Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the most hated player in the NBA, according to a recent study.
Sports Insider compiled a map using geotagged Twitter data that showed James is the most hated NBA player in 24 states. The study relied on negative phrases such as “I hate Lebron” in its research.
Nets player Kyrie Irving came in as the runner-up for most hated player, with Twitter users in 18 states showing they dislike him most. Other disliked players include James Harden, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George, though those players were only represented in a handful of states.
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The report comes after more than a year of advocacy from sports leagues and players on social justice issues, with James becoming one of the most outspoken activists against police brutality and systemic racism.
His activism has been shown both on and off the court, with him tweeting his support of Black Lives Matter initiatives and wearing a MAGA-styled hat last year that read, “Make America Great Again Arrest The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor.” The hat was referring to the 26-year-old woman who was shot and killed last year in Louisville, Kentucky.
James was also hit with accusations of inciting violence in April after he posted a tweet of the Ohio police officer who shot Ma’Khia Bryant, with the caption, “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.” He later deleted the tweet after backlash.
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Activism from players and the NBA also occurred as ratings for games fell and other sports players, such as NFL legend Brett Favre, denounced mixing politics with sports.
“I think both sides, for the most part, want to see it just remain about the sport, not about politics,” Favre said during an interview earlier this year. “At least, that’s my interpretation. I know when I turn on a game, I want to watch the game. I want to watch players play and teams win, lose, come from behind. I want to watch all the, you know, important parts of the game, not what’s going on outside of the game. And I think the general fan feels the same way.”
