From Bill Laimbeer to Draymond Green to Dennis Rodman to Kobe Bryant, we’ll discuss their contributions on and off the court, their reputation, and why they are players we love to hate… in no particular order.

Dwight Howard

Coming into the NBA, Dwight Howard’s strength and athleticism made me one of the most dominant centers in the league. However, he would become a polarizing figure who faced criticism and controversy throughout his career in part due to disputes he had with coaches and teammates, rumors of locker room conflicts, and contentious contract negotiations. His “diva” behavior was also apparent on-court, as you would always see Howard complaining to officials and demanding attention from his teammates. In his later seasons, Howard continued to receive backlash as the aging center struggled to contribute to teams where he wasn’t the sole focus. That perceived lack of commitment led some fans to criticize him for wasting his potential.

Bill Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer was one of the most hated NBA players for several reasons, primarily because of his aggressive playing style and his earned reputation as a dirty player willing to do anything to help his team win. There is plenty of video evidence where his physical and often brutal style of play, including hard fouls, elbowing, and trash talking are on display.

No surprise that Laimbeer played for the Detroit Pistons in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Bad Boys that was known for its physical, defense-oriented play, which often involved roughing up opponents. The Pistons, with Laimbeer as one of their core players, won two NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, but their style of play made them unpopular with fans, other teams, and the league as a whole.

Metta World Peace

Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, is a former NBA player who was known for his aggressive playing style and for being involved in several high-profile incidents throughout his career. The most-obvious one being The Malice at the Palace. In 2004, World Peace was involved in an all-out brawl with fans at a game at The Palace of Auburn Hills. After fouling Ben Wallace hard, a fan dumped water onto World Peace who then ran into the stands and punched a fan, which led to a massive historic brawl involving players and fans.

Aggressive playing style: World Peace was known for his aggressive playing style, which sometimes crossed the line into dirty or dangerous play. He has been suspended multiple times for on-court incidents, including a 73-game suspension for his role in the Malice at the Palace. World Peace has also been involved in several off-court incidents, including arrests for domestic violence and driving under the influence.

Draymond Green

Draymond Green is certainly one of the most-hated players in the NBA and he wouldn’t have it any other way. When it comes to the four-time NBA champion, some fans – usually Golden State fans — love his intensity, fiery competitive spirit, honesty, and constant trash talking while others (usually non-Warriors fans) despise what they consider to be dirty play, illegal screens, unsportsmanlike conduct, complaining to refs, and riding the coattails of Steph Curry.

But it isn’t just limited to opponents, Green’s strong personality and confrontational style have led to clashes with other players, coaches, and even his own teammates. He has been involved in several high-profile incidents, such as his argument with Kevin Durant during a game in 2018 and punching Jordan Poole at the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman is undoubtedly one of the most controversial and eccentric players in the history of the NBA. His on-court antics and colorful personality often overshadowed his incredible talent as a rebounder and defender. However, his bad behavior and insubordination toward coaches drew the ire of many in the league. Rodman was notorious for clashing with authority figures, sometimes refusing to follow their directives or throwing tantrums on the sidelines. His lack of respect for his coaches often created tension and turmoil within the locker room, and many believed that his antics ultimately hurt his teams’ chances of success. Despite these flaws, Rodman was still one of the most unforgettable and entertaining players to watch, both on and off the court.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all time and at the same time one of the most-revered and one of the most-hated. He was one of the go-to players when staking on NBA odds. But, despite his achievements, his perceived arrogance and selfishness often overshadowed his accomplishments on the court. He had a reputation for being difficult to work with and putting his individual success ahead of the team’s.

However, those who knew him well would argue that his fierce competitiveness and unwillingness to settle for anything less than greatness made him so special. Regardless of one’s opinion of Kobe, there’s no denying that he was an iconic figure in the world of sports. For better or worse, depending on whom you’re talking to, his legacy will continue to be felt for generations to come.

James Harden

When James Harden was with the Houston Rockets, the talented scorer was one of the more disliked players in the league. Usually it’s just the fans that complain and dislike players, but in the case of Harden, his style of play very much annoyed his fellow players. For approximately five seasons, Harden supplemented his superior skillset with what many would call a manipulation of the rules; The Beard drew fouls by creating contact, throwing his arms into a defenders body or arms, exaggerating contact to get foul calls and for “flopping” to draw fouls.

On the other side of the court, Harden was often criticized for his lack of effort on defense. The common belief was that Harden expended the vast majority of this energy on the offensive end at the expense of his defensive play. This clear contrast between effort on offense and defense was one of the factors many opined as the reason Harden couldn’t win an NBA championship.