The popular NBA subreddit titled R/NBA saw a user researching all posts from last season to name the most hated player. Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden received the strongest negative comment percentage. The combination of Harden forcing yet another trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland and another poor postseason caused the unpopular surge.
User B1ackmamba99 revealed the most hated players from last season and the percentages of negative comments:
Harden: 55.3% negative comments
Lu Dort: 53.2% negative comments
Draymond Green: 52.6% negative comments
Julius Randle: 52.3% negative comments
De’Aaron Fox: 52.2% negative comments
Each player makes sense when looking at their respective reputations or postseason moments. Harden had a terrible Eastern Conference Finals that saw the comments coming in when he once again underperformed against the New York Knicks.
Dort became hated for his physical defense often crossing the line. Oklahoma City Thunder haters view Dort as a “dirty” player and are glad he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Fox and Randle both had low playoff moments to see those hate comments increasing over their play.
Green was the leader of hate comments in the previous season, but the Golden State Warriors missing the playoffs saw him falling down a few spots. Reddit users viewed these five players as the least likable of the 2025-2026 season.
Why James Harden Won Over Snubbed Names
Bigger stars are often viewed as the most hated in the NBA due to the polarizing nature of fan reactions. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an obvious name missing here after developing the reputation for foul baiting. Two MVP Awards with this playing style saw many fans turning against SGA.
Luka Doncic also deals with a lot of hate over his conditioning and playing style. Complaining to officials all game and the Los Angeles Lakers factor makes Doncic a generally disliked player by a large percentage of NBA fans.
However, the user made it clear that those players have a lot of positive comments to outweigh the many negative ones. Luka and Shai are among the most popular players and have a polarizing dynamic. Harden received more hate all season for the trade that sent him to Cleveland for Darius Garland and saw it growing immensely come playoff time.
James Harden’s Playoff Reputation Continues To Haunt Him
No NBA player of Harden’s level or better has ever had as many high-profile playoff failures as him. Cleveland joined teams like the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers to see Harden failing them in recent years during his veteran tenure.
Earlier years with the Houston Rockets and Thunder saw Harden having more positive moments. Unfortunately, the memorable disasters also hold up and follow him as a major part of the future Hall of Famer’s legacy.
Harden continues to see this continue with noteworthy stinkers every year. The Cavaliers must see the best of Harden this season come playoff time, or the same story may emerge. Many NBA fans view Harden as a villain for choking when it matters most and forcing trades. Only success in the postseason can end this criticism for Harden.
Online Study Names James Harden As Most Hated NBA Player