It takes a lot to compete in the NBA. Some of the greatest athletes from all over the world compete for a chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season. However, there are some superstar athletes in the NBA who have earned a place on the Diva List by their actions on and off the court. Here are the 10 BIGGEST Divas in the NBA today!
Ben Simmons
Simmons is the former first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and three-time All-Star during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite all of that, Simmons had playoff disappointments during his final days in the city of Brotherly Love and held out during the 2021-22 season. During his holdout, Simmons Diva’s behavior really came through when he requested a trade and bailed on his team until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. However, after all of that, he didn’t play with the Nets until October 2022 due to a herniated disk.
Dillon Brooks
Brooks has had a history of Diva-like behavior during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies whether it’s chasing Gary Payton II during the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals or his dirty hit on Donovan Mitchell. Brooks truly earned Diva status during the 2023 NBA playoffs where he called LeBron James “old” before his Memphis Grizzlies were knocked out in six games that series.
Draymond Green
Green is one of the best second-round picks of all time in the NBA. Being a four-time NBA champion and a four-time All-Star makes a good case for the Hall of Fame in Springfield. But let’s not forget how Green is a Diva. Just take a look at how he got into an altercation with teammate Jordan Poole in 2022. Add to that the strained relationship he has with Kevin despite winning two NBA championships together.
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Kyrie Irving
Irving is an eight-time NBA All-Star and an NBA Champion and will be a Hall of Famer when his career ends. His Diva antics all started when he wanted out of Cleveland because he didn’t want to be in LeBron James’ long shadow. Irving requested a trade and was sent to the Celtics. He then signed with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency during the 2021-22 season, where he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He was forced to miss all the Nets home games due to New York City’s vaccine mandate. Irving would request a trade the following season after going through serious playoff disappointments with the Nets. Let’s hope he doesn’t bring his Diva antics to the Dallas Mavericks for this upcoming season.
James Harden
You cannot deny that James Harden is one of the best basketball players in the league. But his Diva status came to light during his time with the Houston Rockets with his beef with future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul due to allegedly not wanting to be a part of the Rocket’s offense when he didn’t have the ball in his hands. Harden ended up requesting a trade out of Houston for the Brooklyn Nets. However, with playoff disappointments for the Nets led by Harden, Kevin Durant, and Irving, Harden’s tenure in the Big Apple didn’t last long as he, once again, requested a trade out of Brooklyn in hopes of going to Philadelphia to be reunited with Daryl Morey. As of this post, Harden requested his third trade to get out of the city of Brotherly Love calling Morey a liar and would not play for an organization led by him again.
Kevin Durant
Arguably one of the best NBA players right now, you cannot argue how great Kevin Durant has been for whatever franchise he’s played for. However, when he announced in the Player’s Tribune he was signing with the Warriors, KD’s Diva status was secured, as he gave up on the Oklahoma City Thunder. After his 2016 Western Conference Finals exit he rode in for a championship win with the Golden State Warriors (the team he lost to in the previous season). Or how he and Draymond Green couldn’t get along off the court despite making the Warriors into a dynasty. Or how he couldn’t make things work in Brooklyn where he requested another trade and got his wish by joining the young and upcoming Phoenix Suns team in 2023.
Andre Drummond
Drummond is one of the game’s talented centers despite being on some forgettable Detroit Pistons teams. He became one of the NBA’s biggest Divas with his on-court feud with 76ers superstar Joel Embiid. The single season he played with Embiid in 2021-22 ended in a beef although he stated that the on-court feud was more about being competitive against each other during games. Recently, fans were understandably skeptical of his ultimate Diva statement, that he believes he will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame despite only making two All-Star appearances.
Patrick Beverley
Beverly is another veteran on this list who has bounced around the league for some time. He really became a Diva during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers where he was all talk and no walk. He and Russell Westbrook never clicked on the court and he averaged about 6.4 points per game while living that LA Lifestyle. He revealed on his podcast he wanted to be traded from the Lakers as he didn’t like what was going on in that atmosphere.
Kawhi Leonard
Leonard is usually the quiet guy on the team that backs up his trash talk with results. However, he earned a place on the Diva list when it was reported in 2020 that Leonard made the Clippers bend over backward by letting him use a female locker room to stretch in private while preventing staffers from using the restroom, changing their clothes, or accessing their belongings. Or how he held the San Antonio Spurs hostage after helping them win their fifth title by requesting a trade out of the Alamo City for being dissatisfied with how the team handled his quad injury in 2018 and wanted to be traded to the Lakers.
Trae Young
One of the young and developing superstars in the league, his Diva started to show when he got into an argument with Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillen where he refused to participate in a shootaround unless he got treatment on his shoulder beforehand. He ended up not showing up to a game that Friday night where the Hawks won 117-109 against the Denver Nuggets. Young said he and McMillen have smoothed things over, but this will not be the last time we hear diva-like behavior from Young.
