Few small-market teams in the NBA have generated the level of animosity that the Memphis Grizzlies have over the years. Between the franchise’s polarizing stars, such as Ja Morant and Zach Randolph, and the team’s no-holds-barred mentality, the Grizzlies have an on-court swagger that few franchises can duplicate.
Given that ethos, it’s likely of little surprise to learn that Memphis ranked among the most hated teams in the NBA in a recent survey. As we are in the lull of the NBA offseason and TN sports betting for basketball fans, we were interested in who currently are the most hated NBA teams.
Most Hated NBA Teams (According To Rivalries)
Using Reddit data from user RemyPLambert, BetTennessee.com found something the Tennessee sportsbook apps won't have, the primary and secondary rivals of each NBA team with a sample size of 1,000 respondents. If a team was mentioned as a primary rival, that was 10 points. If a team was mentioned as a secondary rival, that was 5 points. We then used the final points to rank the most hated NBA teams.
Where Grizzlies Rank Leaguewide
Overall, the Grizzlies finished in a tie for third with the Miami Heat and New York Knicks among the NBA’s most hated teams, with two franchises claiming Memphis as their primary rival and another as a secondary one, netting them 25 points. That score put Memphis behind league leaders in hatred, such as the Boston Celtics (75 points), and the Los Angeles Lakers (50 points), while the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets rounded out the list, with 20 points each.
Among the league’s most hated list, the Grizzlies are the only one to have never won an NBA championship, with the Nuggets winning one in 2023, the Knicks having two Larry O’Brien trophies, and the rest having three or more.
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