NBA "Villains"

At this very moment, I’m watching the Celtics and Lakers – the NBA’s best rivalry - on ABC.  Since I really enjoy reading Bill Simmons’ live diary columns, where he compiles all his thoughts at certain points throughout a game, I was tempted to mimic such a column on this game.  Watching the heated matchups between players, any game between these two teams would make for a very entertaining diary - especially if you’re allowed to quote players uncensored.  Since I can’t lip-read everything on TV and not rich enough to sit close enough to hear players constantly berating each other, I’m not able to come up with such diaries.  Plus, the Sports Guy kind of does that, anyway.   I’ll hold off on stealing people’s ideas, especially people whose columns I actually like. 

Anyway, it’s easy to see how all the great matchups in this game (Bryant vs Pierce, Garnett vs. Gasol, Allen vs. Fisher) create tension between players.  For the fans, it’s fun to watch.  It also gives fans more incentive to root for their teams, especially when a player on the other team is giving your favorite player a hard time.  There are so many guys that fall into the “You-Either-Love-Him-Or-Hate-Him” category.  But overall, certain guys are hated a lot more than they’re loved.  They have become villains of the NBA. 

I decided to give a crack at ranking the villains of the league – those who are enemies in most eyes but also have completely embraced that role.  Most of these guys, unsurprisingly, are playing in this game.

5.  Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett

Pierce and KG have been a formidable duo and are considered nightmare matchups for any opponent.  What really gets under the skin of their opponents (and fans) is that they’re not shy about rubbing it in their faces. 

Outside of Boston, there are mixed opinions on Pierce at best.  He is known for his smack talk to opponents, even in the middle of iso plays.  He relishes these opportunities, knocking down clutch shots on a routine basis.  But as all anti-Boston fans will remind you, there are other reasons for disliking him.  His pride, confidence and competitiveness often carry through to his demeanor off the court.  You can tell that it bleeds through things he says at press conferences.  Perhaps a lot of hate was generated toward him from Lakers fans during Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, where Pierce appeared to hurt his knee.  About 30 seconds after being carried off the court, he magically recovered and destroyed the Lakers in that series, earning Finals MVP honors.  While some saw this as a “Willis Reed” moment, most questioned the injury and Pierce’s toughness as he was carried off the court.  Personally, I don’t think anybody should question the toughness of a guy who was stabbed 11 times and had a bottle smashed over his head, only to return to full health just days later.  After Game 1 of last year's first round match-up between Miami and Boston, Quentin Richardson bashed both Pierce and Garnett, calling them "actresses."   Either way, you either love the guy or hate him. 

Like them or not, Pierce and KG will talk a lot of trash - and back it up

As for KG, well, I have already mentioned previously that he is easily the NBA’s premier trash talker (btw – notice how many of SI’s top 10 trash talkers are on this list also).  Even Joakim Noah recently had to vent about him.  It seems like his popularity with other players and fans has declined somewhat –somewhat noted by not being voted as a starter to the All-Star game for the first time in ump-teen years.  As this is the latter phase of his outstanding career, he uses his savvy veteran tactics a lot more than sheer physical ability – including verbal jousting to get inside his opponents’ heads.  This particular season, he’s had numerous run-ins with many players (examples of late:  Dwight Howard, Channing Frye, and Mickael Pietrus) – and picking up technical fouls more often than he did earlier in his career. 

4.  Derek Fisher

From an opponent’s standpoint, is there a more irritating guy to play against?  Widely regarded as the best “flopper” of the NBA, he is easily leading the league in terms of how many times he’s tricked NBA officials.  And who can argue against the label of being a dirty player?  In the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals, Fisher took a complete cheap shot at Houston’s Luis Scola. 

Also, can you blame the entire state of Utah for absolutely loathing this guy?  In their eyes, he went from a loveable  figure (with the condition of his daughter during the 2007 playoffs, where he famously showed up late after taking his daughter to a doctor in New York for treatment drained a game-winning 3 pointer to help the Jazz K.O. Golden State) to a complete scoundrel.   Not just because he ditched the Jazz that offseason to join the Lakers, but also for the reason behind it:  he apparently thought that there were no doctors near Salt Lake City that were good enough to treat his daughter.  Huh?  Talk about adding salt to the wound.

