The Most Disliked Player On Every NBA Team

The NBA is one of the most popular sports leagues in the entire world, and a major reason is that it is extremely competitive. Fan bases support their teams with extreme dedication and bias and show up every night to watch the world’s greatest athletes play the game.

This also means that some fan bases develop animosity towards particular players, either due to the fact that they win often in their building or simply because disrespect was shown one way or the other. It is interesting to see how much hate there is around the NBA and most of it comes down to jealousy, bias, or competition.

Check out the most disliked player on every NBA team.

Atlanta Hawks – Trae Young

Trae Young is an elite offensive player, but for some reason, he is not well-appreciated. The miniature point guard bothers opposing fans because of his annoying taunting gestures when he is feeling “ice cold”. How many times have we seen Young shiver? Not to mention, Young has a polarizing style of play when he takes a lot of shots and has a high usage rate.

There are certainly fans out there that do not appreciate what the talented point guard brings to the court on a consistent basis. Knicks fans also greatly dislike Young because the point guard seems to fire back whenever chants start going around the arena. Young pokes fun at the fact that he does live “rent free” in Knicks fans’ heads. 

Boston Celtics – Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart is loved in Boston but hated everywhere else. He is an irritant so naturally, he will get under opposing fans’ skins consistently. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is also a serial flopper, an attribute that is not well-taken around the league.

Smart does anything in his power to take a charge and that means overselling hits tremendously. For Celtics fans, this strategy works for them because they want to win games. But for opposing fans, Smart’s flopping is simply irritating.

Brooklyn Nets – Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is certainly not favored in the NBA right now, after his quitting on the Philadelphia 76ers and failing to take the blame for his former team’s disastrous exit from the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. A talented star, Simmons should not be quitting on his team.

Fast forward another year, and the Simmons hate is still there. It can be argued that it has been growing because the All-Star cannot shoot a lick and is playing on the most polarizing team in NBA history. The Australian has a long way to go to become a fan favorite again.

Charlotte Hornets – Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges ruined his career with his off-court decisions and many NBA fans are not happy about that. Bridges was supposed to be LaMelo Ball’s sidekick in Charlotte going forward, but the polarizing forward will no longer be in the franchise’s plans.

Instead, Bridges seems to be out of the league right now and his behavior is not to be admired right now. Even as a player, Miles seems to get under people’s skins because he wants an edge in any way possible. LaMelo has his haters, but Bridges is less liked for sure.

Chicago Bulls – Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond has a ton of hate coming his way from NBA teams, fans, and coaches. Despite being a 4-time rebounding champion, Drummond has not found a home to become the player he could have been. He made 2 All-Star Teams but has become a journeyman and role player over the last few years.

Drummond has not developed an offensive game and was never a go-to scorer in the post. But he could rebound at an all-time great level, so why was he traded multiple times? The game has changed and Drummond has been left behind, which is a shame.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is disliked because of the never-ending drama surrounding him and Rudy Gobert in Utah. Mitchell was never able to shut down the rumors and showed a lack of leadership in terms of gathering the troops and focusing on winning with the Jazz.

Eventually, Mitchell (and Gobert) were traded out of Utah and the hopes of bringing a championship were dead. There are also doubts from fans and media about Mitchell being on the same level as other top guards around the league, and that only lends itself to more hate.

Dallas Mavericks – Luka Doncic

Opposing fans hate Luka Doncic because the Slovenian always seems to destroy their teams. Luka is a tremendous offensive player who can score and be a primary playmaker and is a triple-double threat on a nightly basis. The fact that Luka can dominate without elite explosiveness does cause jealousy around the league.

Luka is so talented that he doesn’t need a high vertical to dominate. He is strong and tremendously skilled, so opposing fans won’t accept that a European can destroy defenses year after year. Only one can imagine what would happen if Luka does win a championship at some point.

Denver Nuggets – Michael Porter Jr.

