The NBA is a league defined by its players, and specifically, its stars. When the NBA's best players prove to the world why they are the best, they take on superstar status. With that status comes influence, and the role in which they choose to play often has a profound impact on how they are viewed. While many stars are humble in nature, certain players throughout the history of the NBA have taken on more of a villain role.

In some cases, this role has come naturally simply from the star being themselves, and their sheer dominance has resulted in their hatred by their opponents. In other cases, however, the player has purposefully leaned into their villain role by making controversial comments or acting out on the court.

This has allowed them to become universal villains, where they are hated by the majority of the league or fanbases without bias. The following are the biggest villains in the history of the NBA, ranked.

12 Dillon Brooks

Brooks has made the villain role his calling card

Few modern players have embraced the black hat quite like Dillon Brooks. The Canadian forward built his reputation in Memphis as a relentless, needling defender, and he has never been shy about saying exactly what he thinks.

That came to a head in the 2023 playoffs. After the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round series, Brooks dismissed LeBron James as "old" and summed up his approach in three words: "I poke bears." In the very next game, he was ejected for a flagrant foul that struck James in the groin, and the Lakers went on to win the series, with the pair reigniting their feud in another Lakers win years later.

Brooks even blamed his reputation for the call, claiming the media and fans had cast him as a villain. He has done little to shake the label since, leading the league in technical fouls with 18 in 2022-23 and again with 17 as a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2025-26.

11 Isiah Thomas

Thomas was the ringleader of the Bad Boys

If Bill Laimbeer was the Bad Boy Pistons' enforcer, Isiah Thomas was their leader. The Hall of Fame point guard drove Detroit to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, claiming Finals MVP honors in the second.

Along the way, Thomas' Pistons knocked Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls out of three straight postseasons, using a punishing defensive game plan known as the "Jordan Rules" to wear down the young superstar.

His most infamous moment came when the tables finally turned. As the Bulls completed a sweep of Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Thomas and most of his teammates walked off the court before the final buzzer without shaking hands. Thomas was left off the 1992 Dream Team, and he has since admitted he paid a "heavy price" for the snub.

10 Trae Young

Young became a villain to Knicks and 76ers fans in 2021

Trae Young spent more than seven seasons as the Atlanta Hawks' superstar and centerpiece before being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2026. That, of course, came at the expense of a few teams and their fanbases, which have now come to resent Young.

Specifically, Young’s ascension as a star came in 2021, when the Hawks took on the New York Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs.

It did not take long for Young to make himself the villain among the Knicks faithful. In his postseason debut, Young made the game-winner to steal Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. As if the dagger wasn't enough, Young taunted the crowd after he made the shot.

Knicks fans then responded by loudly filling the arena with expletive chants about Young, to which the point guard responded by continuing to light up the court. His actions spoke for themselves as the Hawks stunned the Knicks, beating them in five games.

Young would then further embrace his villain role against the Philadelphia 76ersin the next round. As the heavy underdogs, Young and the Hawks upset the Sixers to make it all the way to the Conference Finals. While they lost that series, Young’s status as their star (and a villain) was cemented that year.

9 LeBron James

Many viewed James as a "heel" after "The Decision"

The majority of NBA players have become villains simply due to their skills on the court, and therefore their ability to light up opponents. This, combined with his massive influence, has led LeBron James to become (probably unfairly) hated by many.

Simply due to James’ successes on the court, which included four titles with three different teams, the majority of fanbases on the opposite side of the court have constantly rooted for him to fail. While he has lost six NBA Finals, unlike Michael Jordan, it still has been but a small blemish on the game's biggest resume.

James' villain status particularly rose to prominence during the 2010 offseason, when he infamously made "The Decision" to move from Cleveland to Miami. Pundits criticized James for leaving his hometown and going to Miami to form a Big Three with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Nonetheless, the career move proved to benefit James, as he won his first two titles with the Heat. He added a fourth franchise in 2026, joining Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown on the Philadelphia 76ers for a record 24th season.

8 Kyrie Irving

Irving has often doubled down on his villain role

Be it intentional or unintentional, there is no doubt that Kyrie Irving has been one of the NBA’s biggest villains over the past few seasons. His time as a villain has come mostly after his 2016 championship.

Oftentimes, villains must endure sustained success in order to hang on to that moniker. Irving has fallen short since, but there is no doubt he is one of the game’s biggest.

The fanbase that resents him the most is the Boston Celtics, and they let him have it during the 2024 NBA Finals when he went up against them as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. In October 2018, Irving told Celtics season-ticket holders at TD Garden that he planned to re-sign — only to leave for Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. He later stomped on the Celtics' midcourt logo after a 2021 playoff win in Boston.

That plan backfired, as the Durant and Irving-led Nets never got past the second round. Irving played just 29 of the Nets' 82 regular-season games in 2021-22 after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine required under New York City's mandate. This, combined with his promotion of a film containing antisemitic material, which led to a Nets suspension in 2022, has led him to become disliked by many.

7 Ron Artest

Artest, also known as Metta World Peace, is no stranger to controversy

The largest brawl in NBA history, the Malice at the Palace, occurred in 2004, and Ron Artest was one of the key figures behind its ignition. What sparked the riot was Artest’s hard foul on Ben Wallace, which he later claimed he tried to apologize for before Wallace shoved him.

“When I fouled Ben and he pushed me, the first thing I did, they don't show this, first thing I did was like this — apologized. My bad man. But Ben was so mad he just pushed me. I didn't get a chance to [apologize].” —Metta World Peace

Artest was suspended for the remainder of the 2004-05 season. Artest, who would later change his name to Metta World Peace, would still play into his role as a villain. His most infamous cheap shot came in 2012, when an elbow to the head of James Harden left the then-Thunder guard with a concussion and earned World Peace a seven-game suspension.

6 Dennis Rodman

Rodman backed up his villainy with skill

Dennis Rodman was one of the greatest rebounders in the history of the NBA, but he was also one of the most universally disliked players. This was due to his “bad boy” status in the league during the 1990s, where he would often get under the skin of the biggest players, and even Commissioner David Stern himself.

Rodman was often fined and suspended for violating various league rules, most notably a six-game ban for headbutting a referee in 1996 and an 11-game suspension for kicking a courtside cameraman in 1997. His role as a villain was only amplified when he decided to join forces with Michael Jordan and the dynastic Chicago Bulls of the mid-1990s, who were villains themselves.

Rodman was also a known hard fouler and trash talker, which got under the skin of various players. But he backed up his talk with walk, as his defense, rebounding, and rings all spoke for themselves.

5 Reggie Miller

Miller was public enemy number one during his prime

Reggie Miller was more of a public enemy, but was still a villain nonetheless, particularly to Knicks fans. He played a similar role in the 1990s as Trae Young played in 2021, and that was due to his natural skill.

Miller would often dominate the Knicks throughout his career, becoming known as a Knick Killer in some instances. The peak of his villainy came at Madison Square Garden. In Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, he scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and flashed a choke sign at courtside Knicks superfan Spike Lee. A year later, in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to steal a 107-105 win.

The Pacers went on to beat the Knicks in that series.

Miller also beat up on several other teams, as his Indiana Pacers were perennial contenders in the 1990s. Though he never quite won a title, Miller still remains one of the biggest villains in league history.

4 Draymond Green

Green is infamous for his numerous controversies

As his career has advanced, Draymond Green has only become more unlikeable. Green has never been shy about voicing his opinions, which he does on his podcast “The Draymond Green Show” where he spews out often-controversial takes.

He also voiced his opinions on the court in a physical manner, as indicated by his numerous fines and suspensions. In 2023-24, he was suspended for five games for placing Rudy Gobert in a headlock, and was suspended indefinitely less than a month later for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

But his most infamous moment came just prior to the 2022-23 season, when he punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face during practice. That set the season off on a bad foot for the Warriors, leading to an irreversible rift in the locker room. The Warriors eventually traded Poole the following summer.

Green is a winner on the court, with multiple rings to jangle in people's faces, but remains a loser in the eyes of many NBA fans.

3 Kevin Durant

Durant became a villain due to his ‘ring-chasing’ narrative

Though often overshadowed by other names, there is no doubt that Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players of all time. That, of course, has come with some negative aura, as he is viewed by many as one of the game’s biggest villains.

Durant’s role as a villain came particularly in 2016, when it was announced that he would be joining the Golden State Warriors. This led to the NBA world coining him as a “ring-chaser” as he would join forces with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (and the aforementioned Draymond Green) to create an unstoppable big three.

The plan worked, as Durant would win two rings with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. He silenced opposing teams, including his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on multiple occasions. This, combined with his tendency to fire back at fans on social media, has formed a villainous aura around Durant that can no longer be shed.