The weirdest part about this is the fact that Fisher is the President of the NBA Players Association.  If you’re a player and you get in trouble with the league front office – be it a fine or suspension – D-Fish is the guy you need to stand by your side.  How weird must that be for guys that hate playing him (and vice versa)? That’s like asking your ex-girlfriend to put in a good word for you to your future wife’s parents.  Maybe he’s good at not holding grudges.  But I doubt it.

If Robert Horry were still playing, I think the two of them would be tied at this spot.   The fact that both of them can get inside their opponents’ heads and hit ridiculously clutch shots throughout their careers has given plenty of ammo for anti-Lakers fans to hate them.

3.  Bruce Bowen

I know, I know – he recently retired.  But he really deserves to be on this list.  Aside from many players who have publicly trashed Bowen in press conferences, how many of Bowen’s opponents have completely avoided any questions from the press regarding their opinions about him?  Probably about 100. Drawing criticism from both coaches and players (and famously dubbed the “Edward Scissorhands” nickname from Phil Jackson, citing Bowen’s physical-player grab-and-hold tactics), Bowen is both respected and hated for his ability to get under his opponents’ skin.  From Ray Allen to Steve Francis to Vince Carter to Steve Nash, Bowen has been constantly accused of playing dirty. 

Ray Allen, among many players, have expressed disdain over Bowen's play

Questions about Bowen’s defensive tactics came to light particularly after he puts his foot underneath players after they shoot –same manner in this video of him guarding New York Knicks guards Steve Francis and Jamal Crawford.  In fact, Isiah Thomas reportedly told his players to “break his ------- foot” if they saw Bowen do that to another player.  How does he get away with this?  I say it’s because of his super nice personality off the court.  I’m sure he’s very diplomatic with NBA officials and the league office whenever he’s asked about his defensive strategy.

Dirty or not, Spurs coach Greg Popovich has used Bowen masterfully, having covered top scorers like Dirk Nowitzki very effectively.  But effective or not, Bowen’s physical play did not make very many friends (or fans outside of San Antonio).  And he’s succeeded and won championships because of it.

2.  Kobe Bryant

Before this off-season, Kobe has been the clear-cut number 1 on this list for several years. 

Now before I break down all the things he’s done to solidify his villainy, I’ll say this:  his popularity has definitely recovered since the mind-boggling rape accusations (a tremendously HUGE blow to his image, regardless of whether or not he was at fault).  To his defense, Kobe has been in a no-win situation -both on and off the court.  In games, he is criticized whenever his team loses and he takes too many shots.  When he doesn’t shoot that much and the Lakers lose, he is criticized for not carrying the load.  When the Lakers lose and Kobe gets on his teammates, he is seen as a total a-hole. 

As much as Laker fans want to defend Kobe, it’s hard not to hold him accountable as to why he’s had so much more difficulty with keeping a good image than most superstars in the NBA.  Now I know this is irritating to both Kobe and Jordan fans (and me), but I’m going to compare Kobe to MJ’s golden standard:  Did Jordan get the same criticism for shooting too much (or too little)?  Maybe he did very early in his career, but he was winning championships left and right ever since.  Did MJ ever (publicly) demand a trade?  Absolutely not. 

Before I go on and on comparing Kobe to MJ, take a look at this must-read article:  an extremely solid case breaking down MJ vs. Kobe by Skip Bayless.  It will save me from spinning wheels trying to explain this. 

Why was Kobe so hated?  For one, he was widely regarded as a not-so-pleasant teammate.  Many sources blamed him for his rocky relationship with Shaq and breaking up the Shaq-Kobe duo.  In all fairness, Shaq was probably not the easiest teammate to play with – just ask Penny Hardaway.  But Kobe’s competitiveness often got the best of him in many interpersonal situations with teammates and coaches.  In his earlier days as a Laker, Kobe was widely regarded as a loner.  He has made more of an effort to be outgoing and social with his current teammates, but he clearly had problems getting along with people early on in his career.  Even coaches have publicly complained about him.  Phil Jackson famously described Kobe as “uncoachable” in his book.  Is he a good teammate?  This can be questionable as well.  If I’m Andrew Bynum, I don’t think I could stand playing with him.  He was infamously caught on tape bashing Mitch Kupchak’s decision to refuse trading Bynum for Jason Kidd.  Remember when he accidentally injured Andrew Bynum in the middle of the 2008-09 season?  Pay close attention to his initial reaction.  It really seemed as though he was feeling more upset about possibly missing out on a title than he was genuinely concerned for his teammate.

