Sports villains can be just as much fun as sports heroes. Here are three current players Chicago Bulls fans love to hate.
Sports-hating someone is a unique feeling. There’s no actual ill will for the person in real life, but you just can’t stand to watch them succeed on the court or on the field. In basketball, as soon as that person steps on the court, your body just fills with anger. There’s no greater pain than losing to that person and no better feeling than beating that person.
All of that goes away when the person you sports-hate does something awesome in real life. For example, tons of NBA fans have a disdain for LeBron James, but the way he uses his platform for social justice is incredibly commendable and inspiring. It’s impossible to hate anything he does off the court.
Another important thing to remember when evaluating sports-hate is that it usually (not always) comes from a place of respect or fear. You (usually) don’t sports-hate someone unless they’ve done something to harm your team, which is usually a result of them actually being really good at what they do. Nobody sports-hates the 11th man on an NBA roster who logs seven minutes per game. They’re simply not a threat.
With all of that being said, let’s go through and evaluate some of the current NBA players that Chicago Bulls fans love to hate.
Current players Chicago Bulls fans love to hate: Matthew Dellavedova
As a die-hard Bulls fan, I’ve never watched a player more annoying than Matthew Dellavedova. He’s a pest that has a unique way of getting under everyone’s skin: opposing players, fans, everyone.
Remember in the 2015 playoffs when Taj Gibson got ejected for “kicking” Dellavedova? Remember how Dellavedova intentionally tied up Gibson’s leg prior to the kick?
Dellavedova has a lot of Patrick Beverley in him. He’s good at what he does. He’s out there to play tough defense, be an agitator and somehow knock down timely threes.
I’m glad the days of watching him play with LeBron James on the Cavs are (hopefully) over.