1) Metta Sandiford-Artest vs. Detroit

We know of one specific Pistons fan who no longer holds any animosity towards Sandiford-Artest. That’s John Green, the infamous cup thrower who turbo charged the “Malice at the Palace,” leading to Sandiford-Artest and other Pacers players fist fighting Pistons fans in the stands. Years later, a more zen Sandiford-Artest and a contrite Green became good friends, a potential inspiration to the 99% of Detroit residents who likely still despise the former Pacers superstar. It was already heated a few months before the infamous scuffle, when Sandiford-Artest (then going by Ron Artest) rankled Pistons fans by flipping them off during game two of a contentious 2004 Conference Finals series. But the “Malice at the Palace” pushed things into overdrive and in some cases, way too far, including when a Pistons fan called in a bomb threat the next time the Pacers were in the arena (and Sandiford-Artest wasn’t even playing, due to a year long suspension). Even though all of his further games in Detroit would come as a member of the Kings, Rockets, Knicks, or Lakers, Sandiford-Artest would hear steady boos from Pistons fans until he retired.

2) Kevin McHale vs. Los Angeles

The Lakers-Celtics ’80s rivalry was as heated as any in NBA history, and McHale placed himself squarely at the center of it in game four of the 1984 Finals. With the Lakers dominating and poised to take a 3-1 series lead, McHale applied a pro wrestling move on Kurt Rambis, clotheslining the bespectacled power forward to the ground. It spurred the Celtics to an unlikely comeback and win in that game and eventually the series, while also creating a convenient villain for Lakers fans to focus their ire. L.A. defeating the Celtics in Finals rematches in 1985 and 1987 likely cooled those feelings, but the animosity between McHale and the city certainly didn’t end. Even decades later, McHale supposedly vetoed a Kevin Garnett trade to the Lakers as general manager of the Timberwolves, instead swapping the superstar to Boston for an arguably lesser return. McHale’s former teammates also still defend the action to this day, with Larry Bird continually calling it a “flop” by Rambis.

3) LeBron James vs. Washington

Long-suffering Wizards were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in ’05-’06, when their talented young roster was making a second straight postseason appearance, something the franchise hadn’t done in 18 years. But there was a “Chosen One” awaiting in the first round of the playoffs, and the then 21-year-old James eliminated Washington in six games, almost single-handedly. Then he did again in the first round in 2007. Then one more time in 2008, for good measure. By then, Gilbert Arenas was suffering from knee issues, Eddie Jordan was fired as coach, and this era of Wizards contention was slammed shut. Washington fans had no choice but to direct their frustration at James, specifically on the Cavaliers superstar’s regular usage of a “crab dribble,” which was arguably a traveling violation. One Wizards player who joined the cacophony of fan outrage was DeShawn Stevenson, who went so far as calling James “overrated,” an assessment he later regretted. Though the Wizards slumped back into mediocrity for the next few seasons, home fans still always got amped whenever James came to town, whether with Cleveland or Miami, relentlessly booing the four-time MVP and imploring the refs to call travels.

4) Vince Carter vs. Toronto

During their 20th anniversary season, the Raptors took a calculated risk when Carter was in town with the Grizzlies. Early in the game, a video tribute to Carter’s years with Toronto was played on the jumbotron, from his rookie debut in 1998 up to his 2004 trade to the Nets. A smattering of boos was the initial response but by the end of the highlights package, fans were giving a standing ovation to the former Raptors superstar, who acknowledged them with tears in his eyes. It marked a thawing of tensions between the former would-be franchise savior and the jilted fans he left behind. In retrospect, much of the blame for the messy 2004 divorce has been shifted to then general manager Rob Babcock, whose series of disastrous mistakes facilitated the need to deal Carter to New Jersey for pennies on the dollar. But for years, Carter was public enemy number one north of the border, getting jeered mercilessly by Toronto fans, especially when his Nets upset the Raptors in a first round playoff series in 2007. This sentiment faded over the years, as Carter transitioned into a venerated elder statesman of the NBA, lasting all the way to 2020, when he retired at age 43. When Carter was recently inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, he specifically cited that he was entering the Hall “as a Raptor.”

