Issue 101: The Best NBA Player Twitter and Instagram Accounts to Follow

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I’m the first to admit Twitter is a big ol’ cesspool of words. Anyone can chat with another person or comment on someone’s tweet. As a result, there are lots of people whose main goal on the platform is to spew nonsense and start fights. Behind the safety of your profile and keyboard, you feel like you can get away with anything.

I know there have been times I’ve almost taken the bait. I’ll see an argument brewing or I’ll comment on a tweet and receive some vitriol in response.

For example, during March Madness, I replied to a tweet from a reporter who was commenting about the Michigan/LSU game. My tweet was about a questionable offensive foul call that swung the tide of the game. There was no vulgarity or rudeness or even really much of anything behind it, just an innocuous comment.

A Michigan fan soon replied and called me a classless LSU fan (I am not) in a tweet filled with typos (impressive when you only have 280 characters), then topped it off with a picture of a Michigan fan — maybe himself — giving the double bird to someone at a game.

I briefly considered continuing this conversation with some other kind of shenanigans. But then I took a moment and thought, you know what? This most certainly is not worth it. And I stepped away from the Twitter confrontation, or Twitterntation, as it’s sometimes never called.

Meanwhile, Instagram is a chance for people to share their photos, videos, and thoughts in a slightly less invasive forum. You may still see some trash talk in the comments, but mostly, we’re just trying to look good over here.

Here are nine of the best NBA player accounts to follow on Twitter and Instagram.

Kevin Durant

Both on the court and on the socials, Kevin Durant is on another level. He seems to care far too much about what people say on social media, so he’ll get into some confrontations sometimes (and may have several burner accounts).

With a bio of “IM ME, I DO ME, AND I CHILL,” Durant will share everything from his thoughts on fellow players to his displeasure of the media to randomly engaging with fans. It’s a delight.

Russell Westbrook

We already know Russell Westbrook has tremendous style, and we get to see it in full force on his Instagram. But he also shares some in-game action shots, thoughts on life, and a whole lot of his family, complete with cute kiddos. Even when he’s advertising something, it’s still tremendous.

 

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Blake Griffin

The former Rookie of the Year is still playing basketball, but he’s also interspersing that by hosting a prank show on TruTV, starring in a Broad City episode, and challenging Jeff Ross to a roast (he did well but got eviscerated, as one does).

That sort of mischief translates well to social media, making Griffin a solid follow if you’re looking for giggles, chortles, and the occasional belly laugh.

Kyrie Irving

You may not agree with his flat Earth theories, but it’s hard to argue Kyrie Irving isn’t an introspective person. His Instagram hardly looks like that of an NBA player, with a lot of thoughts on social justice issues, historical figures we should know about, and the occasional foray into the media.

He’s also highly recommended if you hate reading words on Instagram. Most of Irving’s captions are suuuuper short.

 

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Trae Young

Trae Young is more of a seasonal NBA follow. Why? Every day during the season, he tweets the same thing. I appreciate that kind of consistency and haven’t seen something like it since the Big Ben clock Twitter account.

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson’s posts are fine and all, but the real reason to follow him is for his Instagram Stories and live videos. He’s had two years off to rehab ACL and Achilles injuries (side note: OUCH) and that’s given him plenty of time to go on boats, fish, and talk to his fans.

You’ll get some funny stories about his fellow players, his thoughts on life, and a whole lot of inspirational messaging. After all, if you had two years off away from your craft, you’d come back super motivated, too.

 

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Channing Frye

When Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson were both on the Cleveland Cavaliers, their Road Trippin’ podcast was an absolute delight. Unfortunately, the duo got broken up for a bit so episodes became more sparse, but now that both are retired, we get more magic.

They’re also starting a new rivalry, as Richard Jefferson is on ESPN and Frye has recently signed with Turner Sports. Neither are afraid to speak their mind, which makes Frye especially a great follow.

Joel Embiid

One of the best trash talkers in the game, Joel Embiid carries that onto the ‘gram, too. Most of his recent posts are either about how excited he is to play basketball or how disappointed he is in the 76ers’ season, but the shots are all really stunning and cool to look at. Plus, you just may get to see Embiid get some verbal barbs in with fans.

 

Rex Chapman

Ol’ Rexy used to drain threes in the NBA — most notably for the Washington Bullets and Phoenix Suns — but has since transitioned into someone that spends a ton of time on Twitter. He does other things, too, though that’s not the point of this issue.

Chapman was once addicted to painkillers and opioids, so to see him thriving is great. On any given day, he’ll share some kind of spectacular fall, a silly video, and he retweets plenty of people, which makes him a solid gateway to other folks to follow.