The NBA is a league that is really fuelled by its superstars. Be it the seemingly never aging LeBron James or international superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, these stars become a winning condition for a team. Given the impact a single superstar can have on a team, it isn’t a surprise to see a select few players being paid handsomely.
This is also visible in teams tending to build superteams containing two or three superstars in order to contend for a championship. In a league that is dictated by its stars, these talented players can often have some outlandish demands from the teams they sign to.
Some players though go above and beyond that, going absolutely against the contract just to get their demands fulfilled and rightly are referred to as the Divas of the NBA. In a Reddit discussion, multiple fans discussed which players are the biggest ‘Divas’ in the league.
Who are the NBA “Diva” players?
Not everyone has the same definition of “diva”, but if players go against the contract they signed to get what they want (new team, etc etc) I think that constitutes as a diva, as a starting point.
To be fair though, there are a lot of hot take journalists making unfair assumptions on players choices so keep that in mind.
Who are the NBA divas in today’s league?
One team certainly stuck out, the Brooklyn Nets. Boasting the likes of Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, the Nets were often the butt of all jokes.
“Kyrie would be a wide receiver if he went to the NFL bc he’s diva af”
“legit kyrie KD and Simmons”
“Fucking crazy how three of the four least likable guys in the NBA are on the same team.”
“Brooklyn Nets First team All-Diva”
“Ben Simmons”
“I’d say Ben Simmons but he’s gotta play first to be considered a player”
“Kyrie, kd, harden, ben simmons, virtually every player in either the top 10 players or under 25 years old”
“Number one diva: Ben Simmons Number two diva: Kyrie Irving”
“Sucks to be a Nets fan. Lol”
“KD, Kyrie, Harden, Simmons, Kawhi, AD, Westbrick”
While some Nets fans might be a bit upset with these comments, it is easy to see why the NBA community sees the new Nets Big 3 as divas of the NBA.
Simmons is coming off of a season where he did not play a single NBA game despite being fit for most of the season. Denying to suit up for the 76ers all season long, the 6’10” guard forced his way out of the franchise and was eventually traded from the organization.
Kyrie Irving meanwhile missed the majority of the season due to the multiple COVID-19 protocols as he did not vaccinate himself. Only suiting up for 29 regular-season games last season, it isn’t shocking to see why the NBA world sees him as a diva in the league.
The Nets certainly have a massive decision at their hand in the off-season. While Irving has frustrated Brooklyn fans for multiple reasons, he has been exceptional in the games he has suited up for the Nets. Given that Brooklyn can either sign him to an extension or lose him for free next season, GM Sean Marks has a big decision on his hand. We might be seeing the collapse of the new Brooklyn Nets Big 3 before it ever came into fruition.
