Favorite athletes by state: LeBron James is everywhere [Infographic]
In California, Kobe is king. But in the favorite-athlete game of thrones, Bryant is a puny ruler.
Best Tickets laid out the most popular athletes by state, based on Google search data, and found that LeBron James of the Miami Heat was the most searched in fully half of the 50 states. There’s a steep drop-off to No. 2: Peyton Manning. The Denver Broncos quarterback was most searched in seven states.
Third is a tie between the Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson and New England Patriots QB Tom Brady. (Tied for third?! Gisele Bundchen might just have something to say about that.)
The Kansas Jayhawks’ Andrew Wiggins won two states, and Johnny Manziel (Johnny Football™) garnered one -- Texas, of course -- without yet becoming official pro athletes.
Below is a look at the most popular sport by state, and despite James reigning in the athlete category, the NFL obliterates the NBA.
Follow me at @AmyTheHub
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
