Four athletes are Lions fans on the record: Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Devin Booker and Josh Smith. Johnson and Booker have both said so in their own words, Johnson writing that the Lions are "the team I grew up cheering for" and Booker saying that watching Lions games every Sunday has always been family time. Barkley and Smith are in through outlet reports. None of the four is listed as a former fan.
Which athletes grew up Lions fans?
Two players have said their Lions fandom goes back to childhood. Magic Johnson was born in Lansing, Michigan, and went to Everett High School there. In a January 19, 2025 EssentiallySports report, he is quoted saying, "Good luck to my Commanders as we compete against the team I grew up cheering for today, the Detroit Lions." The line came on the day his Commanders played the Lions, so he was rooting for one team while naming the other as his childhood team.
Devin Booker was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended Grandville High School in Grandville, Michigan, before Moss Point High School in Moss Point, Mississippi. He told Sports Illustrated on January 18, 2025: "Just touching back into my roots, how I grew up. Every Sunday has always been family time, watching Lions games." Booker has spent his career with the Phoenix Suns, and his tie to Detroit's team comes from Michigan, not from anywhere he has played.
Which athlete is the most famous Lions fan?
Going by the names and the careers listed, Johnson and Barkley are the biggest. Johnson played for the Los Angeles Lakers and is the one with a confirmed, in-his-own-words Lions history. Barkley's career ran through the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets. Booker is the only current NBA player among the four, and he is a Suns player.
Which athletes are Lions fans only by report?
Barkley and Smith are the two cases where an outlet reported the fandom and no confirmation in the player's own words is on hand.
Sports Illustrated reported on January 25, 2024 that Barkley had a new attachment to Detroit, quoting him: "I have fell in love with the Detroit Lions." Barkley was born in Leeds, Alabama, and went to Leeds High School there, so unlike Johnson and Booker he has no Michigan background in the listings. The quote describes falling in love with the team, which reads as a more recent attachment than a childhood one, though no date for when it started is given.
CBS News Detroit (97.1 The Ticket) carried Smith's comment, with no date given for the report: "I'll be definitely going to a lot of Detroit Lions games when I can." Smith was born in College Park, Georgia, and his career took in the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sichuan Blue Whales and the New Orleans Pelicans. His time with the Pistons is the Detroit connection in his listing, and the quote is about attending games.
Which athletes used to be Lions fans?
No player is listed as a former Lions fan. All four count as current fans, though the dates differ. Johnson and Booker date theirs to childhood, while Barkley and Smith have no start date attached.
Questions people ask
Which athletes are Lions fans?
Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Devin Booker and Josh Smith. Johnson and Booker said it themselves, and Barkley and Smith were reported by outlets.
Which athletes grew up Lions fans?
Magic Johnson and Devin Booker. Johnson said the Lions were "the team I grew up cheering for," and Booker said Sundays growing up meant watching Lions games with family.
Which athlete is the most famous Lions fan?
Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley are the best-known names among the four. Johnson's fandom is confirmed in his own words, while Barkley's was reported by Sports Illustrated.
Is any athlete a Lions fan now?
Devin Booker, a current Phoenix Suns player, said in January 2025 that watching Lions games was part of growing up. The other three, Johnson, Barkley and Smith, are retired.