They’re tapping in layups on the court in front of thousands. But several NBA players are also causing you, and millions of others, to double-tap their Instagram activity multiple times a day. Whether they’re sharing their private lives or using their accounts for business or promoting brands or products, these athletes are leveraging their on-court celebrity for social media cred.
We know Steph Curry is the league’s MVP this season, but does he also dominate the photo-sharing game? Is King James Insta-royalty or is he a member of the social court when it comes to his activity? We looked to see which players were the most active on Instagram and who has the most likes per post (MLPP).
Drive to the Post
When it comes to the player who’s spending more time posting on Instagram than posting up opposing players in-game, look no further than Anthony Morrow (@yungfresh). The Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard posts several times a day with a variety of screenshots (snapshots of his tweets, what’s he’s listening to on iTunes), in addition to memes and his Snapchat videos. He’s the most prolific poster we found by a significant margin.
Almost a thousand, or more, posts behind Morrow are Lakers point guard Lou Williams (@louwillville), Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (@andredrummondd), Cleveland Cavaliers small forward J.R. Smith (@teamswish), and Memphis Grizzlies small forward Lance Stephenson (@stephensonlance).
Williams posts some photos of friends and family, but you’ll find more brands and sponsored posts coming across your feed if you follow him. Drummond takes professional shots of his on-the-court performances and publishes them on Instagram. Smith gets personal, posting plenty of photos of his adorable bulldog, Dallas. And finally, Stephenson gives fans enough video to craft a personal highlight reel of his average day.
We Really Like These Ballers
Just because you’ve posted the most, doesn’t mean you’re the most popular NBA player on Instagram. In fact, even as the most casual fan of basketball, you wouldn’t even need to be an Instagram user to guess who the two top players are on the photo-sharing platform.
Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry (@stephencurry30) and Cleveland Cavaliers power forward LeBron James (@kingjames) lead not just the league but Instagram – with MVP performances, nonetheless. But much like the game has evolved over the past two seasons to be about accuracy from distance instead of size and drives, the self-proclaimed “King” doesn’t reign supreme anymore.
Even though Curry is averaging about 39,000 more likes per post, there’s not much difference between what these two superstars post. Each uses the platform and their massive social reach to share photos of family and their shoe lines (Under Armour for Curry, Nike for James).
Beyond these two, the remainder of the top five are rather close to one another in likes, all craning their necks upward to LeBron and Curry. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (@easymoneysniper), Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (@dwyanewade), and Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) all live between 56,000 to 66,000 likes per post.
Shot Clock Winding Down
If you’re looking to follow an NBA player on Instagram, odds are you’ll get a different look into celebrity depending on who you follow. Go for the most active posters, and you’ll get a more intimate view into their lives. But if you choose to follow the greats, you’ll see some more staged shots and advertisements. Make sure, whoever you follow and support, that you’re always heading to Fanatics.com first for the best official NBA apparel and merchandise.
How do these NBA superstars compare with other elite talents in other sports? Check out the Top Athletes on Instagram. Also, take a look at the Top MLB Players on Instagram.
