans, the new season is officially underway. New year, new chances. But it’s far from a slam dunk when it comes to confidence. Nearly half of fans (47%) say they’re feeling nervous about how their favorite team will perform. And even though the Finals are still months away, more than half (59%) don’t think their team will make it that far this season.

Rockets supporters lead the nerves this NBA season

Clippers fans are the calmest so far this season: only one in four say they’re feeling nervous — the lowest share of any fanbase. And with last season’s title still fresh in their minds, Oklahoma City Thunder fans aren’t sweating it either. Just 26% say they’re anxious, the second-lowest in the league. Right behind them are Minnesota Timberwolves fans, where about one in three say they’re uneasy about how things will play out.

On the other end of the spectrum, Houston Rockets fans are the most jittery this season, with 65% admitting they’re worried. Close behind are New Orleans Pelicans fans at 63%, followed by Toronto Raptors supporters, with 60% reporting they feel nervous about their team’s performance.

81% of Nuggets fans see a Finals run

A bit of anxiety is normal, but it turns serious when fans see a Finals run as unlikely. On the question of whether their favorite team could make it all the way this season, Denver Nuggets fans are the most optimistic of any fanbase, with 81% seeing a Finals run as a real possibility. Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors fans aren’t far behind, with 67% of each fanbase confident about a Finals spot.

On the other end, the difference is really big. Only 10% of Utah Jazz fans believe their team will reach the Finals, followed closely by Washington Wizards supporters at 13% and San Antonio Spurs fans at 14%.

Methodology

To measure basketball fans’ confidence at the start of the NBA season, The Grueling Truth commissioned the 2025 NBA Fan Faith Study, which surveyed 2,000 fans nationwide on October 21, 2025. Participants were asked about their favorite team, whether they felt nervous about their team’s performance this season, and whether they expected their team to make the Finals. Among respondents, 62% identified as male, 37% as female, and 1% as non-binary, with an average age of 41 years.