There is no denying the impact of social media on celebrities in 2023 and athletes are no different. A good social media presence can make or break their public persona and have ramifications when it comes to their livelihood. An NBA player with a strong social media presence and following is much more attractive to brands looking for endorsements and as such players can earn millions by promoting products on their Instagram and Twitter accounts. With the average person spending around 17 hours a week on social media, there is always a watchful eye on player’s accounts.
With numbers continuously rising, athletes and NBA players in particular are among some of the biggest accounts in the world. Let’s take a look at the most followed NBA players across social media platforms.
Kyrie Irving
Although he is one of the best guards in the league, Kyrie Irving has had a tumultuous last couple of years. He has taken lengthy stints on the sideline in recent years for a number of controversies which strained his relationship with the Brooklyn Nets, leading to his trade to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023. However, controversial or not, there is no denying his talent. He is one of only nine players in NBA history to have a 50-40-90 season, in which players must shoot a 50% field goal percentage, 40% three-point field goal percentage and 90% free throw percentage over the course of a regular season. He has over 23 million followers between Instagram and Twitter.
Kevin Durant
KD is one of the greatest players in the NBA today. A 13x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, and one-time league MVP, he is now playing for the Phoenix Suns following a turbulent time at the Brooklyn Nets. He originally requested a trade in June 2022, later rescinding the request in August before being traded in February of this year to Phoenix for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks, and a 2028 first-round pick swap.
His Suns team is currently in the middle of a playoff series with the Denver Nuggets with the 2023 NBA Championship odds having them at +1200 to win the championship. Durant has amassed over 34 million followers on Twitter and Instagram owing to his longevity as one of the best players in the league. He can often be found sharing his fits on his Insta especially when it comes to trainers. He even announced a lifetime deal with Nike in late April on his IG.
Russell Westbrook
Although his playing career took somewhat of a hit following his trade to the LA Lakers in 2021, Russ is still one of the most popular players in the league. He had the worst season of his career in 2021 and was moved into a sixth-man role this season. He impressed them, however, since being traded to the LA Clippers where he helped them into the playoffs.
Off the court, Russ is known for his eclectic and at times polarizing fashion sense which is of course an area of interest when it comes to social media. He has over 38 million followers across his Instagram and Twitter accounts and although he has not been as active recent, he clearly remains one of the most popular players in the NBA.
Stephen Curry
It is no surprise that the best shooter in the history of the league finds himself as one of the most popular players on social media. In fact, he is one of the most popular athletes period. The marksman has the all-time record for three-pointers made with 3390, and that’s not even including his postseason stats.
In fact, he has made over 400 more than Ray Allen, who is 2nd all-time, despite Allen playing in over 400 more games than the Golden State Warriors point guard. This, along with his charisma on the court, has made Steph the second most popular active NBA player on social media today, with over 68 million followers on Instagram and Twitter.
LeBron James
There are no surprises here. The Greatest Of All Time (depending on who you ask) is one of the most famous athletes in history. He is a 4x NBA Champion, with whom he won Finals MVP each time, a 4x league MVP, 19x all-star, and this season, of course, he became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
He broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s record in February when he scored the 38,388th point in his career in a game against the Oklahoma Thunder. He has brand deals with Nike, PepsiCo, AT&T, and more, owing to his tremendous celebrity.
He has a jaw-dropping 204.8 million followers across Instagram and Twitter and his 152 million Insta followers make him the 27th most popular account on the platform.
