Players I Hate To Love

Posted by Joey Parker on September 28, 2009

“The player everyone loves to hate.” There are plenty of them. Sports announcers and writers from every city love to talk about the guys from other teams that their city loves to hate. At various times, Jazz fans have, or are said to have, loved to hate a variety of players. Usually it’s a pretty easy target. Right now it’s Kobe. A few years ago it was Rodman. Before that it was probably Barkley or Hakeem.

We all have those guys that just drive us nuts. We don’t just want them to get beat. We want them to get EMBARRASSED. To get what’s coming to them. Many Jazz fans became the biggest Celtics fans on the planet during the 2008 NBA Finals. We LOVED when Kobe and the Lakers got punked by the Celtics in the last game of that series. Just getting to see Kobe walk off the floor in shame was enough to make my whole summer. My dislike of Kobe had allowed me to soak in the justice that was doled out in that game.

I have collected plenty of names for my “I Hate that Guy!” list. But the other day I started thinking about all the players that SHOULD be on that list that I just can’t bring myself to add. I call this list “The Players I Hate to Love”.  These are players that would normally fit one of the criteria to be on the hate-list, but for some reason or another, I have come to like. So here it is:

Chris Paul:

We allll know the argument. D-Will vs. CP3. Media loves CP3. He got off to a quicker start. Won the rookie of the year. Made the All-Star team first. And yet, Deron OWNS him almost every time they play against each other. Deron has made it further in the playoffs. He has better size. He is a better long range shooter, etc.  Big argument and hype every time either name is brought up.

The simple fact that this rivalry exists made me root against Paul every single game during his first couple years. He is the classic case of a guy who should be easy to hate. Biggest rival to our team’s biggest star. Plays for a conference rival. Kind of has an attitude during games (just ask Julius Hodge)

And yet…he is just an awesome guy! I just can’t hate him anymore! I follow him on Twitter and have seen many interviews with him, and he seems like the nicest guy in the world. Even Deron loves him! All summer, Chris was either working out, doing charity stuff, or bowling (according to his Twitter feed.) How can you hate an NBA player that still goes bowling?

I remember hearing the interviews on the radio with both Chris and Deron, before their draft, and I remember thinking “Wow! BOTH of these guys are extremely smart and nice and professional!  This is going to be a tough choice!” (Saying all this–I still would have taken Deron-> more on that another time…)

Lamar Odom

I know! I know! He’s a…. Laker. He just married… a Kardashian. He’s…. a pot smoker.

All true, I know! (OK, the pot smoking thing happened a long time ago…) I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but I have always kind of liked Lamar. He is fun to watch on the court, he’s always smiling, and he just seems like a nice guy. Another reason I became attached to him is because Kobe hated him for awhile there. (And what Kobe hates, I love.)

The other reason I can’t hate the guy is that he had a baby who died of SIDS and I always felt really bad for him. When that sort of thing happens, it rips you out of your fan mentality for a while and reminds you that these millionaire athletes are actual people as well.

Allen Iverson

Talk about a guy who would be easy to hate! Let me run down a list: vulgar rap CD, obnoxious cornrows, selfish, flopper, PRACTICE?! We talkin bout PRACTICE?!…etc.

But still…the guy was AMAZING for a few years. For a guy that is 6 feet tall to be doing the things he did…incredible! He was practically unstoppable for a number of seasons. Unfortunately for him, he never had a great team around him, and the guys that were on his team hated playing with him because he was such a selfish player. (Ask Matt Harpring)

So, his amazing play combined with his incredible will and energy and total love for the game has always made me like him a lot. Plus he seems like a very smart, likable person based on interviews I have seen.

Would I want him on the Jazz?  Goodness gracious NO! Although seeing Jerry try to deal with a player like him WOULD be very entertaining for everyone but Jerry.

By the way, all of this love and affection goes right out the window when these players are actually playing the Jazz. I have to draw the line somewhere!

Sneak Preview of my next blog entries: “Players I Hate to Hate: starring Derek Fisher” followed by “Players I Love to Love…ya know…The Jazz!” and lastly “Players I Love to Hate to Love and Hate”…. nevermind, I’ve gone too far.

8 Comments

Joel on September 28, 2009 said:

Hhmm.. I can see that Chris Paul make my “Players I Hate To Love” list.. but the other 2?? No way… I dislike Odom because he doesn’t seem to be consistent… It looks like he plays well when he wants to…, most of the time no.
And Iverson? The only time I ever like him was when Philly was in the finals against the Lakers…

J R Stewart on September 28, 2009 said:

Laker Haters arise!!!

The Rapist is actually becoming better as he ages, but still…

Jazzaholic

Diana Allen on September 28, 2009 said:

I like your list! I agree with 2 of the three. I can not like a Laker no matter what. Therefore my hatred for Odom is solid. I liked that piece they did on him and his love for candy but thats about it. And then they showed it way too much so I started hating as I always did because he is a Laker. No other reason. Well and because he is inconsistent and has so much talent!

Jenn Sokia on September 28, 2009 said:

I totally agree with you on all but Iverson. I still dislike him.

Ben H on September 28, 2009 said:

Love the topic. I’ll add a couple I love to hate, and then a couple I “Hate to Love”.

All right: love to hate:

1 – Sasha Vujacic (I want someone to punch him. Ideally Ronnie Price. That’d just be awesome.)

2 – Anderson Varajeo (Same, but I want Kosta to clock him.)

All right, “Hate to Love”

1 – Shane Battier. Admit it, you would love, LOVE to have him on the Jazz. Me too. It won’t happen, because Houston isn’t that dumb to give him up. He may be one of my least favorite guys for the Jazz to play against, because he’s a complete team player, heckuva guy, and just plays good solid b-ball.

2 – Shaq. Seriously, he’s hilarious. That Shaq vs. show was my favorite show this last season. Plus, if you’ve seen the charity work he does, you’d have to pull for the guy. Sure, I hated him when he elbowed AK in the head, but still….he’s grown on me…

Betty on September 28, 2009 said:

Ah! Chris Paul! I have the same problem. I can’t bring myself to hate that guy. I only hate him when I hear people say that he’s better than DWill. Because we all know he’s not. Otherwise, I just really like that guy. He’s a nice guy and a great player. DWIll is nicer and greater. In my opinion.

Deb on September 29, 2009 said:

I just love Shane Battier, no hate involved at all.

Shannon in Sacramento on October 01, 2009 said:

No matter what, I just can’t bring myself to hate CP3. He is awesome, plus he was on my favorite NPR show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” and the host loved him too. He is just nice, a good person, and, dangit, really dang good at playing the point. Odom is slipping into the hate category. I liked him, kind of, until he married a Kardashian. Why Lamar, why?! AI is a pain in the rear, but can he play like a mother! Here’s another: Kevin Garnett. I love that guy and even when he’s playing against us, I still can’t hate him. Oh and Chauncey Billups. He does so much charity work around Denver, oh and plays amazing, that I can’t hate him. I can always hate Kobe though!

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