Why Are So Many of Today's Stars Hard to Like?

[jfs1000d]

The American superstar athlete is hard to like. Most of those guys were identified at a young age as special talents and have been entitled and spoiled, to be quite honest.

Foreigners like Giannis, Embiid, Jokic, Doncic and many of those that didn't go through the American development system their entire lives haven't had their butts kissed since they were 10. They are universally liked.

I think that entitlement is why many struggle to like NBA players. I do like guys like Jaylen Brown and KAT seem like a good guys, TBH.

But there are plenty of likeable stars out there. Kemba, Curry are likeable, as is KAT. Durant used to be (can't believe he went heel).

The other issue is of course cultural

[Curmudgeon]

I don't think they are easier or harder than the stars of any era in any sport. There is always a certain percentage of really likeable guys (e.g. Giannis) and complete a-holes (Kyrie). Has any athlete in any era ever been as unlikeable as Ty Cobb?

[SupaManu]

A combo, so many are unlikable

[ForeverTFC]

Overexposure and society's inability to deal with nuance are clear drivers though part of it may also be your age: you are less likely to idolize and therefore more likely to criticize the older you get.

[Michael Jackson]

I feel the opposite. There are ton of very likable stars. Especially in the new generation of younger guys. League is in great hands.

Agreed. I think if you find most players unlikable it says something more about your approach than it does the players. And I don't mean that as a criticism of the OP or anyone else. Some people have very high standards or are very nitpicky or just don't like people in general.

But I find I like the vast majority of people I encounter and only find a handful of NBA players unlikable. Right now my list is Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, and I think that's basically it. So I'm just more of a people person I guess.

So I am guessing you weren’t a big fan of the Pistons 2 years ago.

[Michael Jackson]

I think a lot of it is that they are businesses and are looking to brand themselves all the time. I get why they do it, but we are drawn to genuine things, not sales pitches. Being genuine though they would likely lose some demographic of fan that follows them so they have to act a certain way for the brand. Or for Elton Brand

[_qubik]

fans are the problmem probably, dudes are payed to play, they go there and do their thing, they arent happy or doesnt think they will win, then they change jobs.

fans romanticize it a lot, loyalty, hard play, underdogs, hardworking dude that came from nowhere, look a lot like hollywood movies

[Lunartic]

Lack of good narratives and rivalries, what players hate each other today? Curry v Lebron? Trae Young vs NY? There's just no grudge matches or teams that hate each other. Celtics v Raps was the closest to that.

There are quite a few "stars" that aren't actually stars, they're just a product of this shot-jacking era. We saw quite few of them get exposed in the Olympics.

Also, the constant media sphere shows us too much.

[Jabroni Lames]

10. Player Empowerment = Fan Dis-Empowerment

[Anticon]

The game has much less variety and individuality that it used to.

Players are more efficient, but they have cut off a whole subset types of shots and offence. There's more homogeneity in players games than ever. So they only show a small portion of the skills players used to have to show.

AI is a good example...his style wouldn't pass muster now. But people loved him because of how authentic and free he was. The NBA is a lot more like hockey now than it was 20 years ago...follow the pattern, execute the plays, and keep it within the confines of what current offensive axioms require.

Still some spectacular players to watch, but there's an element of individuality and artistry that maybe only a few players have (Trae, Luka, Curry, Jokic) or allowed to have.

[Pennebaker]

As if the stars of 20 years ago weren't constantly criticized for being unlikable thugs.

It was even worse in the 1970s and early 80s when cocaine and fist fighting was a major problem.

[Pennebaker]

10. Player Empowerment = Fan Dis-Empowerment

That only applies to a certain type of fan.

Other fans enjoy the opportunity each season to potentially land a game changing star that will take them to the top. Every new year is exciting for these fans.

[Warspite]

Hard to like most people 17-25 yrs of age. Its always been hard to like young people its just that todays youth has the ability to project its worse traits onto society than ever before.

[pipfan]

The 70's was definitely a bad time for the NBA-I started watching at the tail end. The 80's and 90's were when the NBA blew up, on the backs of Bird/Magic and MJ. And we know all 3 of those guys (especially Bird and MJ) had their warts. But, I think society is just so annoying (I am SO glad I didn't grow up in the social media age!), that today's stars are mostly a product of their environment.

They sure are good at basketball, but many are SO annoying-on and off the court

[rtiff68]

Giannis
Jokic
Embiid
PG
Curry
Dame
Ball

These guys are pretty easy to root for.

I do think some blame/responsibility should go to KD/LBJ as the top two (Kawhi can be added in). The hate came with good reason. It’s not like other sports fwiw less moving around doing whatever you like sort of deal.

How exactly is Curry easy to root for? The guy runs around like a clown showboating and dancing all game after made threes. Flails at the three point line with minimal contact. And doesn’t get the criticism his peers get for not winning. For example, so many people were in favor of Curry getting mvp last year when he couldn’t do what Westbrook did just a few years earlier. End rant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you especially do not like Curry relative to other stars and players today, and one of the first reasons you mention is “flailing” or flopping, then you are coming from a place of emotion, not objective reality.

[rand]

Everything from #3 to #9 of course

[Fencer reregistered]

Sports stars are expected to:
-- Be fanatical competitors.
-- Not take themselves and their achievements all that seriously.

Bit of a contradiction there.

Celebrities today in general, including sports stars:
-- Are supposed to avoid giving offense to anybody.
-- Are supposed to seem sincere rather than polished-plastic.

Bit of a contradiction there too.

Also, let's consider the greatest players of the past.
-- Russell wouldn't sign autographs, even for his teammates.
-- Jordaan famously bullied his teammates.
-- Kareem seems to many as if he's sullen and aloof.
-- Bird was a vile trash-talker who got into damaging bar fights.
-- Magic, while on the whole super-likeable, took promiscuity to quite the extreme.
-- Wilt forced trades from two teams.
-- Shaq didn't work to be in shape.
-- Duncan bored people. Seriously, there's little bad to say about Duncan ...
-- ... or Hakeem.
-- Kobe was similarly jerkish to Jordan and tried to force a trade. He and Shaq had trouble coexisting.
-- Robertson was very tough on teammates.
-- West has a variety of difficult-personality issues.

Etc.

[dhsilv2]

31% of people here need to get off social media but at least it seems are aware they're abusing that drug.

[Fencer reregistered]

Kevin McHale was the most likeable starter on the powerhouse 80s Celtics. He even guest-starred on Cheers in his natural personality.

And he's the guy who clothes-lined Rambis.

[Fencer reregistered]

Bob Cousy once deliberately hit a heckling fan with a basketball. (In Philadelphia, naturally.) Tom Heinsohn helped him.

Cousy was the founder of the Player's Association. Heinsohn was the Association's second (and second most important) president.