30 best NBA social media accounts to follow this summer

The NBA offseason can be a long stretch of ennui for hoops fans. These social media accounts will help you survive until the fall.

Just because the 2017 NBA season is over doesn’t mean fun is. Not with an already crazy NBA Draft, a trade season that already makes no sense to anyone, and what expects to be a wild free agency period. But there is another reason that the fun should continue on as normal. Players now have more free time. And more free time means more using social media. And the one thing that the the NBA is head and shoulders above any other professional sport in is social media. But of course this raises an important question.

Which NBA related accounts are the best?

After all there are over 350 NBA players on Twitter. Add to that the 30 team accounts and countless other league-related accounts and just on Twitter alone there are probably close to 500 accounts worthy of following. But to find the best NBA social media accounts you also have to worry about Instagram and Snapchat (there are no NBA Facebook pages that hold up to the other three). Luckily that is why I am here. After a lot of research and some focus grouping I have come up with the definitive list of the best 30 NBA social media accounts.

Before we get into the list a few important notes. Some of these are players. Some are teams. There are even a few writers that will drive fun discussions this summer. The goal was to name as many different people as possible. That meant trying not to use a two different platforms per player. Finally, this was really hard. These aren’t ranked in any specific order. Just the order I thought of them. If you don’t see an account you really like please just leave it in the comments. The NBA is really, really good at this stuff. Blame them, not me.

Anyway, on to the list.

Damian Lillard on Twitter (@Dame_Lillard)

One of the really cool things that NBA players often do on Twitter is Q&A sessions. And Lillard is one of the players that does those most often. The even cooler part of that is that Lillard often answers questions that some players wouldn’t dare. Things like what NBA player not already on his team he would want to play with:

But it goes beyond just some Q&A’s with Lillard. At times, especially during the summer, Lillard will showcase his rapping skills. He also talks a lot about his home town of Oakland, where he is still active in doing work with the community. Recently he has also developed quite the friendship with Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr leading to some fun back and fourth exchanges. And of course like all professional athletes Lillard talks and posts quite a few pictures of his workouts. Which there are a lot of. Because Lillard really wants to be great. Which he will remind you of quite a bit.

Perhaps the most fun thing about Lillard though is something that permeates through all of his Tweets. The fact that he doesn’t care what other people thing. Lillard is going to say what he wants and if he offends a few people they can shove it. In an era where so many guys are careful about angering fans, Lillard is going to be himself. There is something special about that. And it leads to some really funny moments when he roasts fans for saying something stupid.

Rudy Gobert on Twitter (@rudygobert27)

Speaking of players who don’t care what anyone thinks, we have Rudy Gobert and his Twitter account. Unlike Lillard, Gobert doesn’t really have sessions on Twitter where he answers questions from fans. In fact there are times that Gobert goes days without Tweeting in general.

But when he does. Oh man, when he does. Gobert has perhaps the best Twitter efficiency rating in the entire league. Gobert does it by being absolutely relentless with his jokes. Typically those jokes are made at the expense of some of his favorite teammates, both on the Utah Jazz and the French National team. The two that end up on the receiving end most are Gordon Hayward and Evan Fournier, but Gobert really doesn’t play favorites. In April, he was able to land the impressive double roast in one tweet by taking shots at Joe Ingles and Jody Genessy, a Jazz reporter for the Deseret News:

https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/852621423050760192

With the offseason now upon us I would imagine Rudy becomes a bit more active in his posting. And if you are willing to live through some posting droughts and some posts in French, Gobert is well worth a follow. And for those of you who enjoy Harambe stuff, Gobert seems to like that too.

All in all he is just about a perfect follow. A player that will entertain you plenty without clogging your timeline with a million retweets about how great he is. You just don’t find that type of selective efficiency often enough any more.

Atlanta Hawks on Twitter (@ATLHawks)

Team social media accounts are typically hit or miss. After all there are the functions that are necessary to running an account meant to represent an entire brand. Stuff like prepackaged videos about players. Or photo galleries of the latest charity event where players built homes. But the Atlanta Hawks Twitter account is one of the few NBA team Twitters that go beyond that.

First, and for a writer this is important, the Hawks share more than just the work that appears on their website. That seems like something that is simple but not every team account does it. Atlanta seems to search out quality work on their team and share it. For people who care about basketball that is just another way to find interesting things to read and the Hawks should be commended for doing so.

