Athletes nowadays face much greater challenges than before, dealing with increased hate towards them. Before, once their game was over, and they were home, they could block out any negativity by not watching TV or listening to the radio. Now, they are getting hate from people online all the time. It is nearly impossible to block this out.
Some athletes respond to online criticism, while many choose to ignore it.
As written in this article, WWE wrestlers face the most online abuse of any sport.
NBA players face a lot of online abuse as well.
CryptoManiaks did a study from October 1st, 2024, to May 31, 2025, to see which NBA players received the most online abuse.
Which NBA Players Receive The Most Online Abuse?
Known for receiving a lot of online abuse, multiple NBA players call out fans online. Here is the list of the top 15 NBA players who receive the most online abuse, with the percentage of negative comments towards them. Each NBA player’s sample size on the top 15 list is 100,000.
- 1. Kevin Durant: 28.4%
- 2. LeBron James: 26.3%
- 3. Draymond Green: 25.2%
- 4. Russell Westbrook: 24.7%
- 5. Ben Simmons: 23.9%
- 6. Dillon Brooks: 23.2%
- 7. Trae Young: 22.8%
- 8. Joel Embiid: 21.3%
- 9. Rudy Gobert: 19.3%
- 10. Ja Morant: 19.1%
- 11. Kyrie Irving: 18.9%
- 12. Jayson Tatum: 18.4%
- 13. Zion Williamson: 18.2%
- 14. James Harden: 17.9%
- 15. Stephen Curry: 17.4%
The study found that Kevin Durant received the most online abuse among NBA players. This may be because Durant many times claps back at people online. This will make people want to spew negativity towards him in hopes of getting a response. Kevin Durant has had some historical feuds online, going at people, whether they are well-known or not.
LeBron James comes in at number two. He has been the face of the league for 20 years, but that comes with a lot of negativity as well. People love comparing him to Jordan and telling him he is still not the GOAT. James has also been political, which will fire up negativity as well. Being the face of the league has many, many, many perks, but also has some negativity as well, one being receiving a lot of online abuse.
It is no surprise to see Draymond Green high on this list. His antics on the court and sometimes off the court (punching his teammate in practice) will surely drive a lot of negativity his way. Green is one of the main reasons why the Warriors have been so successful, but a lot of people hurl hate towards him for the way he is.
Ben Simmons is on the list because he simply has not played. People feel, and rightfully so, that he gets paid a ton of money to not play basketball. Simmons deserves a lot of negativity, as unlike the other players on the list, he simply does not play basketball. He did not play at all in the 2021-22 NBA season. Over the last few seasons, even if Simmons does suit up for a game, he typically has played very few minutes. Don’t we all wish we had his life, where he gets paid millions of dollars to not work?
Joel Embiid comes in at eighth on the list. Unlike Simmons, Embiid tries to play, and when he does, he is one of the best players in the league. The problem for Embiid is that he simply can’t stay healthy. Embiid being so injury-prone leads to negativity online.
Ja Morant makes the list as he has his share of off-court drama. He was suspended twice for holding a gun and posting it on social media. The first was an eight-game suspension on March 15, 2023. He was later suspended for 25 games on June 16, 2023, for holding a gun on an Instagram live video.
Kyrie Irving has had his share of off-court drama, but nothing like Morant’s. Irving gets criticized more for his opinions on things, and Celtics fans do not like him.
Zion Williamson is in a similar spot to Ben Simmons. Williamson simply does not play, which generates a lot of hate online. The difference is that when Williamson does play, he is a dominant player. The problem is, he doesn’t play often.
James Harden gets criticized for his playoff performances. He plays well during the season, but his play significantly drops in the postseason.
While Stephen Curry makes the list, a player of his caliber usually receives much more hate than Steph does. When you are one of the very best in a sport, you receive a lot of hate. The fact that Curry ranks only 15th despite being one of the faces of the league shows how liked and likable Curry is. It probably also helps that his teammate, Draymond Green, plays the bad guy and gets more hate. Curry is at the level of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, but receives far less online abuse than they do.
