NBA's most popular: 5 NBA players with the highest social media following as of September 2021

The NBA is one of the most popular sporting leagues in the world. A range of players have over the years become recognizable faces worldwide, with the likes of LeBron James and Michael Jordan becoming some of the most followed athletes on social media of all time.

However, a range of other NBA players have also managed to develop huge social media followings, with some like Russell Westbrook and obviously LeBron using it for their other business ventures as well. In this article, we look at the highest-following NBA players on social media:

The Brooklyn Nets have three players on the NBA's list of top-15 most popular jersey, the most of any team. They also rank second in most popular team merchandise. pic.twitter.com/7YNKrqwypJ

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) July 14, 2021

NBA’s most popular players: Stars with highest social media following as of September 2021

A range of reasons might be responsible for a spurt in popularity as far as NBA athletes are concerned. Tyler Herro’s performances during the 2019 NBA Bubble resulted in a huge spurt in his social media following, with others such as James and Kevin Durant having made a name for themselves simply because of the amount of time they have performed at a high level.

Despite being tucked away in a COVID-19 quarantine bubble, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James remains the most popular player when it comes to jersey sales and social media, the NBA said. https://t.co/Mm8ECvbd3s

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) October 1, 2020

Regardless, the following article looks at the five most followed NBA stars as of September 2021:

#5 Kyrie Irving (25 million followers overall)

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Considering LeBron James’s overall popularity, the fact that Irving player alongside him for a number of years has surely got something to do with his overall popularity. Regardless, Irving is one of the most active NBA stars on social media, and regularly lets his feelings be known on social media.

Overall, Irving boasts of about 6.3 million followers on Facebook, 15 million followers on Instagram and around 4.3 million followers on Twitter. He regularly posts in reference to not just his personal and political leanings, but also family and other business ventures.

#4 Russel Westbrook (30 million followers overall)

Los Angeles Lakers Introduce Russell Westbrook

Apart from being the NBA’s modern triple-double machine, Russell Westbrook is also a bonafide fashion icon and has his own brand. He has managed to become one of the most popular NBA stars on social media and regularly updates fans about his private and professional life.

Westbrook also regularly features on other NBA players’ social media posts. His popularity is set to increase in the coming time with LeBron James’ influence almost certain to increase his following as well. Overall, Westbrook is currently the third most popular NBA player on social media.

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#3 Kevin Durant (43 million followers overall)

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It is little surprise that the number 3 on the list is Kevin Durant, who recently helped his country to their fourth straight gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Durant is one of the most popular and arguably the second best overall players in the league after LeBron James.

He has almost 20 million followers on Twitter and is easily one of the most active sportspeople on social media. Durant has been involved in multiple controversies on social media and has never been shy to let his feelings known. Apart from some 11 million followers on Facebook, Durant also boasts of 12.2 million followers on Instagram.

#2 Stephen Curry (62 million followers)

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Stephen Curry is arguably the Warriors’ best ever player, and easily the best shooter the league has ever seen. Curry has been highly active on Instagram for a number of years and as a result has around 36 million followers on Instagram alone.

Additionally, Curry also boasts 11 million followers on Facebook and around 15 million followers on Instagram, taking his overall tally to around 62 million. Curry regularly posts about his personal life, although the vast majority of his social media activity is related to his business and other sponsorships etc.

#1 LeBron James (173 million followers overall)

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns - Game Two

King James is the king of social media as well, and has more followers on Instagram alone than any other NBA star on all social media platforms combined. LeBron has 97 million followers on Instagram, around 50 million followers on Twitter with over 26 million followers on Facebook.

LeBron is one of the most popular sportspeople of all time and is very unlikely to be surpassed by any NBA star in the current generation. While his on-court numbers have stayed the same despite his age, the same is true for his social media following as well.