But they also just have fun on Twitter. They have some great joking exchanges with plenty of other accounts on Twitter. Random fans, other teams, it doesn’t really matter. Atlanta will joke around.

Yet the best thing the Hawks do is emojis. While they mostly use them during the season to recap games, I have faith that the Hawks Twitter will utilize them in plenty of fun ways during the summer.

So give the Hawks a follow for the summer if you haven’t already. It will completely change the way you think about how team Twitter accounts can be run. Because the Hawks are a blast. And the next team on the list is as well.

Portland Trail Blazers on Twitter (@trailblazers)

It is quite the promise for a team Twitter account to have “Hot tweets straight outta Rip City” in their bio. And to be fair to them, the Trail Blazers do live up to the promise, at least in between the stuff that they must do as a team Twitter account. The tough part of truly appreciating the Blazers is that most of their magic is done via replies which means things can be missed.

But man if you ever want to have some fun, just wade into those replies where they just light stupid tweets ablaze. Like this one where they responded to someone who asked why Neil Olshey still has a job:

Or there is this one where they roast a Sacramento Kings blogger for making a joke about their city:

https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/877662763719434240

Considering the fine line that has to be walked to not offend that many people, Portland does a magnificent job. In a summer that is sure to have plenty of moves being made the Trail Blazers’ responses deserve some extra attention. And it helps that they are as interested in Woj bombs as everyone else that follows the league is:

I mean really, how can anyone not appreciate that stellar work. They got Adrian Wojnarowski to reply to a “u up?” Tweet during the middle of NBA Draft season while Jimmy Butler was getting traded. That is just some incredible work.

Between Damian Lillard, the team account and another social media account that will appear later on this list it isn’t crazy to think that the Trail Blazers may be the most social media savvy team in the league. In fact, it may be crazy to think anyone else even comes close.

Boris Diaw on Instagram (@diawboris)

The NBA offseason means a lot of free time for the majority of players in the league. While plenty of players take advantage of that time to spend time with family and friends and perfect their craft, Boris Diaw uses it to explore the world. And now thanks to the power of social media we are able to go on every step of his journey with him.

Most of his photos come from his trips to various outdoor tourist locations. Diaw has been making a trip around the USA to visit various National Parks with his dogs and he has done a great job of documenting those. He clearly has a deep understanding of photography so all of his pictures are essentially professional level.

And yes I know what you are thinking. “Oh an account dedicated to professional quality photographs of the beautiful spots around the USA. Of course that is interesting. Thanks for the idea, Matt.” But I have even better news. That isn’t all Diaw’s Instagram account has. There is also drone footage of Diaw on his Segway walking his dogs in those spots. So yeah. This is the best Instagram account ever.

And that isn’t even all. Diaw also uses the account to post pictures where he can make what can only be described as dad jokes. Like the one he shared recently with the French Navy where he made sure people knew he wasn’t arrested. So yeah go ahead and get lost in Diaw’s Instagram account for a bit. The rest of this list will still be here when you get back.

Curtis Harris on Twitter (@ProHoopsHistory)

The NBA offseason is a great time to learn about players that you may not be familiar with. With more and more records falling year to year, it won’t be hard for players from long ago to be completely forgotten about unless people actively try to educate others. Luckily for those that want to learn, Curtis Harris is ready, willing and very able to teach via his Pro Hoops History Twitter account.

One of the coolest things that Curtis does on this account is share various different types of media to highlight older players. There are GIFs, videos, pictures and more. And it isn’t even just about the stuff the players did on the court. Recently he shared a picture of Elgin Baylor with the Jackson 5. That came as part of a discussion about how Baylor is one of the most underrated players of all-time.

But the cool thing is that Curtis does more than rehash the careers of great former players. Sometimes he just randomly finds old box scores from games with fun results. Or highlights great performances by some underrated former player. Just last week he started talking about having a week dedicated to some of the worst parts of basketball history.

And perhaps most importantly for the idea of keeping basketball history alive, Curtis isn’t focused only on the NBA. There is plenty of ABA praise and history mixed in, which highlights a very important and often forgotten part of the history of our favorite league.

If you do truly want to learn this summer there isn’t a better social media account to start with.

