Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

States Without NBA Teams 

Are you looking at the NBA Championship odds and are wondering what states the teams are from? Perhaps you are looking to follow an NBA team and want to know if there is one in your state? Maybe you are curious and want to know more? Whatever your reason might be, we have the answer for you! 

With only 30 teams in the NBA, it’s safe to assume that not every state will have a team. But knowing which states do and don’t have NBA teams can be tricky and leaves you scratching your head or unable to answer a trivia question. Whether you intend to use this information to place bets or find a new team, it can be hard to get the answers you want and often leaves you stressed.

Well, no more! Today we are here with the answers you need. Keep reading to find out what states don’t have NBA teams and everything else you need to know! 

States without NBA teams 

Let’s get straight into it! There are 30 NBA teams and 50 US states, so it’s safe to assume that there will be a few states without a team in the NBA. But you might be surprised to know that 29 states do not have a team in the NBA! With some states having multiple teams in the NBA and some having none, it’s safe to say that the NBA teams are not spread evenly across the country. 

You might live in one state with zero NBA teams and have never seen a game, but could live over the border and be inundated with NBA teams; there is little in between! So let’s take a look at the states that don’t have a single NBA team! Keep reading to check out the list below. 

• Alabama 
• Alaska 
• Arkansas 
• Connecticut 
• Delaware 
• Hawaii 
• Idaho 
• Iowa 
• Kansas
• Kentucky 
• Maine 
• Maryland 
• Mississippi 
• Missouri 
• Montana 
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire 
• New jersey 
• New Mexico 
• North Dakota 
• Rhode Island 
• South Carolina 
• South Dakota 
• Vermont 
• Virginia 
• West Virginia 
• Wyoming 

And there you have it, 29 US states that do not have an NBA team! That isn’t to say that these states don’t have large NBA followings. As we know, the NBA is hugely popular across the country, with fans traveling across states to watch their favorite team play. Just because a state does not have its own team, it does not mean plenty of fans live there, or even future NBA players! 

Now that we have covered what states don’t have NBA teams let’s look at those that do and see where the most NBA teams are based! 

States with NBA teams 

As we have 29 US states without NBA teams, it’s fair to assume that the remaining 21 states will have NBA teams. But for those that always manage to forget at least one or two US states when listing them, let’s remind ourselves of who the states with NBA teams are! You can use the following list below to see if your state has made the cut! 

• Arizona 
• California 
• Colorado
• Florida 
• Georgia 
• Illinois 
• Indiana 
• Louisiana 
• Massachusetts 
• Michigan 
• Minnesota
• North Carolina 
• Ohio 
• Oklahoma 
• Oregon 
• Pennsylvania 
• Tennessee 
• Texas 
• Utah 
• Wisconsin 
• Washington DC

And there we have it, the remaining states that have NBA teams. It’s worth noting that Washington DC is home to the Washington Wizards, and the final team of the NBA, the Toronto Raptors, plays in Canada, so it will not have a state attributed to them. 

All the states listed above have at least one NBA team that plays professionally and will follow both in and out of their home state. These teams all attract large fan bases that support them at games, whether at home or courtside. 

There are 30 teams and only 21 states listed; some states will have more than one NBA team training and playing there. The number of teams varies depending on the state, and knowing who has what team can be helpful in pub quizzes or trivia nights! So let’s take a look and bolster your NBA knowledge! 

Which state has the most NBA teams?

California has the most NBA teams and is home to the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings. They are closely followed by Texas, which has three teams, the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. 

Florida and New York complete the list with two teams each. Florida has the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and New York has the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. 

How many states have 1 NBA team? 

The remaining seventeen states have one NBA team each. 

Final word 

And there we have it; twenty-nine US states do not have a single NBA team! The full list we provided you with earlier shows you the states that don’t have a team currently in the NBA, but who knows if this will change in the future! Thankfully there are 30 NBA teams across 21 states for you to follow and bet on. Be sure only to bet what you can afford and to take regular breaks when gambling.