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The players you love to hate
Over the course of NBA history we've seen revered players like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and more recently Stephen Curry, but the nature of sports dictates that one team's hero is always another team's villain.
With that in mind, we've picked out every NBA team's all-time most hated player. Since hate can come from a lot of sources (opposing fans, opposing players, even teammates), we were sure to highlight exactly why each player was so reviled.
Without further ado, here's a look at each team's most despised player.
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Atlanta Hawks
Player: Marvin Williams
Hated by: Hawks fans
Why? Williams wasn't a bad player for Atlanta by any means, but he was doomed by his draft position. The North Carolina product was taken No. 2 overall in 2005, which isn't terrible in and of itself -- every team has a bust every once in a while -- but Williams happened to be taken just ahead of two All-Star point guards: Deron Williams and Chris Paul. There's no coming back from that in the minds of Atlanta fans.
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Boston Celtics
Player: Paul Pierce
Hated by: Opposing fans
Why? Pierce is one of the best players in Celtics history, and one of the most hated by opposing fans throughout the league. The Inglewood, California native was one of the NBA's biggest trash talkers and frustrated no team more than his hometown Lakers. The 2008 wheelchair incident cemented his fate as the Celtics' most hated player of all time.
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Brooklyn Nets
Player: Kris Humphries
Hated by: General public
Why? Poor Hump. The hate for Humphries actually has nothing to do with what he did on the court -- his sole crime in fans' eyes was marrying into the Kardashian family. Shortly after tying the knot with Kim in the summer of 2011, Humphries was voted as the NBA's most disliked player. Even though Kardashian filed for divorce just 72 days later, Humphries' reputation didn't see much of a bump.
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Charlotte Hornets
Player: Alonzo Mourning
Hated by: Opposing fans, opposing players
Why? Mourning's intensity on the court was second to none, and it often rubbed his opponents the wrong way. He did nothing to discourage this reputation when, later in his career as a member of the Heat, he got into a well-publicized brawl with former Hornets teammate Larry Johnson.
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Chicago Bulls
Player: Joakim Noah
Hated by: Opposing fans (Cleveland, in particular)
Why? Dennis Rodman was up for consideration, but he was more eccentric than despised. Noah was hated in college at Florida, and it carried right on over into the NBA with the Bulls. His trash talk, gestures to the crowd and occasional rant about Cleveland's lack of appeal as a city make him the most hated Chicago Bull of all time.
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Player: Matthew Dellavedova
Hated by: Opposing players, fans
Why? Dellavedova was accused of intentionally trying to injure Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver and Al Horford -- and that was just in the 2015 playoffs. In an anonymous 2016 poll of coaches and players, Delly was voted the dirtiest player in the NBA. Nothing will get you more hated than people thinking you're trying to hurt their players.
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Dallas Mavericks
Player: Jason Kidd
Hated by: Dallas fans
Why? The lowly Mavericks were on the verge of a potential dynasty back in the mid-90s, with the Triple-J Ranch in full effect -- Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson. Unfortunately it didn't last, as Kidd voiced his unhappiness and essentially forced a trade to the Suns in 1996. The hate was finally tempered in 2011, when Kidd returned to the team and helped lead the Mavericks to their first championship.
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Denver Nuggets
Player: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Hated by: Opposing fans, own fans
Why? In 1996 Abdul-Rauf made the controversial decision not to stand for the playing of the national anthem before games based on religious beliefs. He said at the time: "I don't criticize those who stand, so don't criticize me for sitting." Opposing fans booed him mercilessly and Abdul-Rauf was out of the league at 29.
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Detroit Pistons
Player: Bill Laimbeer
Hated by: Opposing fans, players, possibly his own mother
Why? Sound the alarm, the Hate Meter is at an all-time high. Laimbeer is arguably the most universally hated player in NBA history -- his dirty play, constant complaining and general arrogance seems to have rubbed everyone the wrong way. It worked for the Pistons, however, as Laimbeer helped lead them to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.
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Golden State Warriors
Player: Rick Barry
Hated by: Opposing fans, players, teammates, media
Why? You might be expecting Draymond Green here, but if that's the case then you probably aren't old enough to remember Rick Barry. Call it a talent, but Barry has been able to alienate and annoy pretty much everybody who's ever come into his path -- both during his career and afterward. If it weren't for his tremendous ability on the court (career 24.8 points per game, led the Warriors to the 1975 NBA title), he never would have made it in the league as long as he did.
