Where The Grizzlies Rank Among the NBA’s Most Hated Teams

Where The Grizzlies Rank Among the NBA’s Most Hated Teams
Fact Checked by Nate Hamilton

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. 

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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.  

RankTeamTeams Naming As Primary RivalTeams Naming As Secondary RivalFinal Points
1Boston Celtics6 teams (60 points)3 teams (15 points)75
2Los Angeles Lakers4 teams (40 points)2 teams (10 points)50
T-3Memphis Grizzlies2 teams (20 points)1 team (5 points)25
T-3Miami Heat2 teams (20 points)1 team (5 points)25
T-3New York Knicks2 teams (20 points)1 team (5 points)25
T-6Golden State Warriors2 teams (20 points)0 teams (0 points)20
T-6Denver Nuggets2 teams (20 points)0 teams (0 points)20

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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.  

Make sure to check out some of the best TN sportsbook promos while betting on the Grizzlies. 

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Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan writes for BetTennessee.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.