Sporting stars can often be loved or loathed, usually, that verdict can be reached either way due to allegiances, success, actions away from their discipline or a combination of all of them.

Ask anyone interested in sports, there’ll be a sporting star who claims that they can’t stand more than anyone else, and they’ll tell you exactly why they feel that way.

People have been voting online for their most hated athletes, with the top 30 now announced thanks to a list compiled by The Top Tens.

10 Carmelo Anthony

Basketball

During the peak of his powers, Carmelo Anthony was like Marmite. You either loved him or you hated him. While playing for the Knicks, it took injuries to Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin for Anthony to win back New York.

When both Stoudemire and Lin were playing for the Knicks, Anthony was constantly criticised for not being a team player and playing within the game. He acted like a superstar who couldn’t play with any other talented players. There were teammates who disliked his need to grab the headlines all the time and try to steal the show as well as failing to show up when it mattered – which probably didn’t sit well with the fans.

9 Bryce Harper

Baseball

In the sport of baseball, it’s difficult to find another player like Bryce Harper. The two-time MVP has also won Rookie of the Year in the past and he mainly plays with such intensity and energy. Despite enjoying great success in the league, Harper is still widely regarded as one of the most disliked players in the sport.

It all started on his debut in 2012, playing for the Washington Nationals. He played with such cockiness, with his antics not going down well with the rest of the league. Since then, he has maintained his reputation and, in 2017, during a game between the Nats and the San Francisco Giants, Harper was drilled by pitcher Hunter Strickland – which sparked an on-field brawl. It’s no surprise to see the star voted in the top 10 based on his antics over the past decade.

8 Michael Vick

American football

According to a Forbes list well over a decade ago, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was the country’s most loathed sports star. He is largely remembered as one of the most gifted offensive weapons in NFL history. That said, his career was sidetracked by his late 2000s dog-fighting scandal that occurred during his time with the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2007, Vick formally pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge related to running a dog-fighting ring and was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. That year, law-enforcement officials raided a 15-acre property owned by Vick in rural Surry County, Virginia, and discovered dozens of pit bulls, some of them neglected, along with evidence of illegal dog-fighting activities.

His problems then went beyond dog-fighting. Returning in 2010, Vick performed exceptionally but failed to live up to expectations before calling it quits in 2015.

7 Peyton Manning

American football

While there may be a fair few who are surprised to see the former NFL star on the list, it’d appear that a lot of people’s dislike towards Peyton Manning stemmed from his playing days and going head-to-head with Tom Brady. Their regular heated clashes went down as one of the greatest rivalries in sporting history.

While Brady was arguably the better player, a lot of the time it was Manning who got the attention nationally. Both quarterbacks are considered to be among the greatest in NFL history. Brady won seven Super Bowl championships in his career (as well as five Super Bowl MVPs), while Manning won two Super Bowl championships (and one Super Bowl MVP) in his career.

6 Kurt Busch

Auto racing driver

Former American auto racing driver, Kurt Busch, finds himself in the top six of the list. The 45-year-old, who enjoyed a glittering career on the track, was renowned for his determination to win. That said, the former star’s persona and attitude didn’t really sit well with the hardcore fans of the sport.

His constant desire to refuse to be a team player and arrogance, believing he’s the greatest ever, proved to add fuel to the fire – hence why he finds himself pretty high up on the TopTens list. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing.

5 Kobe Bryant

Basketball

Another entry where many fans will be shocked that former NBA star Kobe Bryant finds himself sensationally in the top five. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant won 5 NBA championships with the Lakers and was the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.

There may be a hint of jealousy in these votes, as rival fans probably couldn’t accept that Bryant was on another level during the peak of his powers. Former coach Phil Jackson decided to write a book back in 2004, The Last Season – where Bryant was described as ‘Un-coachable’ and that he was too stubborn, and would often go against the grain of the team. These comments from Jackson solidified what most people had been suspecting of Kobe for a long time, and added to their dislike towards the star.

4 Kyle Busch

Auto racing driver

Kyle Busch is famously the younger brother of Kurt Busch, but the former finds himself higher up the list. There is nothing NASCAR fans love more than to boo a villain.

The villain the fans love to hate the most is Kyle Busch. The 39-year-old is one of the most successful NASCAR drivers – but that’s not the reason why he’s disliked. Similar to his older brother, Kyle has made a bit of a reputation for having a fairly lousy attitude and is always one to whine and throw a temper tantrum. Clearly, while he’s incredible on the track, the way he carries himself doesn’t go down too well with the fans.

3 Tiger Woods

Golf

Tiger Woods is, without a doubt, one of the greatest golfers of all time as well as one of the greatest athletes in the history of sport. The American spearheaded the PGA world during his rise to prominence in the late 90s and early 2000s. From winning a putting tournament at the age of two, becoming champion at 15, to being crowned the number one internationally ranked golfer at just 21.

That said, in his prime, the golfing star was never typically gracious or forthcoming with the people. His personal issues outside of the sport have given him a bad name; therefore, it’s not really a surprise to see Woods placed so highly on the TopTens list.

2 Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Boxing

While Floyd Mayweather will go down as one of the most dominant boxers in the history of the sport, he was certainly not beloved by fans during his professional career. Retiring with a professional record of 50-0, the American was never the most entertaining or dynamic fighter of his era, but his skill was unrivalled.

Throughout his career, many fans were quick to notice how little respect he had for his opponents before or after the fight. His cocky and arrogant attitude are why many still dislike him to this day. While he boxed in multiple weight classes, Mayweather only really competed for a bumper payday and rarely gave his fans the fight they wanted to see – in particular the Manny Pacquiao fight – which should’ve happened a long time before it did.

1 LeBron James

Basketball

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. The American superstar has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Lakers throughout his career. He is widely recognised as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and is often compared to Michael Jordan in debates regarding who is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Nicknaming himself “King James” before he even stepped foot on the NBA court was a cardinal sin and fans immediately disliked that. Despite the comparisons to the likes of Michael Jordan and Bryant, the fact that James is unable to close out games is why fans are outraged that he’s mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned legends.

One of the most controversial moments of his career was “The Decision.” James’s televised special saw him make an announcement to head to Miami to pair with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh changed the course of the media landscape and ignited the player movement era.

While some NBA fans loved the drama, many hated the idea of LeBron walking away from the Cleveland Cavaliers so he could win a world championship with a superteam. The televised special on ESPN was widely criticised and, for many, is still a turning point in their view of James.