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Houston Rockets
Player: Vernon Maxwell
Hated by: Opposing fans, own fans, teammates
Why? Mad Max was a great scorer when under control, but certainly lived up to his nickname when he occasionally went off the rails. In 1995 he was suspended 10 games and fined $20,000 for running into the stands to punch a Portland fan during a game. That same year he faked a hamstring injury and missed some playoff games, later admitting that he wasn't hurt at all -- he was upset that he was losing playing time to Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
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Indiana Pacers
Player: Reggie Miller
Hated by: Opposing fans, particularly in New York
Why? Reggie's constant complaining and trash talking already made him one of the most hated in the league, but giving avid Knicks fan Spike Lee the choke sign during a 1994 playoff game cemented him as one of the most hated in league history -- except in Indiana, of course.
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Los Angeles Clippers
Player: Chris Paul
Hated by: Opposing fans, Clipper fans (recent development)
Why? Chris Paul was once the savior of the Clippers franchise, but that's all down the drain now that he was granted his request for a trade to the Rockets. Paul was already losing favor with opposing fans and Clipper fans alike due to his constant chatter and complaining during games. He also failed to lead Los Angeles to the Western Conference Finals in any of his six seasons with the Clippers.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Player: Kobe Bryant
Hated by: Opposing fans, own players, own coaches, Shaquille O'Neal
Why? Was there ever any doubt? The hatred for Kobe burns with the fire of 1,000 suns, and the only thing that prevents him from being a 10 on the scale is the fact that he's absolutely worshiped in Los Angeles. Kobe's been known to ignore and badger his own teammates to the point of disgust (Shaq being the most noteworthy example), and he was never afraid to give one of his coaches a death glare.
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Memphis Grizzlies
Player: Zach Randolph
Hated by: Portland fans, opposing players
Why? Randolph is beloved in Memphis, so it's hard to think of him as despised, but just talk to some Blazers fans. Randolph failed to live up to his potential in Portland, being cited for underage drinking and later breaking teammate Ruben Patterson's eye socket with a punch during practice. On the court, anybody who plays as physical as Randolph is bound to hit opponents with some elbows, so he's surely not a favorite to play against. He also didn't endear himself to his new Kings fan base by getting arrested for marijuana possession before ever taking the court.
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Miami Heat
Player: LeBron James
Hated by: Opposing fans, entire city of Cleveland
Why? The hate for LeBron has diminished since his return to Cleveland, but during his tenure with the Heat you'd be hard-pressed to find an NBA fan outside of South Florida who didn't despise him. After the absurdity of The Decision and the firework-laden Miami pep rally where he predicted seven NBA titles, LeBron was easily the most hated man in the NBA for four years.
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Milwaukee Bucks
Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Hated by: Media, opposing fans, opposing players
Why? Kareem is undoubtedly one of the top five NBA players of all time, but for some reason nobody seems to like him. He rubbed pretty much everyone he met the wrong way, which led to him being unable to secure a prominent coaching job in the NBA after his playing career -- he was turned down during the Bucks' search for a head coach in 2013.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
Player: Kevin Garnett
Hated by: Opposing fans, opposing players
Why? Garnett's legendary intensity was great for whichever team he was on -- not so much for the opponent. The future Hall of Famer was notorious for jumping up and goaltending shots that opposing players took after the whistle, just so they wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing the ball go in the basket. He was also known for setting dirty screens and dishing out random elbows, so it's easy to see why other teams and their fans hated seeing him on the court.
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New Orleans Pelicans
Player: DeMarcus Cousins
Hated by: Opposing fans, officials, own fans, teammates
Why? The Pelicans' history doesn't date back very far, so one of their newest additions is already their all-time most hated player. Cousins had a chance to cultivate a new persona after coming over from Sacramento -- but he didn't. Known for constantly complaining to officials, leading the league in technical fouls and alienating his teammates, Cousins' reputation will need some serious damage control if he's going to turn things around in The Big Easy.
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New York Knicks
Player: Charles Oakley
Hated by: Opposing players, opposing fans, officials
Why? Oak was -- and still is -- a tough customer. A fan favorite in New York, Oakley was a bruiser who wasn't afraid to get into the occasional scuffle on the court. When there's an article out there listing the top 12 fights of your career, you know you're one of the most hated players in league history.
