2023 is behind us, but before we look forward to the new year, let's take a look at NBA search trends in North Carolina. Utilizing data from various outlets, we've been able to identify the most popular NBA stars based on localized North Carolina search queries. Perhaps these are the players most likely to garner prop bets from Tar Heel State residents when North Carolina sports betting launches later this year!
Top NBA Player Searches in North Carolina for 2023
Analyzing Google searches from the whole of 2023, these were the top ten most searched NBA players in North Carolina:
LeBron James and Ja Morant are tied for the most popular starters in the state, with search volumes too close to separate in 2023. We leveraged the NBA depth charts, courtesy of ESPN, to determine the starters in the league, leaving us with a list of players to analyze. The above ten players stand out as the most searched-for in North Carolina throughout 2023.
It’s interesting to note that despite being the home of the Charlotte Hornets, none of the Hornets roster are on the list of most popular NBA players in North Carolina. It could be argued that LaMelo Ball may have made the top ten list if he were listed as a starter on the Hornets' depth chart, but recurring injuries kept the superstar off the court for most of last season.
Related Search Queries Around the Top NBA Stars
If we focus on the two most popular starters, LeBron James and Ja Morant, it’s interesting to see what things the residents of North Carolina searched about the two in 2023.
For LeBron James, some of the most searched keywords alongside his name are:
- Stats
- Net worth
- Son
- Age
- Wife
For Ja Morant, some of the most searched keywords alongside his name are:
- Shoes
- Stats
- Wallpaper
- Jersey
- Injured
Despite both LeBron James and Ja Morant being superstars in the league, it’s interesting to see the difference in related queries. It would appear that the searches for Ja Morant are more related to his off-the-court life, with fans interested in his merchandise. For LeBron, the related queries focus more on his family and ‘generic’ basketball searches. Perhaps with legal sports betting coming to North Carolina in 2024, there may be more interest in Hornets players as residents will look to bet on their hometown team! Learn more about the best North Carolina betting apps expected to go live in the coming year including:
- FanDuel North Carolina
- Caesars Sportsbook North Carolina
- BetMGM North Carolina
- Fanatics Sportsbook North Carolina
- bet365 North Carolina
Methodology
To conduct this research, our primary source for data related to player lineups was ESPN. We employed Google Keywords Planner to analyze search volumes across North Carolina. This allowed us to gain insights into the popularity and trends surrounding the starters identified from ESPN. To understand related queries, we used the SEO tool Ahrefs and Google Trends. The timeframe of our research spans from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2023.
