Sports Stars Who Love Throwing Shade
We all know the phrase "haters gonna hate," but, in some cases in sports, it's easy to dislike a person because he or she brings it on him or herself by talking too much crap about things.
From bashing an opponent to straight-up trolling on social media, here are some of the finest sports stars who just can't help themselves when it comes to throwing shade.
Cardale Jones
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
While most of the other sports stars on this list throw shade at opposing players or teams, former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones seems to think his biggest opponent is the NCAA and its rules, because he's constantly ripping into them.
Jones, who won a national title with the Bucks during the 2014 season, was famous prior to his championship run for an ill-timed tweet about going to class, and even after some success, he still seems to feel the same way about some NCAA regulations.
He even went as far as ranting about it on Twitter the other day, proving that, even though he'll be playing in the NFL soon, he still can't stand a few things with the NCAA.
Jim Harbaugh
Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh has always been quite the loud mouth, but since taking over his post at his alma mater prior to last season, it seems as if he's got a bounty out for every other program in the country.
That's because Harbaugh hasn't stopped talking crap about nearly everyone, mainly focusing his energy on the SEC as he tries to toe the line in recruiting practices and satellite camps to attract more attention to his Wolverines.
Things are so outrageous with Harbaugh that longtime radio host Paul Finebaum recently said (h/t Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News) the Michigan coach has "hijacked college football" due to his outrageous tactics—and all of it has been brought onto himself from past comments about other coaches and programs.
Von Miller
I'm not sure there's anyone on this list who might deserve throwing shade more than Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, who has thrust himself into superstardom thanks to his transformation from great defender to world-class entertainer.
After earning the Super Bowl MVP for his performance during the Broncos' title season, Miller wanted to make sure he took one more parting shot at the Carolina Panthers, proudly posting a photo of the team with the popular Crying Jordan meme.
Miller is fun, witty and ruthless when talking trash—and no one is off limits—so it's hard not to enjoy some of the shade he throws.
Rex Ryan
Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan has always been known as one of the more entertaining coaches in sports—and he hasn't taken his foot off the gas since taking over in Buffalo prior to last season. In fact, he may just be getting started.
While Sexy Rexy has been the butt of plenty of jokes in the past, he found joy in trolling other teams last season by sending out former players from the opposing team as captains, with his boldest move sending IK Enemkpali out against the Jets.
For those who forgot, Enemkpali was the guy who socked then-Jets teammate Geno Smith in the face during training camp.
Oh, Rex, you'll forever be one of the best at throwing shade.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
One of the most brash, confident and successful athletes over the past two decades, recently retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. knew he was great—and he wasn't afraid of letting others know it, either.
An absolute king at trash-talking, Mayweather's shade often came via social media posts, where he was known to call out opponents and declare how much he was going to beat them.
With an undefeated career record, Money Mayweather backed up all of his chatter, too, making him an absolute legend who could teach a class in how to do it right.
Damian Lillard
Living up in the Pacific Northwest as I do, it's absolutely shocking how little love Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard actually gets from national media. Such disrespect seems to have led Dame to play with a giant chip on his shoulder, because he's unafraid to throw shade when necessary to doubters.
Lillard has notably done so on social media toward trolls who try to call him out, but with a penchant to rap, the All-Star resorts to rhymes at times to get his point across.
One of the top players in the league and, somewhat, a poor man's Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard knows how to burn people like he does his opponents on the hardwood.
Bryce Harper
Last season's NL MVP has always had a fiery side thanks to a mix of talent and passion, so it's no wonder that Bryce Harper finds himself high on this list of athletes who love throwing shade, because he's really good at doing it.
Harper's shade is more subtle than others', though—which wasn't always the case thanks to his brash celebrations during games—as he seems to be taking shots at past greats who question some of his decisions and the way he carries himself.
All-timers might hate the bat flips and all that, but Harper represents a new breed of ballplayer, so people should start getting used to how he conducts his business.
Conor McGregor
I'm not much of a UFC guy, but I'll admit Conor McGregor is one of my all-time favorites thanks to his wild personality and penchant for dogging his opponents.
"Dat flinch pic.twitter.com/D4DKXCnSxM
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) March 5, 2016"
More than just that, though, is his intensity, as McGregor is known to go toe-to-toe and face-to-face with the guys he's about to fight anywhere, anytime—which includes press conferences and weigh-ins.
(Warning: The following Instagram post contains profanity.)
One of the highest-earning fighters on the planet, the Irishman seemed to love poking at his last opponent, Nick Diaz, calling the guy out for a small payday in hopes to get under his skin—which didn't seem to work, because Diaz took McGregor out.
LeBron James
Most of the athletes on this list are good at throwing shade at opposing teams or players. For LeBron James, though, he's actually doing it at his teammates, subtweeting cryptic messages that leave people wondering what the hell is going on in his mind.
I'll give James credit if it's just a strange method to his madness, using social media to inspire fellow stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to keep them humble and hungry for an NBA title. All too often, though, it seems as if James is just bashing them for no good reason.
Making matters worse, when James isn't, allegedly, dissing his mates, he's chumming it up with opponents, leading to his coach and general manager to talk to him about cooling it down.
Odell Beckham Jr.
A ton of great players talk trash to try to get under the skin of their opposition while using it to motivate themselves, but Odell Beckham Jr. actually seems to do it for the hell of it.
Sure, OBJ had a very public—and ugly—spat with Carolina Panthers All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman during the NFL season, but the talented wideout hasn't stopped throwing shade just because it's the offseason.
Posting cryptic messages on both Twitter and Instagram is one thing, but Beckham Jr. continues to look for victims to go after, finding a taker in Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, with the two trading jabs online.
He's one of the best in the game at catching the ball, but Beckham Jr. might be even better at throwing shots at others.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