Matt Moore on Twitter (@HPBasketball)

Basketball is great for a lot of reasons. The games and players come first and foremost but a huge part of why so many people love the NBA is the discussions it gives us. One of the best (and worst) parts of social media is the fact it lets anyone get into any conversation. So finding someone to lead and generate those conversations is important. And there just aren’t that many people out there who do a better job of that than Matt Moore.

The most important part of leading the discussions that Matt leads is that he genuinely cares. Unlike some accounts out there that just create random lists for RT’s, Matt thinks about, talks to people and studies things before speaking. While everyone may not agree with him all the time, it is impossible to look at something Matt says and not see the reasoning behind it.

The other important part is the number of people you can reach and Matt has quite the following. With over 106,000 followers he reaches a large amount of people by himself. But his discussions don’t stop there, generating plenty of RT’s that get more and more people involved. With a summer that should have plenty of things to talk about following Matt is a great way to see plenty of viewpoints you may not have thought of before.

And it gives you a shot to catch on to the next random meme created out of an email or tweet to him. So far there has been the Cryami Weaks and LeBron James using his testicles as weapons. Who knows what comes next.

Dwyane Wade on Snapchat (mrdwyanewade)

I’m going to be honest to this. I am very, very new to Snapchat so there are less of those accounts on this list than one may expect. What I have learned in my short amount of time on the app though is that Dwyane Wade is INCREDIBLE at it.

The cool thing about Snapchat is that unlike the other social media apps it really allows you a glimpse into people’s lives. At least if they want you to have that glimpse. With video we are able to capture moments that a simple Tweet cannot and while Instagram videos are popular there is something about Snapchat that has made Wade comfortable letting loose.

What exactly you are going to get when you open a Wade Snap is never known. While there always seems to be a a high chance of hearing Wade belt out some tune, he does keep fans guessing. Sometimes it is him and his wife Gabrielle Union. Sometimes it is Wade and his kids. Plenty of times it is Wade working out.

But there is one guarantee when you open a Wade Snap. He is going to be happy about something. And there is a decent chance that that feeling is going to wash onto you. So if you live a stressful life be sure to add Wade on Snapchat. You may get jealous of his trips around the world and fabulous lifestyle but it won’t take long until you find yourself smiling along with him. He just has that power.

Steven Adams on Twitter (@RealStevenAdams)

To a lot of people listing Steven Adams’ Twitter on the 30 best social media accounts in the league is going to be ridiculous. After all his account hasn’t really been that active lately and when it has it is mostly just him hitting the RT button on some Russell Westbrook for MVP promotional tweet. But think about the possibilities of what could happen and it is clear that Adams needs to be on this list.

Just a reminder of things Steven Adams has said in the past (all come from this nifty Reddit list of great Adams quotes):

• About playing Boban Marjanovic: “Oh, Big Bob. Big Bobby. He’s a big boy. He’s heavy.”
• On learning to switch onto non-centers: “Just blame it on someone else if it goes wrong.”
• On the debate that raged across NBA Twitter at some point (I think last summer): “Of course cake is not bread. Is this why Americans are fat? You confuse cake with bread?

Now remember that there really will be no reasons for Steven Adams to face the press for the next few months. So where exactly are the great Steven Adams quotes and sayings going to go? Is he just going to waste them? That doesn’t feel like Steven Adams.

The bet here is that he utilizes his Twitter account to get some Adamisms out there. And if he doesn’t then your timeline isn’t extra cluttered so you can appreciate all the other accounts that are on this list. Really it is a win-win situation.

Joel Embiid on Twitter (@JoelEmbiid)

This was right there with Boris Diaw’s Instagram for easiest choice to put on the list. Unfortunately over the past few seasons Embiid has had more time to spend on social media than he has on the basketball court, but it has produced results. Lots and lots and lots of really funny results.

The best part about Embiid is that you are never quite sure what you are going to get. There are times where he decides to try and interact with other celebrities. Other times he decides that making fun of other players is the best course of action for the day. Just as often you get him embracing his cult following in Philly with “Trust the Process” tweets. The one thing you can be sure of is that Embiid will be funny.

And now as the 76ers are approaching their time of getting competitive it should only be better. Embiid clearly loves the game of basketball, competing and his fans. With a summer of those things looking better and better, Embiid could be legendary. Especially if the Sixers do well in the Las Vegas Summer League.

