It should be said that what makes someone hated is up to each individual, and no one player is ever entirely hated by fans of the NBA. Despite all of that, there definitely are more than a few tall NBA players who either were known or have become known as some of the most hated names in the game.

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The reasons why a player became so hated are often different, but there do seem to be some trends. Players that tend to complain or whine, those that implement dirty tactics in-game, and those that become a bit more outspoken can garner plenty of hate. Whether rightly hated or wrongly hated, there are quite a few NBA players throughout the history of basketball that fans just can’t get behind no matter how many movie cameos they do.

UPDATE: 2023/09/08 18:00 EST BY LIZZY FLANAGAN

The NBA is full of larger-than-life personalities, for better or worse. While these big personalities make for great entertainment in what's already a fast-paced game, they can sometimes be very polarizing figures. It's one thing for a player to be detested by his fellow competitors; big egos tend to clash more often than not. However, where a player could really find themselves in hot water is when NBA fans turn on them. Fans' hatred can come from many sources, whether it's a sense of betrayal at a player's departure, a lackluster performance, or just general annoyance. In any case, here are some players that found themselves in very poor favor.

13 Isiah Thomas

The Bad Boys of Detroit are one of the most infamous teams in NBA history. Fans hated the Pistons because they were obnoxious, rough, and cocky, but worst of all, they were really good at basketball. Isiah Thomas, the ringleader of the Bad Boys, garnered a particularly unfavorable reputation. While it's true he was an amazing point guard, his smarminess and over-the-top showmanship made him very easy to hate. He was even hated by Michael Jordan, who barred Thomas from competing alongside the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympic Games.

12 LeBron James

Most active NBA fans are probably aware of why so many people hate LeBron James despite how good he is almost every time he’s on the court. Even people who like Lebron are willing to admit that he can be a rather outspoken person for better or worse.

There are people who point to his on-court behavior for why they don’t like him, but much of the consensus seems to come from his opinionative nature. Whether anyone agrees with him or not, vocal opinions on major issues are bound to wind up causing some level of hate.

11 Charles Barkley

Phoenix Suns star Charles Barkley is perhaps one of the best players of all time to never win a championship ring. Not only was he a gifted athlete on the court, but he was also an incredibly entertaining personality. Entertaining doesn't necessarily mean likable, though. Barkley's outspokenness and quick temper often got him into trouble on and off the court. Luckily for him, he's been able to make an entirely new career off of his outspokenness via sports talk shows. He is even set to have a talk show on CNN this fall starring himself and journalist Gayle King.

10 Shaquille O’Neal

It should be said that Shaq is absolutely just as much a loved figure as he is a hated figure, but even those that love him tend to greet the big man with an eye-roll. His many ventures outside the NBA are one reason many have grown tired of the man, but his attitude is often the real issue.

Many people point to how he’s treated former teammates in interviews, and even publicly while still on the same team. Pretty much anyone who is a major fan of Kobe Bryant probably doesn’t look on at Shaq all that fondly.

9 Dwight Howard

There have been people who have complained about Dwight Howard being injury-prone, but that doesn’t seem to be the main reason people dislike the star. The real reason seems to be how difficult Howard can sometimes seem to be to work with when it comes to coaching staff.

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He’s made a lot of public statements on coaching staff, both those he’s worked with and those he’d prefer to work with over the years. He even felt he should be the one to choose who his coaches were, something that doesn’t sit well with people who prefer humble stars.

8 Kevin Durant

Some people actually feel the hate surrounding Durant really isn’t warranted. While some people take issue with the kind of attitude he can have while playing, much of his hate seems to be due to his move to the strong Golden State Warriors back in 2016.

Some feel Durant only moved to the Warriors so he could win a championship, making an already monstrously strong team even stronger. Some would say that’s not a great reason to hate someone, but everyone has their own opinions.

7 James Harden

Pretty much everyone, even fans of Harden, agree that he can be a serious ball-hog at times. The issue has been so bad that he’s even had issues with some teammates in the past, and fans often feel just as irritated by Harden’s actions.

Some might say that Harden still manages to play fantastically in most instances, but he hasn’t managed to impress all that much when it matters most. Anyone who’s watched a game with a Harden fan has probably grown used to their friend constantly shouting, “PASS!”

6 Paul Pierce

To be fair, there were a lot of people that did respect Paul Pierce’s brash style, but most people just ended up hating him at some point. He was the kind of player that felt he was the best guy on the court every night, regardless of the outcome.

Because of that, Pierce was often at odds with major stars like Kobe Bryant. Even when his playing career was over, he continued his trash-talking ways with criticisms of modern stars like LeBron James, something that allowed an entirely new generation of fans to hate him.

5 Chris Paul

Chris Paul probably isn't a bad guy. But he certainly has a habit of getting on people's nerves. His constant complaining to officials irks fans, especially when it helps Paul get his way. He also seems to be, for lack of a better term, bossy. And sure, a lot of NBA players are tough on their teammates (Kobe Bryant being a prime example), but those players usually have rings to back up their attitude. Chris Paul doesn't.

4 Bruce Bowen

Those that know Bruce Bowen know that he could be one of the roughest players on the court. It’s that very thing that drew a lot of ire from the fans of the NBA. Fans like it when their players play hard, but not when they go too far.

Some have said that Bowen would often engage in relatively irresponsible and dangerous plays for no real reason. His willingness to risk it all to make a play or stop a team in their tracks is something that had pretty much anyone who wasn’t directly a fan of his thinking twice.

3 Vince Carter

Rather than being a dirty player or far too outspoken, Vince Carter seems to be hated more for his style of play. He was often criticized as someone who played around too much while also taking shots that he shouldn’t have ever tried.

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Any NBA fan knows that wasting possessions is going to lead to some frustration. If your players aren’t working in an efficient and calculated manner, odds are, your team isn’t making as many baskets as they could be. Despite all the hate, Carter is still considered a legendary player.

2 Kevin McHale

Few basketball stars have busted out actual professional wrestling moves on the court, but Kevin McHale absolutely clotheslined a man during the 1984 NBA finals. McHale was always an assertive player on the court, but it was that moment that made him forever hated.

McHale was one of the key members of the dominant Boston Celtics of that era, something that only added to the hate he received. While he can be looked back on fondly, there are still tons of people that hate him for what he did on the court.

1 Vernon Maxwell

Those that know who Vernon Maxwell is probably aren’t surprised to see his name. He was a player that always had a bit of a reputation throughout his career, but he made things so much worse when he punched a fan in the face.

It wasn’t as a result of a fan bothering him in his spare time, but instead, him running up to a fan in the middle of a game and slugging him. The whole thing was a mess and showed the clear divide that existed between Maxwell and his other teammates, making him a more universally hated player.