Michael Porter Jr. is a polarizing figure, certainly. For one, he is a player that takes a lot of shots and needs to be a volume shooter to get his rhythm. Next, his injury history has frustrated fans who have been unable to see the talented young man reach his best so far.

Porter Jr. also made some interesting comments in wake of the George Floyd incident, and while his comments were meant in good faith, it wasn’t well received. Porter Jr. will need to start reaching his potential soon and hopefully, he can finally stay healthy.

Detroit Pistons – Marvin Bagley III

Marvin Bagley III was supposed to be a star when the Sacramento Kings took him as No. 2 overall in 2018. The talented forward had size, athleticism, and a very high ceiling. Unfortunately, he has not reached his potential at all and we are not sure if he ever will.

Perhaps most importantly, the relationship between the player and the team is at an all-time worst because the Kings have been trying to get rid of the player for a few years now. Bagley III also does not want to play for Sacramento, and it’s just a frustrating situation all around.

Golden State Warriors – Draymond Green

Green seems to get under a player’s skin, and his beef with multiple players across the league is evidence of that. Green consistently gets into it with players on the floor, and his beef seems to run deep with a host of players. Not to mention, Green famously kicked opposing stars consistently in the past.

Green is loved by the Warriors and probably detested in most other buildings since he plays solely for the sake of his teammates and not to make highlight reels. The Jordan Poole incident only makes this more true, because Draymond is just becoming a more disliked figure.

Houston Rockets – Jalen Green

Jalen Green was a disaster in the Dunk Contest last year, and fans are blaming the young man for a horrible showing overall. But Green is also a polarizing figure with his style and on-court demeanor, mainly because he likes to flaunt his more feminine side off the court and is a score-first player on the court.

Green will be a star someday, but it will take time for him to reach that level. Until then, opposing fans want to see Green and the Houston Rockets fall by all means and the young man’s comments on Detroit have made him a target as well.

Indiana Pacers – Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield is a sharpshooter, or at least that is what people think he is. Hield is shooting almost 40% from three over his career, but why is he not wanted by the top teams in the league? Probably because of his very large contract.

But Hield is not necessarily liked after he admitted that Sacramento Kings fans are fickle and love you one minute, only to hate you the next. Now playing for the Pacers, Hield is involved in countless trade rumors and he could be on the move yet again.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George

George was supposed to be the franchise player for Indiana, the player who could bring them to the promised land. But it never turned out the way, instead of wanting out of Indiana and basically willing his way out. George now is part of a near superteam alongside Kawhi Leonard with the Clippers.

Obviously, that path lends itself to intense hate. Fanbases don’t want to welcome George at any time and will feel that the player jumps around too much in order to win. His struggles in the playoffs also run people the wrong way, but George has a massive chance to start rebuilding love if he can win a title in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Lakers – Russell Westbrook

Russ used to earn a lot of respect from his peers and even across many fanbases. But the hate the point guard is experiencing has been unprecedented. Everywhere he goes, fans are goofing on the former MVP. The scrutiny from the media has been at an all-time high as well.

Westbrook does deserve some blame for not improving his shooting ability and his inability to cooperate with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles has been the biggest factor. It is a shame a former MVP has to end his career like this, but that is the reality for the once-respected point guard.

Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant

Ja Morant is young, rich, talented, outspoken, and overconfident. That checks all the boxes for a person being disliked across the world. The explosive point guard is tremendously aware of his abilities to dominate in the NBA, and he makes it known anytime he pulls off spectacular plays.

Ja has placed Memphis on the map as a legitimate title contender, despite them being so young and relatively inexperienced. The point guard has all the tools to be a dominant star in the league and he needs to go out and prove he can win a title soon. Grizzlies fans worship him, but Morant does have his fair share of haters.

Miami Heat – Tyler Herro

Anytime a player is as flashy as Tyler Herro on and off the court, he will have some hate. Herro has an interesting style and way of talking, and his attire is normally very unique. The spotlight is certainly on the young man constantly and he seems to enjoy the attention more than we would have thought.