And recently Kevin Durant has taken shots at Embiid’s new nickname for the Philadelphia core. There is a great chance that Twitter shots get fired from Embiid. Especially since Durant has given so much for Embiid to use as ammo over the past few years. And Embiid has no real filter. This could get amazing in a hurry.

Tony Allen on Twitter (@aa000g9)

The best thing about Tony Allen is that no matter what he does, he does it to the best of his abilities. Defending, shooting, hustling, public speaking, parenting, shooting local commercials. It doesn’t matter.  If you ask Tony Allen to do something Tony Allen is going to do it. And he is going to do it with maximum effort. Which leads me to Tony Allen’s Twitter account.

Tony Allen tweets in almost the exact same way that he plays. There are lots of random bursts of energy. Retweets from random people that saw him different places. Bible verses. Messages about how much he grinds. Whatever Allen is feeling at that moment. It comes in waves. Like Tony Allen’s defense.

But Allen’s account is at his best when he is doing what it seems that he loves most. Being a dad. Allen loves to record videos of whatever he and his son are doing that day and post them on Twitter. He is one of the few people I know of that bragged to hundreds of thousands of people who follow him that he got puked on.

https://twitter.com/aa000G9/status/549309232135557123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F2312819-grizzlies-tony-allen-gets-puked-on-by-son-has-picture-to-prove-it

He also has shown us his son dunking basketballs and doing plenty more. Through it all you have Allen smiling and laughing and genuinely being happy. It is just heartwarming. Now add to the fact that Allen unfortunately may have to leave Memphis this summer and you have a chance for even more emotional moments. And if Allen does unexpectedly stay in Memphis for cheap there will probably be some type of Twitter lovefest. It should be a fun summer no matter what.

Chandler Parsons on Twitter (@ChandlerParsons)

Last summer Chandler Parsons was a player that had a whole lot of people watching him intently. With his talent and versatility Parsons was one of the most sought after free agents around. The Memphis Grizzlies won the bidding war and while that didn’t work out as well as they hoped on the floor, it has helped make Memphis one of the best Twitter teams in the entire league with Parsons and Tony Allen.

While Parsons probably won’t be as popular this summer there probably will be a day or two here or there that he blows up. Because one thing that we learned about Chandler Parsons this year is that he is not afraid to take shots at anyone and everyone.

There was this Tweet directed at Mavericks owner Mark Cuban that showed us there is something to the Parson/Cuban beef:

Or this one directed at someone implying he isn’t worth his contract:

Or even this savage destruction of a fan:

So yeah, Chandler Parsons may not have been super active lately but when he is he makes his characters count. And the hope here is that he is almost done with the rehab on his knee which would do two things. First, get him back on the floor for the Grizzlies so we can see what their vision actually looks like. And two, give him more free time to fire off shots at anyone he sees fit.

Anthony Davis on Snapchat (antdavis23)

One of the tougher parts of playing in a small market is that there isn’t a great chance for fans to really get to know players. It makes it even harder when that small market team isn’t very good for a few years. And because of the way shoe sales go, it makes it even even harder when that player is a big man. So despite being one of the best players in the entire league for two or three years now, Anthony Davis is a relative unknown to a lot of people.

Luckily his Snapchat is fixing that one Snap at a time.

As it turns out Davis has quite the personality, especially when he is picking on his friends and teammates, which he is willing to do on Snapchat a fair amount.

The other thing that helps Davis’ Snapchat game is the team that he plays for. The Pelicans are a team that is willing to do some odd promotions. A few years ago there was a great video of Davis and then teammate Ryan Anderson holding penguins to promote a fundraiser at an aquarium. Considering how important Davis is to the Pelicans, he is in quite a few of the promos that they do. That means plenty of time “backstage” and off-camera for Davis to mess around and drop some Snaps. And now that DeMarcus Cousins is a member of the team, and maybe the only other recognizable faces on the roster if Jrue Holiday leaves, that could mean plenty of Davis/Cousins Snaps. Which should be a blast.

CJ McCollum on Twitter (@CJMcCollum)

In case you haven’t heard this before (and I would be surprised if you haven’t) CJ McCollum graduated with a degree in journalism from Lehigh. And since he has entered the league McCollum has taken his chances to put that degree to use, including in an interview with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for the Players Tribune. As you could expect from someone trained in the journalism field, McCollum’s polish carries over to his social media account.

