In crystal affirmation, everybody agrees that NBA team cheerleaders are critical to the game since they keep the fans engaged during and after the game. So get to know the 15 best NBA cheerleading squads of 2022.
Who is your best NBA cheerleading squad? Is it Miami Heat or some other team? Whichever it is, cheerleaders these days have their own sets of loyal fans.
Cheerleading is a distinctly American phenomenon prevalent in the USA. However, slowly it’s starting to expand to other countries.
The NBA cheerleaders add excitement to the game. Apart from that, some cheerleaders are very good at performing stunts also.
Sadly, sometimes the cheerleaders get injured while performing the stunts. Further, their contribution to sports is slightly unrecognized.
Today, we’ll be ranking the 12 best NBA cheerleaders to look for this year. The squads are ranked based on the stunts they perform, fans following, and social media presence.
Note: The followers on the social media accounts mentioned below are as of 2024 April.
Quick View
| S.N. | Group | Name |
| 15 | Indiana Pacers | Pacemates |
| 14 | Washington Wizard | Wizards Dancers |
| 13 | New York Knicks | Knicks City Dancers |
| 12 | Los Angeles Lakers | Laker Girls |
| 11 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Cavs PowerHouse Dance Team |
| 10 | Orlando Magic | Magic Dancers |
| 9 | Philadelphia 76ers | Sixers Dancers |
| 8 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves Dance Team |
| 7 | Atlanta Hawks | A-Town Dancers |
| 6 | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics Dancers |
| 5 | Los Angeles Clippers | Spirit Dance Team |
| 4 | Phoenix Suns | Suns Dancers |
| 3 | Golden State Warriors | Warrior Dancers |
| 2 | Chicago Bulls | Chicago Luvabulls |
| 1 | Miami Heat | HEAT Dancers |
15 Best NBA Cheerleadering Squad To Look For 2022
15. Indiana Pacers Dancers
The cheerleading team was formed in 1967. Since then, the team has been part of the Indiana Pacers.
They’re officially known as the Indiana Pacemates. Currently, there are 18 members in the squad.
The Pacemates team started the dance and entertainment programs during the middle half of the game. So there are the veterans of the new style of cheerleading.
They were also invited to perform at the NBA All-Star Game. Currently, they’re sponsored by Pepsi.
Indiana Pacemates have 17.8 K followers on Instagram. They have twenty dancers for the 2021-22 season.
On December 1, 2022, Indiana Pacers had an amazing time in Princeton for the @JAKKStoys giveaway tour.
As part of the Season of Giveaway, they provided thousands of toys to children across the state by @PapaJohns.
14. Washington Wizard Dancers
Unlike many other cheerleading teams, the Washington Wizard Dancers have both male and female dancers on their teams. There are 15 members on the dance team.
Until 2018 they had only female dancers. But, since the 2018-19 season, they have hired both male and female dancers.
The cheerleading team also rebranded itself after changing its name in 1997. Previously, they were known as the Capital Bullets.
They have a total of 15.7 K followers on Instagram. Similarly, they have more than 7.3 K followers on Facebook.
The Wizards also have a senior dance team Wizdom.
As of 2022, the last weeks of November were a winning week for the Washington wizard dancers.
They had their last game for Cancer Awareness game and ended it with a Wizards Win!
13. New York Knicks Dancers
The New York Knicks Dancers is among the best cheerleading teams in the NBA. They recently celebrated their Silver jubilee.
In these twenty-five years, they have set the bar for entertainment. Compared to the other dancing teams, they also spend more on their production.
Alyssa Quezada is the coach of the team. Similarly, Amanda Pierce is the director of the team. Currently, there are nineteen female dancers on the team.
New York Knicks Dancers have 31.6 K followers on Instagram.
According to a Garden source, Knicks Owner James Dolan Reportedly Wants NY’s Dancers’ rebranding in 2022.
The Garden sources say, “We want to make them bigger and better, so they aren’t just cheerleaders anymore.
The tap-dance number performed during the first week of November was evidence of the plan to make the routines more “classy.”
Depending on the game, the number of routines varies. According to the report, Dolan wanted the dancers to focus more on throwing T-shirts than dancing.
According to the source, that is not the restructuring intention.
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12. Los Angeles Lakers Dancers
The Los Angeles Lakers Dancers are also known as Laker Girls. They are the cheerleaders for Los Angeles Lakers team in the NBA.
The Laker Girls were formed in 1979. During that time, very few NBA teams had cheerleaders. Therefore, they are the most famous cheerleading squad.
Currently, there are 18 Lakers Girls on the team. One of the previous cheerleaders, Paula Abdul, also choreographed ‘Torture’ by Micheal Jackson.