5) Vernon Maxwell vs. Utah

Thanks to social media, podcasting, and 24-hour sports news, NBA player beef can be re-hashed indefinitely, long after their career ends. That’s been a blessing for Maxwell, whose vendetta against Jazz fans has extended to three decades and counting. Nicknamed “Mad Max” for his temper as much as his shooting prowess, the volatile Rockets guard made headlines in 1995, when he entered the stands to punch an unruly Trail Blazers fan. But it was the Jazz faithful who really got under Maxwell’s skin, a fact that he didn’t want to admit publicly during his career but has turned into a motif of his retirement years, and for good reason. Citing their racist, hostile, violent behavior, which numerous other former players have also pointed out, Maxwell has labelled Jazz fans as “farm animals,” “demons,” and the “worst fans in basketball.” Any time the Jazz suffer a major defeat or setback, Maxwell is there on social media to rub salt in the wound, joking about the populace’s lack of intelligence, athleticism, and hygiene, cementing his status as a legendary hater.

6) Reggie Miller vs. New York

The guy hasn’t stepped on an NBA court in nearly two decades, but Miller was still a focal point of Knicks fans during the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. That’s how intensely the former Pacers star still vexes New Yorkers, and for good reason. Miller was a thorn forever stuck in New York’s side, or at least until the Knicks manage to ever win another championship. During an eight year stretch, starting in 1993, the Knicks and Pacers met six times in the postseason. While each team won three of those series, it Miller’s big moments that outshine any other events. The first was in the 1994 Conference Finals, when Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter of game five to lead a furious Pacers comeback, punctuated by the star guard flashing a “choke sign” at New York super-fan Spike Lee. One year later, in game one of the Conference Semifinals, Miller broke Knicks fans’ hearts again, scoring eight points in 8.9 seconds, sparking an improbable victory while constantly trash talking the opposing players and fans. Though neither Miller’s Pacers or the rival Knicks won a title in that era, the rivalry was still so heated and so memorable that it inspired one of the greatest basketball documentaries of all time, the appropriately titled Reggie Miller vs the New York Knicks.

7) Paul Pierce vs. Los Angeles

Growing up in Inglewood, California, just steps away from The Forum, Pierce was a huge Lakers fan in his childhood and a certified Celtics hater. That all changed in 1998, when Boston drafted him 10th overall and Pierce became the new face of a then slumping franchise. For the first decade of his career, Lakers fans were mostly ambivalent towards Pierce, who played well enough against L.A. for Shaquille O’Neal to label him “The Truth” but was ultimately just a blip on the radar of a Lakers team rolling to three championships in the early ’00s. The rivalry ratcheted up again in ’07-’08, when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Pierce in Boston, making the Celtics instant title contenders. Lakers fans rallied around Pierce as their biggest target, especially in the 2008 Finals when the Celtics star seemingly feigned an injury and was rolled into the locker room in a wheelchair, only to re-emerge minutes later with no ill effects. Pierce developed venom in turn against his former fellow Lakers fans. When he signed with the Clippers in 2015, Pierce called it a dream come true to play in his hometown but made it clear that signing with the hated Lakers was never an option.

8) Bill Laimbeer vs. everybody except Detroit (and sometimes even them)

When you build a reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA, the baddest of the “Bad Boys,” you’re also going to accrue a lot of enemies. Such was the case for Laimbeer, the big man who was short on athletic prowess but long on intimidation, physicality, and, let’s be honest, cheap shots. Laimbeer officially led the NBA in fines multiple times and unofficially in enraged opposing fans probably every year he played. Part of that was just his general demeanor on the court. His elbows, his trash talk, his shoves, his arguments with refs. It was also from his propensity for goading the biggest stars on opposing teams into disorderly conduct. Laimbeer notably incensed Jazz fans by fighting Karl Malone, 76ers fans by going after Charles Barkley, Magic fans by shoving Shaquille O’Neal, Bulls fans by assaulting Michael Jordan, Spurs fans by battling Dennis Rodman, Lakers fans by accosting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Knicks fans by goading Patrick Ewing. Just to name a few. His most infamous incident came in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, when Laimbeer clotheslined Larry Bird, infuriating Celtics fans (ironically, given #2 above) and compelling the otherwise serene Robert Parish to retaliate violently. In the end, even Pistons fans were starting to turn on Laimbeer, as his final violent act happened in a team practice, where an inflamed Isiah Thomas broke his hand by punching his starting center. Laimbeer announced his retirement just a few days later, stepping down early in the ’93-’94 season, much to the relief of opponents, refs, media members, and fans across the league.