The jury is still out on whether the rise of social media has been good for the NBA. What started out as platforms enabling people to share their lives on the internet also inevitably impacted every other industry on planet earth.
One of those industries was sports, and over the course of time, the NBA, especially, has taken a larger hit than most when it comes to the impact social media has had on the game.
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It has, on the other hand, also given every current and former player, fan, and analyst a voice. Whether all opinions are valid is still up for debate, but there is no denying the opportunity it has given to players to express themselves off the court.
One player in particular has become somewhat of a social media sensation throughout the last year to date and that is NBA champion Kevin Love. It all began with the well-publicized drama between Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat President Pat Riley before their bitter breakup – and Love hilariously documented the entire feud using movie scenes on his personal Instagram.
Naturally, his account took off and to this day, Love is happy he chose to start posting.
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“I had a person in my life that said you need to start showing more of your personality on the outside and it was actually the fight in Houston that was hilarious so I just decided that you know what, I’m going to start pulling some stuff and pressing send, I’ve never really done that before,” Love said.
“Everybody likes their stuff to be hyper curated and we live in a world now where it’s just a highlight reel all the time, so again I wanted to f—ck around and have a good time with it and here we are. I really enjoyed doing that, so much so that I got to play both sides (of the Jimmy situation). I wasn’t picking a side with Pat or with Jimmy I was in the middle and wanted to make it fun and from there it just kind of took on a life of its own.”
The Heat drama
Before Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors, the drama in Miami was palpable. It was undoubtedly the most public separation in recent NBA history, as both Butler and the Miami front office took turns in leaking reports and going directly to the media to tell their side of the story.
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In what felt like it happened overnight, their relationship quickly turned beyond repair and it became a battle of leverage between both parties as they looked to offload Butler to the highest bidder. It turned out not to be quite so simple, as the saga dragged on for months before the Heat found a suitor at the trade deadline.
Whether you sided with the Heat’s brain trust or Butler during the fallout, there was one unfortunate reality that emerged – it all but guaranteed the organization would never retire his jersey.
Love’s Instagram boom
At such a dark time for the franchise, Love’s Instagram was a silver lining for every NBA fan following the saga. Little did people know, but the five-time All-Star is a die-hard movie lover who, as he mentions, was searching for a way to connect his love for films and basketball into a creative outlet.
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He decided the feud was a perfect opportunity and his posts instantly went viral. It wasn’t just because of the comedy genius, but it was fascinating because Love himself was part of the Heat locker room at the time. In most instances, players would opt to stay away from the public eye at a time when the organization was in turmoil, but Love did the opposite by poking fun at the situation.
“I like to have a good time. I think a lot of people don’t understand actually my personality or who I am unless they’ve shared a locker room with me or been around me long enough, but I think last year especially with all the Jimmy sh—t going on and just how crazy that was I thought it was a good time with a little bit of a push to show a little bit of that personality while also blending the cinematic and TV film knowledge that I have because life imitates art,” he continued.
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“There are just so many of those scenes and throughout the course of time so many great movies or pictures that definitely are applicable to real-life situations,” Love continued.
He did it expertly, too and was correct in saying that his posts never painted him as supporting one party or the other. If they did openly favor one side, Love’s relationship with Butler would have ended badly, or he would have made enemies with the front office. Instead, he brought some comic relief to those around him, at a time when everyone needed it the most.
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To him and seemingly others close to the drama, the situation wasn’t serious enough to truly derail their season, or it shouldn’t have been a distraction in an otherwise fairly successful campaign for the roster that went on to make the playoffs.
Positive platforms
As you can imagine, Love’s account continued to go viral with each subsequent post and his follow count skyrocketed in the process. Being a famous NBA player will naturally get you hundreds of thousands of followers, but Love’s account is currently sitting at a whopping 3.4 million and rising by the day, even if he’s taken a small break over the holiday period before ramping up the posts again.
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We live in a world where social media magnifies negativity, controversy and hot takes, but Love managed to flip the script on it all. Instead of feeding the outrage machine or hiding behind PR-safe silence, he used humor, self-awareness and creativity to cut through the noise.
If anything, his posts didn’t escalate the drama – they helped diffuse the situation. We get so caught up in NBA basketball sometimes, like it’s life or death, but Love’s posts remind us that this is just a game and ultimately the human side of things should prevail.
Love’s rise in the social media realm also speaks to how athletes’ platforms have changed over the course of time. Fans aren’t just interested in performances anymore; they’re captivated by the person and the personality behind the handle.
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They want authenticity and to be connected to athletes in ways that weren’t possible in previous generations.
In more ways than one, Love’s posts are an example of the best version of what social media can offer the NBA — a platform that humanizes players, adds context to chaos and occasionally reminds us that even in the middle of turmoil, it’s okay to laugh.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.