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Player: Kevin Durant
Hated by: Thunder fans, Russell Westbrook
Why? This was a no-brainer. Durant sealed his fate as the most hated player in Thunder/Sonics history when he jumped ship to the 73-win Warriors just months after nearly eliminating them from the playoffs. KD may have made the right decision for himself, but he'll have to live with the fact that he'll likely be hated in OKC for at least the duration of his career -- maybe for the rest of his life.
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Orlando Magic
Player: Dwight Howard
Hated by: Own teams, opposing fans, opposing players, teammates
Why? There may be no other player in the league right now who is as universally despised as Dwight Howard. Once viewed as a franchise cornerstone who took the Magic to the NBA Finals, Howard's reputation slowly eroded and was fully destroyed when he demanded a trade and basically got Stan Van Gundy fired as coach. He then had notoriously poor chemistry with teammates in Los Angeles and Houston before Atlanta took a chance on him for a season -- then traded him to Charlotte for Miles Plumlee. Needless to say, Dwight is persona non grata in Orlando.
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Philadelphia 76ers
Player: Allen Iverson
Hated by: Opposing fans, high school coaches
Why? Pretty much anyone who watched him closely respected how hard Iverson played, but it was his off-court issues that made him the most hated 76er of all time. He had numerous legal issues, including alleged domestic violence and urinating in a trash can, but it was his rant against the virtues of practice that made him public enemy No. 1 with coaches at all levels across the world.
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Phoenix Suns
Player: Charles Barkley
Hated by: Opposing fans, opposing players, officials
Why? Before he was one of the NBA's most popular TV personalities, Barkley was as tough as they come during his playing days. He was involved in more than one fight in his career, but his "I am not a role model" Nike commercial is what got him the most negative publicity.
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Portland Trail Blazers
Player: Rasheed Wallace
Hated by: Referees, opposing fans, occasionally own fans
Why? Wallace was one of the most talented big men in the NBA during his time in Portland, but you never knew if he would actually make it to the end of the game. Sheed was a technical foul machine, breaking his own NBA record with 41 technical fouls in 2000-01. He was later cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession after being pulled over for speeding in 2002.
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Sacramento Kings
Player: Vlade Divac
Hated by: Opposing fans, opposing players
Why? Vlade was one of the best passing big men the game has seen, and by all accounts a great teammate. But he gets the title of most hated for perpetuating one of the most vile aspects of the modern NBA: Flopping. In his many battles with Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers, Vlade became known as "Floppy Divac" and even had opposing fans make flopping dolls in his likeness.
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San Antonio Spurs
Player: Bruce Bowen
Hated by: Opposing players, opposing fans
Why? Bowen helped pave the way for the "3-and-D guy" in the modern NBA, and boy did players hate matching up with him. Not only did Bowen make opponents' lives a living hell on the defensive end, but he also was repeatedly accused of intentionally trying to injure players by sliding under their feet as they landed after jump shots. Being perceived as trying to injure people is a surefire ticket to the Most Hated Hall of Fame.
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Toronto Raptors
Player: Andrea Bargnani
Hated by: Own fans
Why? Raptors fans are pretty loyal, so they don't often hate their own. Even Vince Carter, who was reviled for many years in Toronto after publicly quitting on the team, now receives standing ovations when he returns. But there's absolutely no love for Bargnani, a former No. 1 overall pick who showed scoring ability but a lack of desire in pretty much all other facets of the game. As a result, Raptors fans booed him mercilessly during his final two seasons in Toronto.
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Utah Jazz
Player: John Stockton
Hated by: Opposing fans, opposing players
Why? Don't let the unassuming appearance fool you -- Stockton was one tough dude. He is the NBA's all-time leader in steals, and you don't get to that level without administering your fair share of forearms and elbows. Stockton was known for his
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Washington Wizards
Player: Elvin Hayes
Hated by: Opposing fans, own coaches, teammates
Why? There was never a doubt about Hayes' talent, but his fickle personality and reluctance to pass got him in trouble with fans and teammates alike. Hayes had a well publicized feud with fellow Bullets big man Wes Unseld, and former assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff once described Hayes as being "eight different people," saying "you never knew what to expect."
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