When it comes to generating hatred across the country, no two NBA players come close to Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum. Using a methodology that factors in rivalry logic, active feuds, recent playoff history, and regional NBA leanings, RotoWire.com mapped the most despised player in all 50 states -- and the results paint a clear picture of two men who have mastered the art of being unlikeable.
| # | Player | States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Draymond Green Warriors | 16 states | |
| 2 |  Jayson Tatum Celtics | 13 states | |
| 3 |  Jalen Brunson Knicks | 6 states | |
| 4 |  Anthony Edwards Wolves | 3 states | |
| 5 |  Luka Doncic Lakers | 3 states | |
| 6 |  Russell Westbrook Free Agent | 2 states | |
| 7 |  LeBron James Lakers | 2 states | |
| 8 |  Trae Young Hawks | 2 states | |
| 9 |  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder | 1 states | |
| 10 |  Anthony Davis Lakers | 1 states | |
| 11 |  Kevin Durant Suns | 1 states |
| # | State | Most Hated Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska AK | Russell Westbrook | Free Agent |
| 2 | Alabama AL | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 3 | Arkansas AR | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 4 | Arizona AZ | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 5 | California CA | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 6 | Colorado CO | Anthony Edwards | Wolves |
| 7 | Connecticut CT | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 8 | Delaware DE | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 9 | Florida FL | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 10 | Georgia GA | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 11 | Hawaii HI | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 12 | Iowa IA | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 13 | Idaho ID | Anthony Edwards | Wolves |
| 14 | Illinois IL | LeBron James | Lakers |
| 15 | Indiana IN | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder |
| 16 | Kansas KS | Anthony Edwards | Wolves |
| 17 | Kentucky KY | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 18 | Louisiana LA | Anthony Davis | Lakers |
| 19 | Massachusetts MA | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 20 | Maryland MD | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 21 | Maine ME | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 22 | Michigan MI | LeBron James | Lakers |
| 23 | Minnesota MN | Luka Doncic | Lakers |
| 24 | Missouri MO | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 25 | Mississippi MS | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 26 | Montana MT | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 27 | North Carolina NC | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 28 | North Dakota ND | Luka Doncic | Lakers |
| 29 | Nebraska NE | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 30 | New Hampshire NH | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 31 | New Jersey NJ | Trae Young | Hawks |
| 32 | New Mexico NM | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 33 | Nevada NV | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 34 | New York NY | Trae Young | Hawks |
| 35 | Ohio OH | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 36 | Oklahoma OK | Kevin Durant | Suns |
| 37 | Oregon OR | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 38 | Pennsylvania PA | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 39 | Rhode Island RI | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 40 | South Carolina SC | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 41 | South Dakota SD | Luka Doncic | Lakers |
| 42 | Tennessee TN | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 43 | Texas TX | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 44 | Utah UT | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 45 | Virginia VA | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 46 | Vermont VT | Jalen Brunson | Knicks |
| 47 | Washington WA | Russell Westbrook | Free Agent |
| 48 | Wisconsin WI | Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| 49 | West Virginia WV | Draymond Green | Warriors |
| 50 | Wyoming WY | Draymond Green | Warriors |
Why Draymond Green Is the Most Hated NBA Player Across America
Draymond Green dominates the map with 16 states, making him the undisputed villain of the NBA landscape. His footprint spans every corner of the country, from Arizona and Texas in the Sun Belt to Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia in the heartland. The reasons are well-documented: a career built on physical intimidation, flagrant fouls, and an abrasive personality that opponents and neutral fans alike find impossible to root for. Even in states without obvious rival teams -- Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming -- Draymond's universal antagonist status carries the day. He's not hated because of geography; he's hated because of who he is.
Jayson Tatum Rivalries and Regional NBA Fan Backlash
Jayson Tatum comes in second at 13 states, but his hatred skews heavily along regional and rivalry lines. The bulk of his detractors live in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, the Carolinas -- where Celtic fatigue runs deep and Boston's playoff success in recent years has worn out its welcome. California and Hawaii also land in the Tatum column, a nod to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry that spans generations. His combination of genuine superstar talent and a perceived smug on-court demeanor makes him the perfect villain for anyone not rooting for Boston.
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NBA Hate Rankings for Brunson, Doncic, Edwards and More
Beyond the top two, the rankings reveal some interesting storylines. Jalen Brunson is despised across six New England and Mid-Atlantic states, making him the face of 
Knicks hatred for the region. Anthony Edwards claims three states in the Mountain West and Plains, a sign his star -- and his villainous reputation -- is rising fast. Luka Doncic sweeps the Dakotas and Minnesota, where a geographic rivalry with Dallas ( his old stomping grounds) fuels the disdain.
The outliers are equally telling. Kevin Durant is only the most hated in Oklahoma, a state still nursing the wound of his 2016 departure from the Thunder. And LeBron James, once the universal villain, now only tops the list in Illinois and Michigan -- a sign that even the most polarizing players eventually fade from peak hatred status.
NBA Fans More Muted For Westbrook, LeBron
Russell Westbrook (2 states): Westbrook claims Alaska and Washington, the latter being deeply personal -- Seattle never forgot the franchise relocation that birthed the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Westbrook became the face of that era alongside Durant. It's a hatred rooted more in what he represented than anything he did personally.
LeBron James (2 states): Illinois and Michigan are the last holdouts of peak LeBron hatred, likely tied to his Cleveland years and the Bulls and Pistons rivalries (or lack thereof) of that era. The fact that he only tops two states in 2026 speaks volumes about how much the discourse around him has shifted as his career winds down. LeBron is more in the appreciation era of his career at 41.
Trae Young (2 states): New Jersey and New York despise Trae Young, and he's done nothing to discourage it -- if anything, he's leaned into the villain role at Madison Square Garden with genuine relish. His flopping reputation and theatrical style make him a natural target for no-nonsense New York basketball fans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1 state): Indiana is the lone state where SGA tops the hate list, which likely reflects Pacers fans' frustration watching the Thunder build a powerhouse around a player taken with a pick that could have gone a very different direction. As OKC's championship window opens across US betting apps, that resentment will only deepen.
Anthony Davis (1 state): Louisiana's most hated player is, somewhat poetically, Anthony Davis — a New Orleans native who left the Pelicans to chase rings with the Lakers. For a state with limited professional sports options, that departure still stings and it probably always will.
Kevin Durant (1 state): Oklahoma's hatred of Durant is singular and enduring. Nearly a decade after he left the Thunder for Golden State's super-team, the state still hasn't forgiven him -- and given how that move reshaped the NBA's power structure, it's hard to blame them.
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