There’s always been this pattern around the league. People rally behind the underdog or the challenger until that rise starts to feel a bit more serious and threatening. The same people start turning on them.
How much is simply the nature of competition? Do opinions just shift, or do expectations just grow heavier? It’s a nuanced discussion. However, a similar pattern appears to be unfolding with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Everyone loved them when they were rebuilding. Now they’re at the top, and suddenly the vibe has changed.
DeMarcus Cousins sees it in a familiar way. The former NBA big man doesn’t think the OKC Thunder are villains. But with how people are turning on them, they’re starting to get labeled that way, similar to what happened with the Golden State Warriors when they started winning.
“It’s just a real case of hater rate… to call [the Thunder] a villain, I would have to disagree. But it also kind of reminds me of the beginning days of the Warriors… Eventually, they started to receive hate.”
“It’s just a real case of hater rate… to call [the Thunder] a villain, I would have to disagree. But it also kind of reminds me of the beginning days of the Warriors… Eventually, they started to receive hate.”
—DeMarcus Cousins
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/XSSBbhMHHe
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 31, 2026
