The first round of the NBA Draft has concluded, with Cooper Flagg headling the class as expected. There's plenty of time to analyze how each pick will impact their team ahead of the regular season tip. But in the immediate aftermath, Rotowire was curious. What prospects are already seeing a boon from their new fanbase after the 2025 NBA Draft?
Utilizing the personal Instagram accounts of each player selected during the first round, we were able to secure the growth of each prospects' social media from Tuesday, June 24th at 9:00 ET to Thursday, June 26th at 9:00 ET.
Top 10 Social Media Followers Added By Draft Prospects
Rank | Player | Team | # of Followers Added* |
1 | Dallas Mavericks | 100,000 | |
2 | San Antonio Spurs | 35,000 | |
3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 22,000 | |
4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 18,300 | |
5 | San Antonio Spurs | 17,600 | |
6 | Phoenix Suns | 16,700 | |
7 | Utah Jazz | 13,000 | |
8 | Toronto Raptors | 10,900 | |
9 | New Orleans Pelicans | 10,600 | |
10 | Brooklyn Nets | 9,500 |
Cooper Flagg Leads 2025 NBA Draft Social Media Surge
To little surprise, Flagg added the most followers on Draft night, with the former Duke big man headed to Dallas to pair up with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Flagg was one of the most expected No. 1 picks in recent memory, but it still appears some fans waited to follow him until he was officially in the Association.
Behind Flagg were the two players who were immediately drafted after him in Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe, while Thomas Sorber (drafted 15th) surprisingly gained the 4th most followers as he joins the newly-crowned NBA champs in Oklahoma City.
Top 10 Social Media Percentage Growth By Draft Prospects
Rank | Player | Team | Percentage Growth* | |
1 | Portland Trail Blazers | 493.3% | ||
2 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 100.0% | ||
3 | Chicago Bulls | 85.7% | ||
4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 75.0% | ||
5 | Memphis Grizzlies | 59.7% | ||
6 | Toronto Raptors | 58.9% | ||
7 | San Antonio Spurs | 38.4% | ||
8 | Yanic Konan Niederhauser | Los Angeles Clippers | 36.4% | |
9 | Brooklyn Nets | 30.7% | ||
10 | Philadelphia 76ers | 29.7% |
Yang Hansen's Remarkable Social Media Growth Post-Draft
As to who saw the most percentage growth, look no further than Yang Hansen, who roundly added nearly 500% more followers after the Trail Blazers surprisingly took him at No. 16.
Who is Yang Hansen?
Plenty of other NBA fans apparently had the same question. Mostly projected as a mid-second round pick, the 7'1 Hansen joined Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian as the highest selected Chinese-born players in league history. Hansen was also on hand for his selection, which provided one of the more memorable moments of the night after the widely-expected Flagg selection.
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