I'm really interested to hear what people have to say about the topic simply because I feel that here in Portland we have alot of the factors that make up a sizable market here.

Does it really come down to just having a larger populated city?

Some of my thoughts are:
1. having an extremely loyal fan base (check!)
2. having an owner who will do whatever he can for the team to be successful? (check! no pun inteded)
3. having lots of games televised nationally? (we have had alot of games this year on ESPN and TNT, more than i ever remember seeing in the past)
4. creating national buzz and headlines on a consistant basis? (for good reasons)

What do you all think the factors are in being a large market in the NBA?