Bill Simmons Says Popular Contender Is Now Biggest NBA Villain

Bill Simmons’ former website, Grantland, has been suspended by ESPN.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been called out by Bill Simmons for being the most hated team in the league entering this season’s playoffs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most popular players in the league, especially with younger fans loving his playing style. Oklahoma City has also been praised for building their team through the draft, but Simmons believes the tide has turned.

The following quote from Simmons explains why he thinks the Thunder are the top villains:

“Have the Thunder officially become villains? Did this happen? Are we here? I’ll give you some of the case, and then you tell me. All the picks that they have.

The fact that they’re successful but then have this war chest too. Sam Presti. How everybody else in the league now is mad at Sam Presti for a variety of reasons, including that he’s now anti-tanking when he used to be pro-tanking.”

Simmons called out General Manager Sam Presti for his alleged actions behind the scenes. Presti and Oklahoma City have been accused of being one of the parties complaining to the league about teams going too far with tanking. The Thunder tanked hard for years before they put together their young core to win a title. Other teams blatantly tanking are appearing to copy OKC’s method of drafting top picks.

Bill Simmons Called Out Two Thunder Players

The commentary from Simmons continued when he started naming certain players and their impact om fans turning against the Thunder. Simmons feels that fans across the league are hoping to see them lose due to the frustration mounting from their players.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort were named by Simmons for why Oklahoma City will get full villain treatment:

“All the foul baiting, especially from SGA. That’s become a thing this year. The boring commercials. Just bad commercials starring the OKC people. I don’t think people like that. Stole the team from Seattle has to be mentioned.”

“And then the coup de grace, Lu Dort. That was the dirtiest thing anyone did this year. It was inexcusable. I can’t believe he did it. They kind of need an identity, right? They’re leaning into their inner villain now, which I like.”

Fans Also Hate Dominant Teams

One constant in the NBA is that winning teams to dominate for too long often become the most hated organizations. The early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers were villains due to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal making them the strong favorites over every other team.

LeBron James’ early 2010s Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors super team remain the two most hated teams of the past fifteen years. Oklahoma City won last year’s NBA Championship and are the favorites to win it all this season at a time when few repeat champions happen.

It is natural for many NBA fans to turn against the Thunder for winning too much, but Simmons added more context. All the issues he called out are valid, and they all combine to make fan resentment grow across the league to root on OKC’s downfall this postseason.

Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford