by John Levasseur and Steve Travers
Throughout the history of the NBA, there have been guys fans love to hate. This is true in all sports really, ask any NFL fan outside of Seattle what they think of Richard Sherman and you will see that fact as being self-evident. However, the NBA has always had players that garner stronger emotional reactions from fans than any other professional sport in America. The ire Sherman draws is nothing compared to what Kobe or LeBron have received over the years. To be completely fair to Sherman, Kobe was on trial for sexual assault at one point, while Sherman is an ivy-league grad with a big mouth. However Lebron was never embroiled in those kind of affairs.
Throughout the history of the NBA, there have been guys fans love to hate. This is true in all sports really, ask any NFL fan outside of Seattle what they think of Richard Sherman and you will see that fact as being self-evident. However, the NBA has always had players that garner stronger emotional reactions from fans than any other professional sport in America. The ire Sherman draws is nothing compared to what Kobe or LeBron have received over the years. To be completely fair to Sherman, Kobe was on trial for sexual assault at one point, while Sherman is an ivy-league grad with a big mouth. However Lebron was never embroiled in those kind of affairs.
So what makes NBA players so polarizing? A large part of it is the culture of the NBA, which has improved over the years, but less than 2 decades ago fans were being punched in the stands as brawls broke out in the middle of games. Indeed, that was one of the things that was so illuminating about the Marcus Smart incident from last season in Oklahoma State. At first, he was an “out of control thug.” People that didn't even watch basketball were talking about the incident. However, eventually coaches and teammates revealed the true nature of Smart's personality, and the audio footage was leaked. While Smart still had to pay a punishment for his crime, he was acquitted in the public eye to so some extent.
Long before Ron Artest and Marcus Smart were taking on the Pistons and loudmouth fans, there was a true reason a player was considered a villain and they embraced the role. One of the largest contributing factors in the Detroit Bad Boy championships was the hatred they brought to arenas across the league. It was well deserved and they enjoyed every minute of it. Bill Lambieer is one of the nicest guys you will meet, but on the court he would beat you down and demoralize an opponent then laugh in their face. Isiah Thomas was just an irritating little punk who would get under even the greatest players skin, and Dennis Rodman, love him or hate him, would bring a rebounding tenacity with such fire, god help whomever else was chasing that ball down. They would literally fight, scratch and beat up anyone in their way of winning. There were very few fans outside of Auburn Hills that could even stomach them. They did it right, and 25 years later they are revered as being one of the best teams of all time.
There are many players throughout the history of the league that were hated for various reasons, but the main reason is the ultra competitiveness getting the best of them. Charles Barkley was not a very liked player through his years mainly because he could not turn off his mouth and an incident when he spit at a heckler, missed and hit a little girl, Kevin Garnett is mutually hated across the nba due to his style of play, even drawing the ire of Tim Duncan. That says a lot. Reggie Miller had an incredible dagger and wasn’t afraid to let everyone know about it. What all these players have in common is a desire to win and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. In many cases, after time most fans realize this is what led these players to greatness and can respect the passion.
Yet, in today's NBA, the biggest 'villain' in the last half decade has been Lebron James. The guy labeled as the phenom, the next Jordan, the next player to forever change the game. The amazing thing about this is that unlike Kobe, or Artest before him, Lebron's only crime had been hubris. Leaving his hometown Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat and fellow superstar DeWayne Wade, working in cohesion with Chris Bosh to bring the big 3 together in Miami, and promising a dynasty. People hated him for that. For declaring his greatness so interesting that he actually went along for the ride of 'the decision,' and that might have been his agent or ESPN pushing him into it, but the infamous "not three, not four, not five..." quote sealed the deal. This was an arrogant kid whose talent was somehow only eclipsed by his ego. The one player who, when he joins your team, suddenly your fandom blossoms into the millions.
