The Chicago Bulls return to action Wednesday night to kick off the 2022-23 NBA season, and according to this map, more than half the country will be rooting for them.

The sporting merchandise shop Lids is responsible for this inforgraphic. You know Lids, the ubiquitous hat shop that you still see in malls or maybe even an airport. I'm not a hat guy, but I'm pretty sure they still have a lot of street cred.

That is a majority of the country that lists the Bulls as the top selling NBA gear.

It makes sense that the team from Chicago would dominate the sales in the immediate midwest, in states like Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana, but Bulls dominance stretches from Canada to Mexico and almost goes coast to coast.

How about Montana and the Dakotas showing the Bulls some love? There are 3 basketball teams in Texas, none of them sell as much gear as the Bulls, same in Florida where the Bulls out sell the Magic and the Heat.

The Bulls are the top selling team in 28 states. The next closest are the Lakers with 5 states (including New York, hilarious) and no other team claims more than 3 (Celtics.)

I absolutely love the fact that the state of Washington checks in with the Supersonics, a team that hasn't existed in decades.

I also have a question about Idaho, Wyoming, and Vermont. Are there no Lids stores in those states? Do they not allow basketball? I know Idaho isn't the Mecca for basketball, but I do think they allow it.

The Bulls go for a win tonight down in Miami, where they should get a decent reception on the road.

WROK is back broadcasting Bulls games from the season, tune in tonight for the action. Pregame is at 6:15, tipoff at 6:30.

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.

52 Pictures Of The $1.8 Million House Scottie Pippen Has For Sale

scottie pippen house zillow sale

 

 

More From 96.7 The Eagle