Kyrie and Durant should be likable. Why aren’t they?

[CelticSooner]

I think Who nailed it. Both guys obviously don’t care about how fans view them. They’ve shown their true surly colors. I’m just here to play basketball like a robot so leave me alone. A lot of fans (myself included) don’t like athletes with that demeanor. They deserve each other.

[tenn_smoothie]

Why should they be likeable - both self-centered and self-important jerks.

"My goal out here, my purpose, is to help humanity"

Statements like that are so egotistical and pretentious. Sure we all should want to live decent lives and try to make our little corner of the world better, but Irving's overblown declarations about responsibility for all of humanity are self-promoting and disingenuous. Kyrie Irving is not going to do one thing to help the situation in Israel because he is not in any position to be able to, but acts like he is.

[GreenlyGreeny]

Because they’re ruthless mercenaries with loyalty to nobody except maybe each other 🧐  and they’re proud of it.

[SparzWizard]

Wait this is still a thread? We've already seen what Kyrie did in the TD Garden this past week.

Durant is a sly snake. They should be detestable.

[colincb]

Why should they be likable?

[Muzzy66]

I think the glorification has something to do with it probably.

These days star NBA players are the ultimate celebrities - they are practically worshipped.

On top of that they make utterly ridiculous amounts of money from an extremely young age, so I think there is an arrogance factor that stems from that.  From the ripe age of like 20-21 they are already getting used to the idea that they can have whatever that want, whenever they want. 

Finally on top of that the power that the league has given the players (to be able to basically hold the league, teams and GMs random at will) just gives them an even further element of power.

I think a lot of young people in their early/mid 20s probably lack the maturity to be able to get handed that type of power and not be corrupted by it.  So many of these players IMHO just don't have the faintest clue what it's like to be a regular guy living in the "real world". 

[Donoghus]

More on "Rabbit Ears" Durant.

https://nypost.com/2021/06/08/kevin-durant-slams-espns-jay-williams-for-his-f-kin-lie/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

[RJ87]

Kyrie is very well liked. Maybe not around here, but overall, he is a huge fan favorite.

This pretty much sums it up. They're not liked in Boston, but Boston doesn't equal national appeal. When you consider they're standing in the sport as a whole, there's really no question that both Kyrie and KD are two of its most popular athletes.

[Moranis]

Kyrie is very well liked. Maybe not around here, but overall, he is a huge fan favorite.

This pretty much sums it up. They're not liked in Boston, but Boston doesn't equal national appeal. When you consider they're standing in the sport as a whole, there's really no question that both Kyrie and KD are two of its most popular athletes.

No they aren't.  They are superb basketball players (especially Durant), but they are not well like nationally.  In Ohio basically no one like either of them and no one really like Kyrie before he asked out of Cleveland either.  Just because you are a great basketball talent, that gets talked about by sport's media, etc. doesn't mean you are well liked.

[PhoSita]

I think Kyrie is liked a great deal by very casual fans and extremely online fans, for different reasons.

Don't think he's particularly liked outside of those groups.

[RJ87]

Kyrie is very well liked. Maybe not around here, but overall, he is a huge fan favorite.

This pretty much sums it up. They're not liked in Boston, but Boston doesn't equal national appeal. When you consider they're standing in the sport as a whole, there's really no question that both Kyrie and KD are two of its most popular athletes.

No they aren't.  They are superb basketball players (especially Durant), but they are not well like nationally.  In Ohio basically no one like either of them and no one really like Kyrie before he asked out of Cleveland either.  Just because you are a great basketball talent, that gets talked about by sport's media, etc. doesn't mean you are well liked.

They're both constantly on the list of the league's best selling jerseys (KD at #3, Kyrie at #6 this year). They're both Nike signature athletes with lines that perform very well, Kyrie's in particular is regularly a top seller among all shoe brands.

Sure, there are pockets of people who don't like them but their marketability suggests that they're far more likable than you may want to admit.

[jambr380]

I thought this graphic was interesting - it isn't even just Boston who hates Kyrie.  No surprise on Lebron since he's amazing and been around forever.


https://i.redd.it/ng03t0du53471.jpg

Edit: I give up on trying to post a graphic here anymore. It just doesn't seem possible.

[Moranis]

Kyrie is very well liked. Maybe not around here, but overall, he is a huge fan favorite.

This pretty much sums it up. They're not liked in Boston, but Boston doesn't equal national appeal. When you consider they're standing in the sport as a whole, there's really no question that both Kyrie and KD are two of its most popular athletes.

No they aren't.  They are superb basketball players (especially Durant), but they are not well like nationally.  In Ohio basically no one like either of them and no one really like Kyrie before he asked out of Cleveland either.  Just because you are a great basketball talent, that gets talked about by sport's media, etc. doesn't mean you are well liked.

They're both constantly on the list of the league's best selling jerseys (KD at #3, Kyrie at #6 this year). They're both Nike signature athletes with lines that perform very well, Kyrie's in particular is regularly a top seller among all shoe brands.

Sure, there are pockets of people who don't like them but their marketability suggests that they're far more likable than you may want to admit.

Those aren't necessarily signs that you are well liked though, especially personally.  Irving is absolutely incredible with the ball, plays in the largest city in the country, and is still relatively new there.  All things that would drive jersey sales. 

[Donoghus]

I thought this graphic was interesting - it isn't even just Boston who hates Kyrie.  No surprise on Lebron since he's amazing and been around forever.


https://i.redd.it/ng03t0du53471.jpg

Edit: I give up on trying to post a graphic here anymore. It just doesn't seem possible.

What am I missing with Paul George & Arizona?

[Moranis]

I thought this graphic was interesting - it isn't even just Boston who hates Kyrie.  No surprise on Lebron since he's amazing and been around forever.


https://i.redd.it/ng03t0du53471.jpg

Edit: I give up on trying to post a graphic here anymore. It just doesn't seem possible.

That isn't surprising, well except Paul George in Arizona and Russell Westbrook in Pennsylvania, those are just weird.