LeBron James is the biggest star in the NBA.
But is James the most popular player?
This one fact about LeBron James will turn heads across America.
Sportsinsider.com tracked geo-targeted negative Twitter mentions in all 50 states.
The website’s report found that LeBron James was the most hated NBA player in 24 states.
The Daily Caller reports:
LeBron James is apparently the most hated player in the NBA.
According to geotagged Twitter data tracked by sportsinsider.com, the Los Angeles Lakers star is the most hated player in 24 states.
James has long been seen as a villainous character in the NBA.
In 2010 he staged the infamous “The Decision” primetime special on ESPN to announce he was “taking his talents to South Beach” and leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat.
James regained much of his luster when he returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the Cavs to their only NBA championship in franchise history in 2016.
But after the 2016 season, it turned sour for James again as he took on the role of the NBA’s leading political activist.
James’ pro-Black Lives Matter and anti-police rhetoric alienated fans across the country.
The final straw for many came when James tweeted out the picture of a police officer who shot and killed a 16-year-old girl before she stabbed another girl to death.
“You’re next!” read the caption that accompanied James’ tweet, which many took as inciting violence against the officer.
Injecting politics into sports only serves to divide fans from their favorite players and teams.
Michael Jordan once famously refused to get involved in politics and the quote “Republicans buy sneakers, too” was attributed to him.
Some in the woke sports media mock Jordan, but Jordan knew that sports was an escape from politics and that by getting involved in the trendy causes of the day would not serve anyone’s interest.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
