Sports Stars That Are Nothing Like They Seem

To fans, athletes are more than just a name and a face. We have been a part of celebrating their greatest achievements and also witnessed some of their lowest moments on our television screens. Outside of watching them compete on the field, court, pool, or in the arena, we've gotten glimpses of the person under the uniform, and it gave us another reason to cheer them on. For some athletes, their biggest opponent isn't just someone on another team; it's a group of people -– the media. 

The media's perception of them has sometimes been inaccurate and has painted these athletes as something they're not. Instead of presenting them as multifaceted people, they're either cast as a villain for one minor mistake or painted as America's sweetheart when that's far from the truth. Let's take a look at some of the most famous sports stars who are nothing like they seem.

When NFL star Marshawn Lynch famously said, "I'm just here so I won't get fined," he'd already started to gain a reputation for being too serious and egotistical. As he began to frequently skip mandated interviews, the NFL and the sports media quickly labeled Lynch as a difficult athlete who thinks he's above the rules. Lynch's refusal to speak to the media didn't come from a lack of respect, but a lack of trust. He once told reporters, "I don't know what story y'all trying to get out of me. I don't know what image y'all trying to portray of me. But it don't matter what y'all think, what y'all say about me because when I go home at night, the same people that I look in the face — my family that I love, that's all that really matter to me." 

Just because Lynch gave the cold shoulder to journalists doesn't mean he was distant when it came to fans. In real life, Lynch is known as a pillar to his community who always gives back. In 2020, another clip of Lynch went viral, but this one showed Lynch and teammate Richard Sherman on the sidelines discussing their holiday plans. Lynch enthusiastically mentioned that he'll be spending his Thanksgiving giving back, inspiring Sherman to want to tag along. 

During his time in the NFL, he may have forked over $300,000 in fines, but he's still helping others today. He's donated medical masks and traveled to Hawaii to donate over 200 turkeys to residents, proving that sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Since winning her first Grand Slam in 2018, Naomi Osaka became a superstar that the media and fans loved. But as the newbie became more well-known and outspoken, the perception of Osaka changed. Fans and the media challenged her outspokenness about mental health and considered her immature, entitled, and overly sensitive. Journalists took great offense to Osaka's media boycott which led to her withdrawing from the 2021 French Open. Before withdrawing from the match, Osaka was fined for refusing to speak to the media. In an Instagram post, Osaka went into detail about how press conferences can negatively affect a player's mental health.

"I've watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well," Osaka wrote. "I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while they're down and I don't understand the reasoning behind it." Her calls for mental health awareness were ignored as she was accused of being unable to handle criticism and the responsibilities of being a star athlete. 

Since then, Osaka has attempted to participate in press conferences but still has found it difficult. In August 2021, she broke down in tears after a reporter questioned her balancing mental health and press obligations.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

NBA player Kawhi Leonard is a bit of a mystery. The two-time NBA champion is known for being one of the most talented players in the sport but also known for being a man of few words and zero emotions –- except for his viral laugh. Sports media has always considered him a loner whose blank facial expression always reads as unimpressed or bored. Contrary to media reports, Leonard's teammates have declared the opposite. They frequently describe him as someone who's funny and down-to-earth behind the scenes. Though the rest of the world might see him as robotic and shy, the people around him all confirm one thing: Leonard wasn't lying when he famously told the world he's a fun guy. 

Teammate Paul George offered some insight into Leonard's personality. "What you see is what you get with Kawhi ... He does all the things that you would want your guy to do ... Works hard, great teammate, great locker room guy. He actually does talk. He's a fun guy. The legend's true" (per Bleacher Report). Former teammate Lou Williams commented on the "robotic" and mysterious perception of Leonard. In an interview with Bleacher Report, he said, "When it comes to Kawhi, I realized that because he does such a great job at being in control of what's said about him, that when people don't have the access that they want to him, they just create whatever they want to create and he doesn't combat any of it." So maybe Leonard only saves his jokes for the locker room.

J.R. Smith is a basketball player that had a bad-boy image with plenty of controversial and meme-able moments throughout his career. In the past, he's famously been a party boy, frequent NBA rule-breaker, and a trash talker. Fans watched him get fined and suspended, all the way up to becoming a champion. In 2016, after reaching his goal of winning a championship, an emotional Smith took to the podium in tears, discussing the sacrifices his parents made for him, singling out his father: "To hear people talk bad about me, it hurts me because I know it hurts him and that's not who I am. I know he raised better and I know I want to do better."

The two-time NBA champ has left pro ball behind and is now on a campus living life as a student-athlete. Fans were amazed that the guy they nicknamed "Henny God" (after the drink Hennessy) is now just a regular college student that tweets about passing his exams and what he learned in class that day. As Smith ventures on this new path, he's opened up about how much he hates the old "Henny God" nickname. Leaving an Instagram comment on the HouseofHighlights page, Smith wrote that he finds the joke disrespectful: "As a Black man in American you still can't move on from the bulls*** that people continue to put on your name! Not one positive post about going to school and trying to better myself!" Smith seems eager to leave the old perceptions of him in the past.

For many baseball fans, Bryce Harper is someone they all love to hate. Since he entered the spotlight, Harper has rubbed people the wrong way with giving controversial interviews, showboating during games, and being an instigator on the field. His over-the-top, flashy style of play has not been welcomed with open arms in the traditional world of baseball. To Harper's credit, he's welcomed the villain title from fans with enthusiasm, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer, "It's just my desire to play in front of fans and love the boos and the hate a little bit. I've been hearing it since I was 12 or 13 years old, so it's kind of normal. That's sports. That's fan bases." 

Behind the scenes, not everyone hates his flashy style of play. Teammate Brandon Kintzler said he's grown to understand why Harper is the way he is: "You never know what these superstars are like. Sometimes they're arrogant and cocky and come off as not good teammates. But he's a very genuine teammate. You just get the fact that the guy wants to win. The guy wants to win so bad that people hate him. If he didn't want to win, people would probably like him."

Harper isn't really a villain. However, he embraces the role not because he loves to instigate, but simply because he respects the competitive nature of the sport. His flashy style of play isn't to disrespect his competitors either –- Harper just wants to express himself in a sport that doesn't seem to love self-expression.

Formerly known as Ron Artest, also formerly known as Metta World Peace, and now going by Metta Sandiford-Artest – he will go down in history as the most misunderstood athlete in the NBA. His on-the-court outbursts are like no other. Who can forget the infamous Malice at the Palace? Or the elbow to James Harden's head? The NBA decided to make an example out of him and handed him an 86-game suspension and a $5 million fine. Teams viewed him as a loose cannon, but seeking counseling wasn't common during his era. "I was ahead of my time," he told the New York Post. "Back then, the media was like, 'Oh, he's crazy. He's not ready to play at that level.' Now the media is saying, 'Get this person help.'"

He refused mental health support earlier in his career due to the stigma. It wasn't until 2010 that he opened up about his struggles and even thanked his psychiatrist after winning his first NBA Championship. 

The older and much wiser Sandiford-Artest no longer felt the need to privately deal with his struggles, telling ESPN, "I'm not afraid to improve myself spiritually, emotionally, economically. I'm not afraid to take on that challenge. And I'm not afraid to share with anybody else, because we're not the only ones going through it." In 2021, when Netflix recounted the infamous Malice at the Palace brawl, viewers saw Sandiford-Artest in a different light, seeing that it was less about him acting "crazy" and more about an athlete who was struggling with mental health.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.