CLEVELAND — Athletes are among the most popular figures online, but that isn’t always a good thing. While their mentions on Twitter often are filled with praise, there are some who see abusive, hateful remarks pile up every time they click on their notifications.
According to a study by the betting site Pickswise, a Northeast Ohio native topped the list, with 122,568 abusive messages sent his way over the last 12 months, and that was none other than former Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals MVP and current member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James.
James is a polarizing figure for not only his play on the court but also his ventures off the court as well. James has voiced his support for various political candidates in the past, as well as a number of social justice issues.
The number of abusive messages James has received in the last 12 months is nearly four times the number of abusive messages received by the second-place finisher, soccer player Marcus Rashford.
The list tabulated the number of abusive messaged of the 20 athletes who received the most, and there are a few other connections to Northeast Ohio. Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer ranked seventh, Akron native and current Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was ninth, former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas came in at 16th, one of James’ old teammates, Kyrie Irving, was 17th and current Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was 19th on the list.
The complete list can be found here.
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