The Lakers Girl has 170 K followers on Instagram. Therefore they are the most followed cheerleader squad in the NBA.
They also perform cheerleading for other organizations. Some notable Lakers Girls alumni are Emily Harper and Tina Landon.
In 2022, Los Angeles Lakers Dancers are doing tryouts for 2022-2023 in the current moments and performing in the Lakers games correspondingly.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers Dancers
The Cleveland Cavaliers Dancers are a unique team. Most other NBA teams only have a single cheerleading squad.
The main cheerleading squad is known as the Cavs Powerhouse. It includes both men and women.
The entertainment package focuses on tricks, tumbling, and dynamic choreography. Currently, they have nineteen dancers and performers on their squad.
However, the Cleveland Cavaliers also have other entertainment packages. The other teams include Scream Team, a Street-Style Hip-Hop dance team.
Other teams are 216STIX, Pogoliers, The Minis, and Dancing Dads.
Pride Night: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder was performed by Cleveland Cavalier’s dancers.
The venue was Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on December 6, 2022, at 8:00 pm.
It is presented by the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland and aims to improve the lives of the diverse LGBTQ+ community through advocacy, support, education, and celebration; it received funding from the in-game 50/50 raffle.
10. Orlando Magic Dancers
Orlando Magic Dancers is the tenth team on the 15 best NBA cheerleaders list. The team is called Magic Dancers.
After the 2019 season, the Orlando Magic Dancers began including men dancers also. Previously, once female dancers above 21 were included in the dance group.
Some of the notable alumni include Trinity McCray, a WWE Wrestler, and Sandy Fox, a Voice actress. The Orlando Magic team has other groups for entertainment programs.
The 407 is a co-ed hip-hop team. Apart from that, there’s also the 321 Hype and Magic Beatz.
The dancers for the Orlando Magic Dancers are some of the lowest-paid cheerleaders in the NBA.
In 2022, Orlando Magic Dancers celebrated Veterans Day by honoring all brave men and women for their time, sacrifice, and service to this country.
9. Philadelphia 76ers Dancers
The ninth team on the 15 best NBA cheerleaders list is Philadelphia 76ers Dancers. They’re officially known as Sixers Dancers.
Currently, they have nineteen dancers on their team. All of the dancers are female.
The 76ers entertainment team has 14.4 K followers on Instagram. They have had the same cheerleading team since 2017-18.
The audition for the new dancers occurs in June. Currently, they are auditioning only female dancers for the team.
Philadelphia 76ers are calling all dancers, acrobats, gymnasts, trickers,76ers fans, and break dancers to join 76ers dancers with enthusiasm and the best team spirit for the 2022-23 NBA Season as the 2022 auditions are on.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves Dancers
The Minnesota Timberwolves Dancers is officially known as the Timberwolves Dance Team. The current team is made of all-female dancers.
Currently, the Timberwolves Dancers have just selected their new team. The audition for new dancers took place in September.
In 2024, they have 11.4 K followers on Instagram.
Wolves dances had a 2022 bonding session sponsored by @barrys and @yeahthatsright for a fun night, as they posted about it on Instagram.
7. Atlanta Hawks Dancers
Atlanta Hawks Dancers is the number seven cheerleading squad on our list of top 15 NBA cheerleaders. Hawks Dancers is also a co-ed dance group.
The dancers include Alexis, Ashley, Calvin, Demonte, Haley, Isabel, Jada J., Jada L., Jaleah. Similarly, Jasmine, Jayla, Kennedy, Lee, Lexi, Lindsay, Meghan, Manami, Stephanie, and Tori are other dancers.
The recent team of dancers was selected through the auditions. Apart from the team event, the Hawks Dancers also perform at other events. They also organize different fan meet-up events.
Similarly, they have more than 19.7 K followers on Instagram. Their notable alumni include Deneen Graham, Miss North Carolina, Kaulin Reque, and Miss Georgia USA.
Atlanta Hawks Dancers were seen performing for Kids Night with the fantastic seven years old dancer @esenya_miss in the 2022 event.
6. Celtics Dancers
Celtics Dancers are one of the most famous NBA cheerleading squads. The team has a total of 17 female dancers.
The dancers are selected from all around the country. Similarly, the dancers can dance in different forms of dance.
The team currently comprises Alena, Alicia, Brianna, Cassidy, Dannea, Gabrielle, Janelle, Kiki, and Mackenzie. Other dancers are Mazie, Nichole, Shannon, Sydney, Taylor, Tony, Vanessa F, and Vanessa O.
Celtics Dancers have over 30.9 K followers on Instagram. Like other teams, this team also performs at every home game. Apart from that, they also perform at other Celtics and community events.
