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#8 Miami Heat - 4.5 million
The current Eastern Conference Champions, Miami Heat, rank eighth among the most followed NBA franchises on Instagram.
Miami Heat has 4,565,806 followers on Instagram.
Naturally, the team has been quite popular since 2004, when Shaquille O'Neal arrived. They won the 2006 NBA championship with Dwyane Wade and O'Neal as their main players, then LeBron James joined in 2010, and the franchise became super-popular.
They played four straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013.
The Heat has played in the NBA Playoffs,14 of the last 20 NBA seasons, including six NBA Finals and have won three titles.
#7 Oklahoma City Thunder - 4.6 million
The OKC Thunder remain a solid NBA franchise even after losing three MVPs in the last 10 years (Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook).
The team has 4,656,247 followers on Instagram.
The franchise is new, but its roots are grounded in the most iconic franchises in the NBA -- the Seattle Supersonic. It's not surprising to see them on this list. In fact, OKC has been quite substantial in the last decade.
OKC has played 12 NBA seasons and made it to the NBA Playoffs 10 times, including an appearance in the NBA Finals in 2012. They also have 11 winning seasons.
#6 Houston Rockets - 5.1 million
The Houston Rockets are among the NBA's top franchises, even if they've won their last championship 25 years ago.
The Rockets have 5,198,553 followers on Instagram.
The Rockets have been an established team in Houston since 1977 and they have missed the NBA Playoffs 16 times in 49 seasons.
They have had iconic players like Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and James Harden.
Houston has made the NBA Playoffs in the last eight years and has 14 winning seasons under their belt.
#5 Boston Celtics - 5.3 million
One of the two most famous franchises in NBA history, the 17-time NBA champions (a joint record with the LA Lakers), the Boston Celtics are an iconic NBA franchise.
The Boston Celtics have 5,375,559 followers on Instagram.
Though Boston has won 17 NBA titles, they aren't as popular as they should on social media, this can be attributed to many things -- winning just one NBA championship since 1986, no NBA Finals reached since 2010, or it can be blamed on a social media structure that is not as efficient as other franchises.
The Celtics have reached the playoffs 16 times in the last 20 seasons (including 12 of the last 13 NBA seasons).
