An Examination of Fan Support of Tanking in the NBA
Keywords:
sport, consumer behavior, team failure, group identityAbstract
In recent years, considerable attention has been given to tanking in sport, particularly considering that certain fans may be supportive of the practice. This is an aspect of sport consumer behavior that has received scant academic focus, and thus, the purpose of this study was to holistically examine fan support for tanking. First, a basic understanding of the motivations for supporting tanking was sought via qualitative research, which allowed for the development of an instrument to measure support for tanking. Multiple regression analyses showed that endorsement of analytics, group identification, and the interaction of perceived basketball knowledge and group identification were significantly related to support for tanking. The findings suggest that these fans activate a greater level of cognitive involvement via their calculated prescriptions about successful long-term team-building, in conjunction with their behavioral support of the team - thus hoping to experience vicarious achievement when the endorsed “process” is complete.
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