And yet... Lebron never embraced being the villain as other players have, as other teams have. Kobe loves it like Lambieer did. There's a documentary coming out soon with an interview that everybody is talking about, where Steve Nash calls Kobe a 'motherf***ing a**hole' and Kobe LOVED it. Let that sink in. Think about the last time you got called that name, if you ever have, and try to remember if you smiled. Kobe is fueled by his haters, his doubters, but also feeds off of people truly detesting his swagger and confidence on the court. Personally, I'm a huge Kobe fan. Not trying to start a flame war between Kobe and Lebron fans, but I like Kobe more. I think he is just more skilled from a fundamental perspective. But I love the little things, yelling at LBJ for not shooting the game winner in an exhibition game, hustling and playing physically. Tearing his Achilles' tendon and shooting two foul shots before leaving the game.
In fact, as you look around the league at guys that are considered 'villains' and the qualities that make them up, most of them are hustlers. true tough guys who are throwbacks to an ancient era of the NBA. Rondo drew a fair amount of ire around the league as a guy people loved hating, he finished a game with a dislocated elbow. Heck, homer example, but few fans outside of Houston are huge supporters of Patrick Beverley, yet he is the true example of persistence and commitment to (and eventually achieving) his dream.
The truth is that these players muddy up the game for those who make the game seem effortless and beautiful. Nobody hates Kevin Durant. He's just a good dude, you can tell. Super competitive, but he just glides around shooting until he drops the hammer of a dunk on someone. He came into the league on pure skill, his work is put in off the court in ways most casual fans don't see or recognize. All they see is the Durantula, iceberg slim, cold as a glacier and waiting to pounce, they see the beauty, and the apparent ease. The same with Lebron, especially now that he is the prodigal son returning home. He's so athletic and skilled that we just don't see him as a pest. We just see a dominant player who can do incredible things.
Yet when we watch Rondo, Lance Stephenson and Patrick Beverley, we see guys who got here off of pure hustle. It reminds us that the NBA isn't just populated with guys who possess incredible physical gifts or height. It reminds us that some players were told they would not succeed, and had to fight tooth and nail to get to the NBA, to a starting lineup near you. Hometown fans love that, as people in Houston what they think of Bev, or ask a Celtics fan about Rondo, wait five years and see what they think about Marcus Smart or what people in LA think of Julius Randle. Yet for some reason, other fans hate it.
Why even bother though? Why do some players draw such vitriol, such as fans burning Lebron's jersey or turning every single NBA post on Facebook into a Kobe vs Lebron shouting match? It seems so pointless, yet nationwide it happens anyway. Maybe they remind them that there are people on this earth that never give up on their dreams, who never stop fighting. It reminds them that maybe they shouldn't have given up in their dreams, maybe they truly believe that those trash talkers, the junkyard dogs aren't a part of the game. Or maybe sports fans just need something to hate, and to love, and those guys that so obviously care so much that they stick out and draw attention. They're at the center of every fight, a 6 footer pushing a 7 footer around, and that drives people nuts. In a world filled with people ruled by their fears, these guys are fearless, they aren't afraid to tell you so, and that is terrifying.
Long before Ron Artest and Marcus Smart were taking on the Pistons and loudmouth fans, there was a true reason a player was considered a villain and they embraced the role. One of the largest contributing factors in the Detroit Bad Boy championships was the hatred they brought to arenas across the league. It was well deserved and they enjoyed every minute of it. Bill Lambieer is one of the nicest guys you will meet, but on the court he would beat you down and demoralize an opponent then laugh in their face. Isiah Thomas was just an irritating little punk who would get under even the greatest players skin, and Dennis Rodman, love him or hate him, would bring a rebounding tenacity with such fire, god help whomever else was chasing that ball down. They would literally fight, scratch and beat up anyone in their way of winning. There were very few fans outside of Auburn Hills that could even stomach them. They did it right, and 25 years later they are revered as being one of the best teams of all time.
There are many players throughout the history of the league that were hated for various reasons, but the main reason is the ultra competitiveness getting the best of them. Charles Barkley was not a very liked player through his years mainly because he could not turn off his mouth and an incident when he spit at a heckler, missed and hit a little girl, Kevin Garnett is mutually hated across the nba due to his style of play, even drawing the ire of Tim Duncan. That says a lot. Reggie Miller had an incredible dagger and wasn’t afraid to let everyone know about it. What all these players have in common is a desire to win and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. In many cases, after time most fans realize this is what led these players to greatness and can respect the passion.