Herro will continue to receive hate around the NBA Universe because he is talented, young, and just signed a big-money contract. If Tyler tones down his attire a little bit, he could see less hate, but it doesn’t seem that will happen anytime soon.

Milwaukee Bucks – Grayson Allen

Grayson Allen has been a solid signing for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he is considered an enemy in the NBA world. He injured Alex Caruso, one of the most popular NBA players in history, and did not make much of an effort to apologize either. For that alone, Grayson Allen is simply not a liked figure in the league.

Allen can shoot the ball well with a career average of 39.0% from three, but that does not appease any fans either. He has developed a reputation as a dirty player, and playing for Duke just puts an even bigger target on his back. No matter what, Allen is one of the most hated players in the league, but hopefully he can correct that image.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns had a rough few seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and many felt for him. But his recent comments about his own talents have placed a big target on his back, as many fans and media members do not believe the big man has achieved anything yet. Towns is extremely talented and with 3 All-Star appearances, he is a franchise cornerstone.

But is he good enough to claim that he is the best shooting big man ever? Probably not yet, because there was a man named Dirk Nowitzki who once destroyed defenses for over a decade and a half straight. Still, Towns (and Anthony Edwards) are becoming a duo nobody likes to root for outside of Minnesota.

New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson

The “fat shaming” of Zion Williamson was getting a tad out of hand last year. A player who was supposed to be the face of the league, Zion has suffered injury issues to start his career, and fans are frustrated by the player’s inability to stay healthy. Zion got his money, but will he work hard enough to become what we expect of him?

Of course, Williamson does indeed need to lose weight because having his type of explosiveness at his size won’t fly in terms of longevity. Zion has a chance to become a dominant star in the league, but fans need to be convinced he is motivated enough to get there.

New York Knicks – Julius Randle

Julius Randle started out his career in New York on the highest level possible, making an All-NBA Team and becoming one of the best young players in the world. But since the 2021 season, Randle’s production has declined and his attitude has seemingly changed. For New York Knicks fans, that is not good.

Randle seems to have some beef with Knicks fans who want to see more from the talented big man. Around the league, fans and media members do not understand how Julius can’t seem to realize that he is playing for one of the most storied franchises in American sports. Hopefully, Randle can benefit from the addition of Jalen Brunson and get back to playing his best ball.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a very talented young man, and that alone brings hate. He signed a big-money contract in Oklahoma City, and the talented player has yet to bring winning ways to the franchise. He is putting up solid numbers and improving his all-around game, but he has not managed to make the Thunder a playoff team yet.

The future in OKC looks bright with a host of young players surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander so the guard can reward the franchise for their faith in him in due time. But the Thunder are irrelevant right now, and as the best player on the team, Shai will have to take the bulk of whatever hate the team gets.

Orlando Magic – Jonathan Isaac

When is Jonathan Isaac going to play again? He has played 136 games over 5 seasons and has missed the last two years so far. Isaac was supposed to lead the charge in Orlando going forward, but he has fallen down the pecking order on his own team. Paolo Banchero will be the star going forward.

But Isaac has to be the least-liked member of the Orlando Magic team. The Magic are a very poor basketball team and have been for a while. They were making the playoffs, with Nikola Vucevic leading the way, but nobody expected much from them in the East. Unless Isaac can get to his best, fans will boo him.

Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers have two of the most disliked players on their roster: James Harden and Joel Embiid. Embiid takes the edge because his flopping has been at an all-time high in the past two seasons, even more so than Harden. The big man is a hound at drawing fouls.

Together, Embiid and Harden are a foul-drawing machine and referees can’t seem to stop giving them free throws. Add in the coaching of Doc Rivers and the 76ers have a team that nobody is rooting for. Embiid is a top-5 player in the world regardless, so as long as he continues being an MVP candidate, he will shut haters up.