Shaq and Kobe couldn't put their egos aside, and Shaq moved elsewhere

We all know Kobe wants to win more than anybody.  But how is his attitude when his team faces adversity?  Kobe has had several games where he quit on his team.  I don’t know how you can spin it any other way.  The two such episodes that come to mind are Game 7 vs. Phoenix in 2006 and Game 6 vs. Boston in 2008.  In that game vs. Phoenix, Kobe took one shot attempt during the entire 2^nd half.  Even Charles Barkley called him out, saying Kobe was trying to prove a point and flat out quit on his team.    Even during his offensive “explosions” of scoring 60+ points, some of his teammates were reportedly not particularly pleased.  Trevor Ariza got an unfriendly glare from Kobe after not giving him the ball on a possession during a 61 point, 0 rebound, and 3 assist effort vs. the Knicks.  A 61/0/3 stat line is quite the individual accomplishment, but hardly indicative of any teamwork whatsoever.  

On top of the turmoil with his own teammates and coaches, he doesn’t exactly get along very well with his peers on other teams, either.  Ray Allen publicly criticized Kobe for his request to be traded, basically saying that Kobe did not “get it” yet.  Raja Bell, Ron Artest, and Matt Barnes have all had heated (but hilarious) run-ins with Kobe.  A very physical player, Kobe is not shy about getting physical with his opponents.  Bell clotheslined Kobe in the aforementioned 2006 playoff series, and bashed him afterwards – calling him a “pompous, arrogant individual.”   Artest and Barnes expressed dislike for Kobe also, but I have no idea why they completely sold themselves out by joining Kobe in LA. 

One of these days, I will write an entry on how fortunate the Lakers have been to win all titles that they did during the past decade.  But I’ll address one of these reasons right now: if Pau Gasol doesn’t get gift-wrapped to LA (which, by the way, was the shadiest transaction in the history of the league – as the Lakers did not even have to trade their 10^th best player back to Memphis), does Kobe really “change” into a better teammate, the way he is now? Does he ever win a title in his career again?  I have my doubts.  For all we know, he would have been traded to another team (in all likelihood, Chicago – but thank goodness that didn’t happen; the MJ comparisons would never have ended). 

If you think I’m a Kobe hater, read this article by Bill Simmons before you judge.  He lays out everything I touched on in a very comprehensive and unbiased manner.  I will say this:  despite his reputation as a villain and being criticized often by fans, coaches, and players alike, Kobe has obviously had great success in his career.  He is immensely gifted and has a terrific work ethic.  His desire to win is unsurpassed by many, and he has 5 championship rings to show for it.  He may not be the most popular superstar of all time, but he may end up being one of the most successful ones.  You just gotta wonder if he would have had more success if you took away some of the self-inflicted drama he’s had in his career.    

1.  Lebron James

This is a no-brainer.  Remarkably, he probably wouldn’t have even been on this list prior to ‘The Decision.’  But at this very moment, he is THE most hated player – perhaps in all of sports.  I’ve seen approximately 20 videos mocking his Nike commercial, where he tries to defend the manner in which he handled his decision to leave Cleveland.  Everybody on this list has plenty of ill-wishers, but I’ve never seen it get to this level.  Has anyone been rooted this hard to fail to the point where voodoo dolls and witchcraft are summoned? 

Just like these LBJ jerseys, Lebron's popularity burned. Big time.

Honestly, I’m surprised he wasn’t more unpopular prior to free agency.  Everyone pays a lot more attention NOW to his poor choice of words in several press conferences.  But it’s not like he got worse – he’s never been known for being very articulate or making any sense.  Also, how about his constant teasing of the fans when it comes to entering the Dunk Contest?  If he truly cared about the fans, he would dunk.  Period.  MJ, Dominique, Kobe, Vince, Dwight – they all did it out of respect for the fans, whether they wanted to do it or not.  One of his excuses is that he doesn’t want people to think of him “as just a dunker.”  Well, that would be better than being thought of as a complete d-bag by 49 and ½ states, wouldn’t it? 

(On a side note, I can’t WAIT to see Blake Griffin in this year’s Dunk Contest.  He will be incredible.)

All of these guys have completely embraced their villain role, at the expense of their popularity with a majority of the world.  They are all motivated by the intense hatred towards them.  With so many people rooting for them to fail, these guys are wired in a way where they all feast off that criticism and ill wishing.