That polish is what makes McCollum’s account so interesting. Like his teammate Damian Lillard, McCollum will often interact with fans. But there is something different about the way McCollum does it. Unlike Lillard who is often short and sweet with his answers, McCollum will sometimes give extended thoughts that are very interesting. While he doesn’t quite get as bold as Lillard does at times, McCollum also isn’t afraid to speak his mind on most topics.

But he also is willing to have some fun. McCollum will go out and “recruit” players that are in rumors. He picks on other guys around the league for random things. He really just has fun. And unlike other players he doesn’t feel guarded at all times.

I would also assume that we see quite a few interview type projects from McCollum this summer. Considering that most of the ones he has done already are pretty interesting I am excited to see how much his talents continue to grow.

Jamal Crawford on Twitter (@JCrossover)

I know what you are probably thinking right now. “A professional basketball player loves basketball. No duh you giant idiot.” And sure, yeah I’m an idiot. But as Andrew Bynum taught us in the past not every NBA player loves basketball. Far from it. For many the countless hours they have to put in in the gym each day probably takes a toll on them and wears away some of that love. But man, Jamal Crawford really LOVES basketball. And one look at his Twitter account proves it, making him an indispensable Twitter follow in the summer.

After you give Crawford a follow don’t be surprised when you see him engaged in the random basketball philosophical debate that shows up on your timeline that day. Unlike Lillard and McCollum, Crawford isn’t likely to answer questions about what player he wants on his team or anything. But a question on how to beat the Warriors is one he may end up in. And Crawford isn’t necessarily going to keep it to a single message either. He may drop three or four Tweets to get his point across.

The other thing that makes him a great follow is how much advertising he does for summer basketball events. If you live on the West Coast, Crawford will broadcast any and all summer events that he may show up at so you can catch him live. And normally he isn’t alone, not with his group of friends from Seattle around — a group he loves and supports a ton on Twitter.

As Crawford says in his bio basketball doesn’t define him, but for those of us craving ball in the summer his Twitter is a great tool to find it.

Richard Jefferson on Snapchat (Rjeff24)

While his Road Trippin’ Podcast may be his biggest success right now (and it is great and you should listen to it if you aren’t already) Richard Jefferson burst onto the off-court scene last year with his Snapchat account. And nothing has really changed to make it any less incredible since then.

Jefferson really got popular thanks to his Lil’ Kev Snaps. For those that aren’t familiar, here’s a quick history lesson on Lil’ Kev because this is important. Lil’ Kev is a random ad for Tommy Bahama that Jefferson found in an in flight magazine during the 2016 playoffs. After determining the ad looked like Kevin Love (and really it does), Jefferson ripped it out and started Snapping the adventures of Lil’ Kev throughout the playoffs. It was hilarious and actual Kevin Love seemed to be fine with the joke which culminated with actual Lil’ Kev t-shirts.

Jefferson also threw water balloons at his NFL offensive lineman neighbor, played the thong song A LOT in a restaurant and just generally had a ton of fun. Just recently he threw shade at Draymond Green’s podcast while promoting his own because Richard Jefferson does whatever he wants.

Now add to the fact that there is a chance he retires this summer, and he already claimed he wanted to write erotic fiction when he does so, who knows what we will get from Jefferson this offseason.

The only guarantee is it will be pretty dang funny. For those looking to get into NBA Snapchat Jefferson is a great first follow.

Marc Gasol on Instagram (@marcgasol)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if an All-NBA center decided to grow his own garden in the summer? What about what picture would go with the hashtag #whatsinyourgazpacho? Well, thankfully Marc Gasol is there to answer both of those questions for us.

This is another one of those take a chance follows but based on the early offseason trends it looks like Gasol is going to be sharing the growth of his new hobby with us. And based on one of the first pictures of the garden that he posted, there is going to be plenty to share. I mean seriously look at this thing. It is huge.

The cool thing is that based on what we think we know about Marc Gasol, there is going to be plenty more than just pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Gasol starts giving out gardening tips. Or showing us the gazpacho recipe that ends up being the end result of his labors. But I’m pretty interested in this account either way.

We normally just see athletes as big tough dudes who life heavy things and relax. Seeing a guy do something so difficult and yet delicate as gardening is pretty cool. And of course it is a Gasol. It couldn’t really have been anyone but a Gasol. Those two are just so cool.

