NBA players are bored like us and have found entertainment on TikTok. From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Paul Millsap, here is a list of players you need to follow.
I’m too old to ever understand TikTok. To the best of my knowledge, it’s some alchemy of new school-ish Vine humor and kids coming up with dances, I think? Like I said, I’m too old. The most exciting thing to happen to me this year before the world veered down the apocalypse path was taking the sum from my paid-out vacation days and putting them toward my car payment. On quarantine nights, when people are tweeting about Instagram live DJ battles, I’m eating cereal and trying to figure out if I’ve consumed enough fiber that day.
All of this is to say I believe I’m the perfect person to be ranking NBA players and their TikTok accounts. I’m going in with the freshest eyes possible. Will I probably miss most of the jokes and references? Certainly! But I’m holding firm I know a good internet video when I see one. So here are the best TikTok accounts in the NBA as selected by me, with players chosen exclusively from a pool I’ve seen people talk about on social media.
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis may be the MVP of the league, but he’s not exactly bringing the same level of two-way dominance on TikTok. I don’t know that Giannis has really unlocked the potential of the app. Working on this account may be more important than what he does with his jump shot.
9. Jayson Tatum
Tatum’s account is really just incomplete. As of press time, he only has two videos up. Maybe his TikTok will one day take the same leap he took on the floor this season. Right now it’s still very much a work in progress.
8. Meyers Leonard
The jokes are maybe a little bit too on the nose here. There’s no twist. And yet, there’s something comforting in Leonard’s effort.
7. Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka’s whole life feels like performance art. I’m not sure if his TikTok account is avant garde or boring. While none of the videos necessarily made me laugh out loud, they did make me think. And that’s worth something.
6. Ja Morant
Ja came out of the gate hot with his full-jersey-clad intro video. It’s been a mixed bag for the presumed Rookie of the Year since then. Morant seems caught between more wholesome content and really letting his sense of humor run free. I hope he leans toward the latter.
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
While SGA doesn’t really have time for jokes, his dance moves are impeccable. And he gets bonus points for scoring a Chris Paul cameo in his first post.
4. Wendell Carter Jr.
Wendell Carter may have the most underrated TikTok account in the league. He has a definitive point of view.. And frankly, dedicating an entire post to receiving nudes is a bold play that most NBA players wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole.
3. Tacko Fall
Now we’re really approaching elite territory. Tacko’s TikTok is a lovely mix of his dance moves and jokes, and he doesn’t shy away from the whole, uh, height thing. It’s really easy for Tacko to be an NBA Twitter prop, his TikTok does a much better job of giving you the fuller picture.
2. Matisse Thybulle
The same effort Matisse Thybulle puts on the defensive end for the Sixers, he puts into his TikTok account. Thybulle is relentless. And it works for him! None of his videos are unfunny. There’s also an earnestness to this account that’s very endearing. It helps considerably Thybulle is of the proper age to be making TikToks. The whole enterprise seems natural for him, as opposed to some kind of forced branding exercise. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying what he’s doing.
1. Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap is the reason this article exists. What in the world is going on here? Paul Millsap is funny? The same guy whose teammates refer to as a grandpa? This account is a perfect blend of wholesome family content, dad jokes, Paul Millsap highlights, and magic(?!) That’s right, when Millsap isn’t humiliating his kid in one-on-one or getting ready for bed, he’s performing magic tricks. (His username also includes the phrase “baby joker.”) If there’s literally only one reason to hope the NBA season is delayed a little longer, it’s so Paul Millsap can keep making TikToks.
