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- Whether fans like them or not, big personalities are good for business. They make what's already a fast-paced game even more exciting, and can get people emotionally invested in games they otherwise might not have cared about. This effect works whether fans like or dislike a player, but it's arguably even stronger when fans see a player they hate. Fans will be more likely to watch and root against them, hoping that their least favorite villain finally gets their comeuppance on the court. The NBA functions very much like professional wrestling, in that sense.
The NBA has done a better job creating villains than pro wrestling or comic book movies in recent years. Any unscripted sport to have a lot of locker room drama unfolding on the court is bound to lead to fans reacting strongly. Quite a few players are now hated by a strong percentage of NBA fans for various reasons.
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Many of the scenarios feature some players who are loved if they are on your team, but they become a hated figure if you root against them. The stories range from some that enjoy being hated to others who struggle with it. Each instance is different in the start with similar endings playing out. The following NBA players are currently the most hated in the league.
UPDATE: 2023/10/03 18:00 EST BY LIZZY FLANAGAN
Whether fans like them or not, big personalities are good for business. They make what's already a fast-paced game even more exciting, and can get people emotionally invested in games they otherwise might not have cared about. This effect works whether fans like or dislike a player, but it's arguably even stronger when fans see a player they hate. Fans will be more likely to watch and root against them, hoping that their least favorite villain finally gets their comeuppance on the court. The NBA functions very much like professional wrestling, in that sense.
There are several players in the NBA today who are absolutely despised for one reason or another. Let's take a look at some names.
13 Rudy Gobert
Standing at 7'1", Rudy Gobert is an ideal asset for any basketball team. Unfortunately, his personality can make him more of a hindrance than a help. Gobert is probably most known for a viral clip of him from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; Gobert was answering questions at a press conference when he decided to make light of the incoming pandemic, mocking people's worry and going out of his way to touch every microphone on the table. Gobert tested positive for COVID just two days later.
12 Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball is only 25 years old, and yet he gets an absurd amount of hate from NBA fans. The vast majority of it isn't even his own fault; rather, his father Lavar Ball runs his mouth and makes fans turn against his sons as a consequence.
RELATED: Lonzo Ball's Disastrous Appearance On WWE Raw, ExplainedLonzo has also had a tough go at it in his NBA career so far. He was hyped up to be the next NBA megastar (mostly by his father), but has struggled with injuries ever since his rookie season.
11 Dillon Brooks
While many NBA players on this list are hated by fans more than their fellow players, Dillon Brooks is incredibly disliked by teammates and opponents alike. His most infamous beef happened with Klay Thompson; the two exchanged trash talk during a game, and Brooks seemed very happy to have gotten under Thompson's skin. Brooks was also once fined $35K for pushing a camera man during a game. All in all, Brooks is just a plain old jerk.
10 Chris Paul
Chris Paul is a very polarizing player in the NBA as he enters the final few years of his Hall of Fame career. Few players play as hard or as smart as Paul to make him a respected all-time great point guard, but his antics on the court can lead to hate heading his way.
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Opposing teams and fans will notice Paul’s potentially dirty plays or trying to use calls to his advantage in a shadier manner. Paul has a lot of people wanting to see him win a ring before he retires, but he’s also hated by even more fans and players.
9 Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers fans love Joel Embiid since he’s an incredible player, but his trolling nature can rub others the wrong way. Embiid loves to talk trash and rile up opposing teams by going extra with his theatrics on the court.
Negative run ins with Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns have shown how much Embiid frustrated them. The recent MVP caliber seasons of Embiid earned him more respect, but there is still a lot of resentment towards him in the league.
8 Grayson Allen
A role player being hated is rare in the NBA, but Grayson Allen has lived up to his negative reputation for years. Basketball fans loathed Allen most during his college basketball tenure at Duke due to his dirty plays to other players and whining when things didn’t go his way.
The NBA fan base also hates Allen after a few run ins with other players that made him look dirty as if he were attempting to cause injuries. Allen has been good enough to earn a consistent role player spot for years, but it seems unlikely he’ll never be loved.
7 Kyrie Irving
Things have spiraled worse every season for Kyrie Irving since his demand to get traded away from the Cleveland Cavaliers when growing tired of LeBron James. Irving didn’t fit in well with the Boston Celtics and was viewed as having attitude issues before departing.
The Brooklyn Nets have felt even more chaos from Kyrie after he missed most of the season after refusing to getting vaccinated and took off time the previous year without warning anyone. Irving’s prima donna actions caused most NBA fans to turn against him at some point.
6 Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook used to be a beloved player for the Oklahoma City Thunder putting up triple doubles and playing with pride after Kevin Durant left them. The flip side sees Westbrook’s emotions leading to loud trash talking on the court and complaining off it.
It has become clear that Westbrook isn’t self-aware to know that some of his bravado can cross the line. Westbrook doubled down during this recent woeful season with the Los Angeles Lakers that led to him losing many of his biggest supporters by talking big after disappointing games.
5 James Harden
Any NBA player forcing a trade once is going to get criticism, but someone doing it two years in a row is bound to get hate. James Harden pulled the same trick on the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets in back to back years.
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The Houston departure felt wrong since Harden seemingly intentionally came into training camp out of shape and didn’t give his all. Brooklyn had the same experience when he quit in his final Nets game putting up 4 points and sitting out after without an injury. Harden got his away again, but many fans and media took joy in his playoff failure.
4 Draymond Green
Draymond Green is a perfect example of the player that will be beloved by his home fans like the Golden State Warriors, but he can be hated easily by other fan bases. It rubs many people the wrong way that Green is the biggest trash talker despite the fourth or fifth best player on the team.
Trash talking and arguing for calls every single play will lead to many people showing their displeasure towards him. Draymond seems to love the dynamic of opposing fans hating him, and it has become a calling card in his career.
3 Patrick Beverley
Another player who thrives on being hated as part of his NBA persona is Patrick Beverley. The role player is never one of the top players on a roster, but he is perfect complimentary piece to play great defense and provide leadership.
Beverley makes it clear that he doesn’t care about anyone on the opposing team and even tries to instigate drama with them. Controversial moments like taking a cheap shot at Chris Paul when he was about to be eliminated from the playoffs or dirty plays injuring Russell Westbrook make him a hated figure.
2 Ben Simmons
The controversial departure of Ben Simmons from the Philadelphia 76ers made him a hated figure that entire season and moving forward. Simmons played poor after the 2021 elimination for the team and was thrown under the bus by comments from Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid.
The offseason anger saw Simmons demanding a trade and not suiting up due to mental problems. Simmons was finally moved to the Brooklyn Nets and couldn’t play there either. The promise to play in the Nets Game 4 against the Boston Celtics saw Simmons backing out when the team went down 0-3 to make him look even softer.
1 Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant was the most hated player in the NBA when he joined the Golden State Warriors to get some easy rings. The move to the Brooklyn Nets added some positive buzz to KD’s name when he had a tremendous 2021 postseason series, falling short to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Durant being the top player on his team again reminded the basketball world of just how great he is. However, a trade demand in the offseason has made him the most hated figure again. Durant naming the most dominant teams like the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics is making him hated again for another weak move.