Oh and when there aren’t gardening pictures up Gasol likes act like a dad. Like the picture of his garage captioned “If Apple started in a garage….why not reinvent myself.” That line is so dad it isn’t even funny. Yet it seems so perfect coming from Gasol. I don’t get it either.

Gabrielle Union on Twitter (@itsgabrielleu)

I know this is going to be hard for some people to accept but every NBA player is cooler than any of us. Even Austin Rivers. But it takes a special person to really be able to land a joke that puts an athlete in their place. Luckily for us the NBA has Gabrielle Union.

As a very successful actress, Gabrielle Union has some serious clout. And when she decides to use it to land a joke on her husband Dwyane Wade it almost always lands successfully. And it tends to be really, really funny.

Like the time Wade attempted a dunk and missed and Union let us know that it was her revenge on him for the mistake every husband in the world has made before.

https://twitter.com/itsgabrielleu/status/853767692746194945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2017%2F04%2Fnba-playoffs-chicago-bulls-dwyane-wade-gabrielle-union-dunk-toilet-seat-down-twitter-hilarious-video

I mean seriously where else do we get to see NBA players embarrassed for stuff like that? And now Wade is getting older and older and more and more into social media, which gives Union plenty of reasons and opportunities to make jokes.

If you aren’t following her this summer you are going to miss out on a few incredible jokes. Both about Wade and life in general. And we can’t be purely basketball focused. Being somewhat well rounded is good for everyone. Even Austin Rivers.

Dirk Nowitzki on Twitter (@swish41)

It only felt right to put a player who excels in poking fun of himself after the person on this list who excels at poking fun at someone else. Dirk Nowitzki is excellent at Twitter and that skill comes mostly from one thing — his ability to perfectly craft and time jokes about himself.

The best part about Dirk making the jokes is that he is able to perfectly nail them on just about any subject. There is his running speed on the base paths (or just about anywhere):

Dirk also nails jokes about video game problems:

And he even nails the jokes about his age:

Now before we get into the conversation of Dirk being a one-trick pony let’s take a second and appreciate how good he is at self-deprecation. It is really hard to make a joke about yourself and make it funny and not feel desperate. It takes a certain amount of swagger and confidence in your actual abilities, comedic timing and skill and a strong affection from those who must respond to the joke.

Luckily, Nowitzki has it all. With more and more time needed to recover that means Nowitzki has more and more time to crack jokes. Based on everything we have ever seen they are probably going to be about him. And hilarious. And absolutely worth your follow.

Oh and for those that think Dirk is a one trick pony, there are also quite a few soccer Tweets thrown in. Because Dirk is a well rounded man.

Hassan Whiteside on Snapchat (youngwhiteside)

I’m going to be honest here. I don’t find Hassan Whiteside particularly funny most of the time. But I’m not an idiot and I realize that quite a few people do and so he absolutely has to make this list.

The thing that Whiteside does perhaps better than any NBA social media account out there is have fun with just random things. In the past week or so he wandered around the Lourve and made jokes about random statutes. There was the usual stuff about the statues having no arms or heads, which is goofy but there was also some more niche humor like when he talked about Mortal Kombat.

He also is starting to become more and more friendly with other athletes including Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown, which has of course meant plenty of Snaps of the two together and jokes at Brown’s expense.

I still think that Whiteside is at his best in post game interviews when he can take a question and make a joke about disrespect or something like his famous 2k rating quote. But considering the offseason does not give us any real opportunities for that I guess his Snapchat will have to do.

Or maybe I’m just very wrong and Whiteside is hilarious all the time. That is certainly possible. I’m getting pretty old and have always been slow to come around on certain forms of comedy. I have also been just flat out wrong about things plenty. Like the time believed John Henson was going to be a really good starting center one day. I was clearly way wrong on that.

Milwaukee Bucks on Snapchat (bucksdotcom)

The Milwaukee Bucks in general have a great team for Snapchat and really any form of social media. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a fantastic personality when he wants to be, Jabari Parker is a well polished and very likable fellow and the rest of the roster is full of interesting personalities and stories. They also have one of the league’s best mascots in Bango who is always willing to try the craziest stunts. Combine all of that with a pretty great social media team and you have the recipe for an interesting account.