Phoenix Suns – Devin Booker

Another example of a young man who is rich, talented, confident, and willing to engage in celebrity relationships. Booker is not the epitome of a “tough guy”, although he does try to compensate on the court with his trash talk at times.

For many fans, Booker is just not likable. He once scored 70 points in a single game… but lost. He trash-talks opponents constantly, and his complaining about double teams during a practice session just placed a huge target on his back. The Kardashian relationship certainly doesn’t help either…

Portland Trail Blazers – Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard should have forced his way out of Portland… at least that is what NBA fans believe. The talented point guard is constantly criticized for wanting to be a big fish in a small pond, but the Trail Blazers have played well enough to start the season so far.

Lillard’s loyalty to the franchise that drafted him is rubbing people the wrong way time and time again. Doesn’t Lillard want to win a championship? Does he only want to play for stats and money? No matter the hate that comes Lillard’s way, the All-Star is convinced he has been making the right decision to stay.

Sacramento Kings – De’Aaron Fox

De’Aaron Fox constantly receives criticism about his game. For one, he is a below-average shooter with a career 32.2% clip from beyond the arc. That won’t cut it for the best player on the team, and Fox has not improved his range until now. Next, many feel that the speedy point guard lacks natural playmaking ability.

Fox wants to prove to everybody that he can pass and can shoot, but it is taking him longer than expected. He seems to be more of a scorer than anything else, as he is incredibly quick when he attacks the rim. But until he can prove doubters wrong, critics will continue to disregard what the 24-year-old can really do.

San Antonio Spurs – Jakob Poeltl

Jakob Poeltl is a huge man on the court and does not have the most charming expressions either. He just looks rough and has a tendency to get physical in the paint. Standing 7’1” and weighing 245 lbs, the Austrian center is just a massive figure moving around the court. He has been a solid role player for the Spurs, regardless.

Averaging 7.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG over his career so far, Jakob is a solid backup big man who has actually started a ton of games for the rebuilding Spurs. The center can rebound, block shots, and defend the rim, but he isn’t the most liked because of his boring playing style.

Toronto Raptors – Pascal Siakam

Pascal Siakam had an extremely impressive run with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, despite flying under the radar as the sidekick to Kawhi Leonard. He rewarded Toronto’s trust in him by competing hard on defense, scoring the ball, and being a rebounder. Siakam had a massive role in the Raptors winning the championship.

Fast forward to 2022, and Siakam is under constant criticism. He has not improved his game that much since his breakout season, and many fans and media members feel he is overrated. Is that true? Possibly. With the arrival of Scottie Barnes, Siakam is no longer the biggest star in Toronto and he is gaining hate because of that. He has been playing well so far this season, so hopefully, he can lessen the hate coming his way once and for all.

Utah Jazz – Kelly Olynyk

Without a doubt, Kelly Olynyk is the most hated player in the Utah Jazz fanbase. There are a host of reasons why the aggressive big man is disliked. For one, Kelly Olynyk tried to break Kevin Love’s arm in the NBA playoffs, in one of the most bizarrely dirty plays we have seen in a very long time.

Love was thankfully ok, but Cavaliers fans will never forget that moment. Olynyk also has transgressions against a host of other players including Pascal Siakam and Brook Lopez. Players should be wary because Kelly will be over-aggressive at some point during the game.

Washington Wizards – Kristaps Porzingis

The Knicks booed the heck out of the Porzingis draft signing when Phil Jackson was in charge, only to be left shocked at what they saw. Porzingis developed into an amazing talent, and many dubbed him “The Unicorn” for his unique ability on the floor. Unfortunately, Porzingis seemingly returned the favor of being booed by asking for a trade and leaving the Knicks without any real All-Star talent.

Porzingis forced his way out of New York, and he was a disaster with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Doncic. The big man was traded to Washington after the hoopla in New York, and he has declined across the board. We might never see “The Unicorn” reach star status again, and that is a massive shame. 

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