The team will be auditioning for new dancers soon. Dancers over 21 can apply to be part of Celtics Dancers.
Celtics dancers have announced auditions for the 2022-2023 season since October 8, 2022, and are ready to add new exceptional dancing spirits to their team.
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5. Los Angeles Clippers Dancers
One of the most famous cheerleading squads in the NBA is Los Angeles Clippers Dancers. They even have a reality tv show. The show premiered on E! cable network.
The Clippers Dancers are known for their complex choreography. Therefore, the fans love the Clippers Dancers.
The members of Clippers Dancers are Bernie, Blair, Brianna, Brooke, Chelsea, Claudia, Courtney, Emily, Gabri, Hannah, Karissa, Katy, Lizzie, Mariah, Savanna, Shannon, Tarra, Taylor, Tori, and Walesska.
The team usually hires the best choreographer for almost every dance performance. Hence, each of their dance routines is unique and entertaining.
Similarly, the team has 35.9 K followers on Instagram.
Clippers dancers were seen last performing in the game night Clippers vs. Charlotte Hornets, in which the Clippers won on December 5, 2022.
4. Phoenix Suns Dancers
The fourth entry on our list is Phoenix Suns Dancers. The team is comprised of dancers from different genres of dance.
The Phoenix Suns Dancers are trained in jazz, ballet, contemporary, ballroom, and hip-hop. Therefore, the dancers must be skilled in different dance forms to enter Phoenix Suns Dancers.
Apart from the usual home game, the Sun Dancers also participate in the team’s community programs and other events conducted by sponsors. Along with it, they also held several events with fans.
The alumni of Sun Dancers are Brittany Bell, Miss Arizona USA. Apart from that, the cheerleaders of Phoenix Sun have also participated in The Bachelor.
The Suns Dancers performed with male performers for the first time in their 30-year history.
Adrian Curiel and Kahlil Harris perform with the Suns Artists during the game against the New York Knicks at Impression Center in Phoenix for 2022.
3. Warriors Dance Team
Warriors Dance Team is the third team on our list of top 15 cheerleading squads to look for this year. The list of dancers for the 2021-22 season was recently announced.
The team includes Courtney, Licy, Kelsey, Ceci, Chelsey, Milan, RJ, Areli, Nelie, Malia, Sierra H., Kyra, Karrie, Nicola, Kiara, Leann, Sierra G., Margie, Charity, and Zoe.
Natalie Alvarado is the manager of the team. Additionally, she is also the coach for the Rockets Powers Dancers.
Similarly, the Warriors Dance Team has earned 100 K followers on Instagram as of 2024.
Apart from performing in team matches in 2022, they have organized a dance clinic broadcasted by Chase Center for kids.
2. Chicago Luvabulls
The second team on our list is Chicago Luvabulls. They’re also one of the most followed cheerleading squads on Instagram.
Hence, they are prevalent among the fans. Fans love their performances and cheer for them.
The dancers include Alaina, Claudia, Colleen, Courtney, Emily D, Emily P, Emma, Erika, Gabi, Hannah, Jade, Julia D, Julia P, Katie, Kellie, Klaudia, Melanie, Rachel, Savannah, and Taylor.
Chicago Luvabulls has more than 131 K followers on Facebook. Additionally, they have almost 50.8 K followers on Instagram.
Their notable alumni include Shanon Lersch, Miss Illinois 2008, and Ashely Bond, Miss Illinois 2009.
In 2022, Chicago Luvabulls gave exceptional performances with on-point costumes and themes, including Halloween and veteran day performances.
1. Miami Heat Dancers
The first team to rank on the top of our list is Miami Heat Dancers. They are perhaps the most famous cheerleading squad with many notable alumni.
The dancing team includes Aaliyah, Alexandra, Alyssa A., Alyssa C., Aniyah, Ariana, Bianca, Celina, Chelsea, Gabriela, Haylee, Jakirah, Katie, Krizia, Lea, Melissa, Nicole R., Nicole S., Sydney, and Vanessa.
Miami Heat Dancers have 78.6 K followers on Instagram. They’re the second most followed dance team on Instagram.
Their notable alumni include Jessica Sutta, an actress; Layla El, actresses Trista Rehn and Jenni Croft, contestants on The Bachelor; and Kristina Akra, a reporter.
In the course of 2022, Miami Heat Dancers has started a mentorship program with @girlsincmiami!
The program continues to grow the relationship of Miami Heat with the mentees from @seedmiami to inspire them to be strong, bright, and bold.
Conclusion
Do you agree with our list? Which are your favorite cheerleading squads in the NBA?
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