But every once and a while they do something that takes their account from the very good to the elite. They hand the keys to Michael Beasley. Now here is the tough part about this for the summer. Beasley is an unrestricted free agent and is coming off of a pretty good season in 2016-17. But he seemed comfortable in Milwaukee and the Bucks seemed to really like him so a return doesn’t seem impossible. If that does happen there feels like a decent chance of Beasley getting hold of the account for at least a day or so when he comes to town for a press conference.

And if he doesn’t then the Bucks still have Antetokounmpo and the rest of their interesting roster, including John Henson who is great with people, in tact to give us a few fun moments. And if Beasley does ever get his own account just add it to the list. I can promise based on what he has done with the team account at times it will be worth it.

J.R. Smith on Instagram (@teamswish)

Yes I know J.R. Smith is fully capable of doing anything at any time on any form of social media, which means giving him a bunch of free time in the summer seems like a terrible idea. But that isn’t at all why Smith is one this list. In fact I am really looking forward to following his Instagram this summer because it hopefully will continue to tell one of the best NBA stories in recent memory. They story of Smith and his daughter.

For those that do not recall or are unfamiliar, a quick primer: Smith’s daughter Dakota was born in January, five months premature. After spending five months in the hospital getting strong enough, Dakota was able to go home in late May. While she still has plenty of growing to do, Dakota is in much better shape now and the worries Smith had when she was born are at least a bit less.

And Smith’s Instagram has been heartwarming since that January day. Fairly often Smith posts some kind of picture with him and his newest daughter and each time it is a reminder of how much both have grown. Based on the Instagram pictures we have seen, Smith has matured plenty, and it is really cool to see him share the special moments he once worried he would never get. Watching that continue through the summer is going to be a wonderful thing.

And of course this is J.R. Smith we are talking about so there are always going to be some other random fun things thrown into the mix.

Russell Westbrook on Snapchat (russwest44)

You know who really likes to sing and dance in Snapchats? Russell Westbrook. And just like everything the Oklahoma City star and most recent NBA MVP does, it is a blast to watch.

Here is the best part of Westbrook — he will sing and dance to just about everything. In the past there has been R. Kelly, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Pitch Perfect 2, the movie with Whoopie Goldberg as a nun and more. If it is out there, Westbrook has probably sung and danced to it on Snapchat already. Or he is planning to do so in the future.

And now Westbrook has an MVP award which means he probably has plenty of TV and other media appearances coming in the near future. Which means he and his wife Nina are probably going to be on the road a bit more than normal and dressed up. Which probably means a lot of random Westbrook Snaps. That can’t possibly be a bad thing.

And finally, the Westbrook family just recently grew bigger when Noah Westbrook was born in May. So I would expect some cute baby Snapchats this summer as Russ learns to be a father. And if he does it like he does anything on a basketball court that should be a very fun transition to watch unfold one Snap at a time. Especially as we get to see what kind of children’s songs Russell Westbrook likes. My guess is on “Old McDonald had a farm” and “BINGO”. I will bet he hates “Wheels on the bus.”

Evan Turner on Twitter (@thekidet)

Like quite a few people on this list Turner makes it because he does not care who is one the receiving end of his jokes. Even if it is himself. That leads to quite a few funny moments on the site, especially since Turner and his contract have been pretty much universally panned since the moment he signed it last summer.

In just the last month, Turner quote tweeted a Bleacher Report tweet that called him a bust thanking them for giving him his “first cover”, asked a hypothetical question regarding Phil Jackson marrying Jeanie Buss and then trading the Lakers Kristaps Porzingis, and made a joke that was meant to be serious about a New York Times study on racial profiling in traffic stops. Basically Turner is a one shop stop for a bunch of random takes on random things. Oh, and he kind of blasts the 76ers quite a bit in his replies to people if you really want to look for that.

Finally with his Portland Trail Blazers teammates Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum already on this list you get the full Blazers experience by following all three. That makes sure that all the trio’s replies to each other (and there are quite a few) show up in your timeline, which is a good thing.

Now if they can just translate that chemistry onto the floor.

(Also, his take was that he would make the trade if he were in Jackson’s shoes but he would need ownership of the Lakers written into a prenup. Which is smart thinking if we are being honest about his crazy hypothetical idea.)

