Why does the NBA fan base not respect the best NBA players?

[StrongLurk]

Quite an odd development right? I guess we can thank "social media" and anonymous posting for so much toxicity.

Literally the best players of all time have the MOST haters, which seems backwards to me. I think even MJ himself would be massively hated and clowned on if he played in the NBA over the last 5-10 years. Just a shame, I think a lot of sport fan bases on spiraling into this toxicity. We KNOW mainstream sports media is mostly about hot takes and "got you" moments. Shit is sad and so low brow. Idk, I mean old generations completely shit on new players and vice versa...like where is the respect for basketball ability? Maybe too many people are just miserable people and can't help put spread bullshit everywhere.

[Shogon]

Quite an odd development right? I guess we can thank "social media" and anonymous posting for so much toxicity.

Literally the best players of all time have the MOST haters, which seems backwards to me. I think even MJ himself would be massively hated and clowned on if he played in the NBA over the last 5-10 years. Just a shame, I think a lot of sport fan bases on spiraling into this toxicity. We KNOW mainstream sports media is mostly about hot takes and "got you" moments. Shit is sad and so low brow. Idk, I mean old generations completely shit on new players and vice versa...like where is the respect for basketball ability?

Social media. The ability for fans to personally reach out to players in any given second of any given day and let the bullshit flow through their fingers with no repercussions.

Click bait culture with sports analysts... ESPN has personally pushed Kobe and LeBron as being "the next Michael Jordan" and or "better than Michael Jordan?" for years... it helps with ratings.

People eat this shit up.

But yes, technology is the major root of all the hate.

[AlternativeAcc.]

You answered the question in the OP

Money and clout is what has driven the human race for many centuries

Skip makes more money being a 'hater', this random guy on Twitter gets more clout by 'trolling' lebron... hate/controversey/FEAR... they all sell!

Nobody wants a Luke warm take. Nobody wants to be boring.

[ArbitraryWater]

Its the same in tennis.


If you didnt win the last slam you suck.

All the best players are hated on.

Its actually a lot better in basketball imo than in tennis.

[StrongLurk]

You answered the question in the OP

Money and clout is what has driven the human race for many centuries

Skip makes more money being a 'hater', this random guy on Twitter gets more clout by 'trolling' lebron... hate/controversey/FEAR... they all sell!

Nobody wants a Luke warm take. Nobody wants to be boring.

this is pretty true, but I think it's because the NBA fanbase is not the smartest...most of them are probably looking for hot/quick takes since they only know the game from a very casual view point. I guess the NBA is at fault too for ONLY marketing superstars and not marketing teams...fairweather/bandwagon fanbases for the most part.

[FultzNationRISE]

Probably because it’s just fun to clown people I guess, and deriding athlete’s failures is seen as a pretty harmless way of doing that.

Im sure it’s not so funny to the athletes themselves, but the public views it that way nonetheless.

[SATAN]

Yeah it's strange. People I know/knew that were into basketball never taken things to the extreme back in the day. It was about just enjoying the game. Even the casuals weren't toxic assholes back then. At worst I can think of Karl Malone copping some hate but nothing major. I agree with you, OP. It's a sad state of affairs.

[FultzNationRISE]

Yeah it's strange. People I know/knew that were into basketball never taken things to the extreme back in the day. It was about just enjoying the game. Even the casuals weren't toxic assholes back then. At worst I can think of Karl Malone copping some hate but nothing major. I agree with you, OP. It's a sad state of affairs.


This is revisionist IMO.

People have been sending athletes death threats since forever. Fans gathered at the bar used to talk ruthless shit about every other team’s players. There just wasnt the medium of the internet for everyone to see it.

Steve Kerr’s dad was killed working in a middle east war zone when Kerr was in college, and at Arizona’s next away game fans chanted “Wheres Your, Da-ad?”

Humanity hasnt changed. Visibility has.

[SouBeachTalents]

I actually agree with OP, esp over the last decade of the social media era, but ironically I have literally never seen two less polarizing or criticized BITW players than Giannis & Jokic. Even on this cesspool you never see anyone making threads or posts trashing those two.

[Spurs m8]

We respect the ones that deserve respect.

NBA has a lot of modern day b1tchmade divas.

Who also don't respect the league and haven't won right.

But lets look at some of the some of the 'biggest players'....

LeBron - we've gone through this guy a million times
He doesn't even respect himself.
Fake - in every way

Harden - fraud who made a mockery of the sport and is really a 12ppg player.
Loser

KD - ran to 73 win team

AD - didn't see out contract, b1tched out to suck off LeBarry because No AD...no success out West.

Kawhi - didn't see out contract, uncle Dennis fingers him for money...always load manages...terrible locker room guy

Giannis - RESPECT. organic ring, worked hard to get what he earned

Jokic - RESPECT - organic player, plays smart

Curry - hated mainly by Bron stans, because he embarrassed LeBarry so often.
The average fan respects Steph.

Luka - racism

Etc...

[Baller789]

We respect the ones that deserve respect.

NBA has a lot of modern day b1tchmade divas.

Who also don't respect the league and haven't won right.

But lets look at some of the some of the 'biggest players'....

LeBron - we've gone through this guy a million times
He doesn't even respect himself.
Fake - in every way

Harden - fraud who made a mockery of the sport and is really a 12ppg player.
Loser

KD - ran to 73 win team

AD - didn't see out contract, b1tched out to suck off LeBarry because No AD...no success out West.

Kawhi - didn't see out contract, uncle Dennis fingers him for money...always load manages...terrible locker room guy

Giannis - RESPECT. organic ring, worked hard to get what he earned

Jokic - RESPECT - organic player, plays smart

Curry - hated mainly by Bron stans, because he embarrassed LeBarry so often.
The average fan respects Steph.

Luka - racism

Etc...

This.

[BarberSchool]

I also place some blame on fantasy basketball’s prevalence among busy office workers who don’t even watch games, they just check stats, and their fantasy.

I mercilessly roast these dudes in every barbershop, bar, or hangout spot they dare assert their baseless opinions on who/what is best/top5. Like, n!cca, we know you can count beans and categorize numerical box score top 5’s all day, but you didn’t even play JV in high school, much less college ball. STFU and LISTEN to people whose eye test means infinitely more than your bean counting trite bullish!t.


We respect the ones that deserve respect.

NBA has a lot of modern day b1tchmade divas.

Who also don't respect the league and haven't won right.

But lets look at some of the some of the 'biggest players'....

LeBron - we've gone through this guy a million times
He doesn't even respect himself.
Fake - in every way

Harden - fraud who made a mockery of the sport and is really a 12ppg player.
Loser

KD - ran to 73 win team

AD - didn't see out contract, b1tched out to suck off LeBarry because No AD...no success out West.

Kawhi - didn't see out contract, uncle Dennis fingers him for money...always load manages...terrible locker room guy

Giannis - RESPECT. organic ring, worked hard to get what he earned

Jokic - RESPECT - organic player, plays smart

Curry - hated mainly by Bron stans, because he embarrassed LeBarry so often.
The average fan respects Steph.

Luka - racism

Etc...

This man speaks the truth.

Harden, if he cared, could be so much better than the lazy, official-manipulating, box-score-stuffing snoozefest he is.