LOS ANGELES -- Of all the American sports leagues and their players, the NBA is the most active on social media. And of the NBA's teams, only one can be the most actively social of them all.
And the champion is...
Each round had a unique deciding factor: Round 1 was total follower count; Round 2 was fan engagement; conference finals were determined by "advocacy"; the finals combined all three factors.
The insights and analytics team for the strategic marketing and communications firm PMK*BNC crunched some numbers, and the math is as dazzling as a Steph Curry crossover.
According to its Celebrity Digital Strength Index, which measures the digital presence of hundreds of actors, athletes, musicians and other public figures across more than 120 touchpoints, NBA players outpace NFL, MLB and NHL on social platforms. #ILoveThisGame.
The team measured the social media footprints of all 16 playoff teams and their respective starting fives. Focusing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, they determined total followers, engagement and advocacy (resharing) for a social media playoffs bracket.
Bonus round
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the weakest social media presences among the playoff teams.
The Chicago Bulls have more than double the "team" (not individual players) following of any other team.
LeBron James has the most fans, but they're not very engaged.