LeBron James on Instagram (@kingjames)

As he showed us throughout the playoffs, LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA. While others may challenge him here and there, James is able to rise to the occasion and deliver his best whenever the Cavaliers need it. As for his Instagram game, well he isn’t quite up to that level yet. But he is a quality follow, especially for those who like to see players act like normal people. Because, for all of his inhuman gifts, LeBron James is still a giant dad. Don’t believe me? Just scroll through his feed.

Sometimes there are videos of James doing things like watching old Tom and Jerry cartoons before a workout. Other times he is drinking wine in his driveway. Plenty of times though it is James either bragging about his kids or picking on them. Two very dad things to do.

The highlight came on June 18 when he celebrated his son Bryce’s birthday by hosting a bunch of Bryce’s friends for a sports night. He dominated all the kids as the true alpha dad does. He dunked on them, scored touchdowns over them and hurt a kid with a water balloon. It was a truly impressive display that only James is capable of.

With more free time this summer thanks to no Team USA commitments, expect more of the James boys on his Instagram account. And now that he has embraced the baldness I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more dad action start showing up on Instagram. Considering it is the only real time we can laugh at James it is definitely worth your follow this summer.

Draymond Green on Snapchat (@money23green)

To get this out of the way before we get too far in. No, I am not saying to follow Draymond Green because he may send another inappropriate Snap. I am saying to follow Draymond Green because I feel pretty confident that he is going to spend the entire summer trolling anyone and everyone in the NBA. I mean the guy wore a “Quicky” shirt to the Warriors championship parade. I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a single thing he won’t say or wear if it will make someone in the league angry.

That teasing is by far the most fun thing about Draymond. What goes ignored a bit too often though is the respect and friendship he has with many of the players that he picks on. And those relationships are what makes all of the joking so fun. Knowing that Green picking on LeBron James is probably going to get James to react is great. Especially because the parade showdown showed us that Green is probably going to get the last word.

So now we get Green’s uncaring attitude combined with the fact that the Warriors won a title and things could get bananas. Especially because the NBA award show showed us that Green isn’t even bothered by the fact some guys don’t play in the league when he went after Drake.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if you told me the summer of 2017 was the summer of Draymond Green on Snapchat. So if you aren’t keeping up with him now be sure to change that before he explodes.

Carmelo Anthony on Instagram (@carmeloanthony)

I can’t just copy and paste the same sentence a bunch of times in a row to write this section so I’m just going to say it a different way a few times, and the reason why Carmelo Anthony’s Instagram is on this list will be clear.

He wore a robe with his name on it to a bodega in the middle of August.

Carmelo Anthony has a robe with Melo on it and he wore it to a random bodega in New York in the middle of the summer.

Carmelo Anthony was too lazy to get dressed to go to the bodega so he wore his robe that has Melo embroidered on it.

Someone was shopping at a New York City bodega one random night last August and Carmelo Anthony walked in wearing an embroidered robe.

Now, yes, officially the video of that moment was posted on Lala Anthony’s Instagram account. But that doesn’t mean that Anthony can’t post something similar this summer if the mood hits again. Which is important.

With the possibility for more chaos in New York or an exit to a new team, there will be plenty of meme-able moments to come. So be sure that you are #StayingMe7o (which is a really weird hashtag).

Alexandra Clarke and Elle Hagedorn on Twitter (@AliCShow and @eswagedorn)

As we went over before we started this list, there are a ton of NBA social media accounts that you should probably already be following. And as this list probably highlighted, it isn’t easy at all to keep track of them all. Lucky, for you dear reader we here at FanSided have a great solution: The Replay with Al and El.

As you probably have guessed by now the two ladies here are the host of our awesome podcast that focuses on player personalities on and off the court. And as one would expect, a big part of that is social media. So if you go on vacation for a week and think you may have missed something important, just check Al and El’s feed out to see. Then give their awesome podcast a listen.

And even cooler is that lately the girls are doing more than just recapping what they see. A few weeks ago they got together with former Spurs great Matt Bonner for a game of HORSE. Then they went to BIG3 Media Day and talked to a group of former NBA greats like Allen Iverson and Jason Williams.

Next: Every NBA team's biggest celebrity fan

So don’t be silly and miss out on all the fun. Go follow our two Replay hosts. Then check out their podcast. Where else are you going to find an in depth discussion of which NBA players are “Bonobros”?

Finally if we missed any great accounts in our list feel free to let us know both on Twitter and in the comments section below. I’m sure I did. There we a lot to sort through.