With the continued rise of social media, hate for certain basketball players has never been greater. Every mistake and comment is examined and exploited by fans across the world. Here, we’ll take a look at why three heavily criticized players are all future Hall of Famers.
Dwight Howard:
Howard has been one of the most hated NBA players ever since his departure from Orlando. An extremely dysfunctional and underwhelming season with the Lakers didn’t help his case either.
But, nonetheless, Howard’s stats speak for themselves. Dwight has averaged 17.4 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in 14 years. He’s a three time Defensive Player of the Year winner and has been on the All-NBA 1st Team five times. His numbers are just as good as current Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning; averaging 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.
Dwight’s frequent appearances on the NBA blooper show, Shaqtin’ a Fool, and controversial departures from numerous teams have hurt his image beyond repair. Howard has been scrutinized for his unique personality and expensive contract, but his numbers are still Hall of Fame worthy.
Carmelo Anthony:
Anthony has been heavily criticized for his ball-dominant offense and lack of effort on defense. He’s never won a championship and isn’t a real leader on the court.
While Anthony has his flaws, he’s still one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. He has averaged 24.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game over 15 years. Melo is the 19th leading scorer in NBA history and should climb up at least five more spots if he stays healthy. He has made the All-NBA 2nd Team twice.
To me, any player that averages 24 points over 15 years more than deserves to make the Hall of Fame. No matter what stigmas he has. While his age has slowed his productivity, Anthony is still a capable scorer and should help the Rockets a lot next year.
Kevin Love:
Kevin Love just can’t seem to do anything right in the eyes of many fans. His biggest criticisms are from his time in Cleveland, where he was often overshadowed as LeBron James’s sidekick.
While his stats with the Cavs look underwhelming compared to his time in Minnesota, these numbers are very misleading. After joining Cleveland, Love has averaged around five to six less shots per game and four to five fewer minutes per game. But the biggest change for Love was his role. While Love was the star in Minnesota, he has turned into just a spot up shooter for the Cavs.
Even with his disadvantages in Cleveland, Love has averaged 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 10 years of play. He has one NBA Championship under his belt and his statistics are more than good enough to get into the Hall of Fame.