Yet, in today's NBA, the biggest 'villain' in the last half decade has been Lebron James. The guy labeled as the phenom, the next Jordan, the next player to forever change the game. The amazing thing about this is that unlike Kobe, or Artest before him, Lebron's only crime had been hubris. Leaving his hometown Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat and fellow superstar DeWayne Wade, working in cohesion with Chris Bosh to bring the big 3 together in Miami, and promising a dynasty. People hated him for that. For declaring his greatness so interesting that he actually went along for the ride of 'the decision,' and that might have been his agent or ESPN pushing him into it, but the infamous "not three, not four, not five..." quote sealed the deal. This was an arrogant kid whose talent was somehow only eclipsed by his ego. The one player who, when he joins your team, suddenly your fandom blossoms into the millions.
And yet... Lebron never embraced being the villain as other players have, as other teams have. Kobe loves it like Lambieer did. There's a documentary coming out soon with an interview that everybody is talking about, where Steve Nash calls Kobe a 'motherf***ing a**hole' and Kobe LOVED it. Let that sink in. Think about the last time you got called that name, if you ever have, and try to remember if you smiled. Kobe is fueled by his haters, his doubters, but also feeds off of people truly detesting his swagger and confidence on the court. Personally, I'm a huge Kobe fan. Not trying to start a flame war between Kobe and Lebron fans, but I like Kobe more. I think he is just more skilled from a fundamental perspective. But I love the little things, yelling at LBJ for not shooting the game winner in an exhibition game, hustling and playing physically. Tearing his Achilles' tendon and shooting two foul shots before leaving the game.
In fact, as you look around the league at guys that are considered 'villains' and the qualities that make them up, most of them are hustlers. true tough guys who are throwbacks to an ancient era of the NBA. Rondo drew a fair amount of ire around the league as a guy people loved hating, he finished a game with a dislocated elbow. Heck, homer example, but few fans outside of Houston are huge supporters of Patrick Beverley, yet he is the true example of persistence and commitment to (and eventually achieving) his dream.
The truth is that these players muddy up the game for those who make the game seem effortless and beautiful. Nobody hates Kevin Durant. He's just a good dude, you can tell. Super competitive, but he just glides around shooting until he drops the hammer of a dunk on someone. He came into the league on pure skill, his work is put in off the court in ways most casual fans don't see or recognize. All they see is the Durantula, iceberg slim, cold as a glacier and waiting to pounce, they see the beauty, and the apparent ease. The same with Lebron, especially now that he is the prodigal son returning home. He's so athletic and skilled that we just don't see him as a pest. We just see a dominant player who can do incredible things.
Yet when we watch Rondo, Lance Stephenson and Patrick Beverley, we see guys who got here off of pure hustle. It reminds us that the NBA isn't just populated with guys who possess incredible physical gifts or height. It reminds us that some players were told they would not succeed, and had to fight tooth and nail to get to the NBA, to a starting lineup near you. Hometown fans love that, as people in Houston what they think of Bev, or ask a Celtics fan about Rondo, wait five years and see what they think about Marcus Smart or what people in LA think of Julius Randle. Yet for some reason, other fans hate it.
Why even bother though? Why do some players draw such vitriol, such as fans burning Lebron's jersey or turning every single NBA post on Facebook into a Kobe vs Lebron shouting match? It seems so pointless, yet nationwide it happens anyway. Maybe they remind them that there are people on this earth that never give up on their dreams, who never stop fighting. It reminds them that maybe they shouldn't have given up in their dreams, maybe they truly believe that those trash talkers, the junkyard dogs aren't a part of the game. Or maybe sports fans just need something to hate, and to love, and those guys that so obviously care so much that they stick out and draw attention. They're at the center of every fight, a 6 footer pushing a 7 footer around, and that drives people nuts. In a world filled with people ruled by their fears, these guys are fearless, they aren't afraid to tell you so, and that is terrifying.