Grayson Allen Enjoys Getting Booed By Fans
If you followed college basketball in the mid-2010s, you certainly know the villain from Duke named Grayson Allen. He was once a star player for the highly hated Duke Blue Devils and has always had an aggressive play style, and because of his aggression and tough fouls, fans have booed him since he entered the NBA.
Allen isn’t nearly the player he once was in college, but the Phoenix Suns guard still receives this treatment to this day. On Wednesday, Allen had a career night, canning eight 3-pointers (on 13 attempts), tallying 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks, helping Phoenix earn a hard-fought 116-105 win over the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Ill.
“Getting booed makes the game feel more normal for me,” Allen said, via Duane Radkin of AZCentral. “It’s more weird when it’s silent.”
"I finally got 8."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 9, 2023
Grayson Allen on hitting career-high eight 3s on 26-point night in Suns OT win over Bulls.
Heard boos pregame intros from Bulls fans about that flagrant foul on Alex Caruso.
Allen said the game feels "more normal" when he's being booed. #Suns #Bulls pic.twitter.com/fIRljsJS6j
On top of having a record night, there is a backstory between Allen and Bulls fans. Two years ago, when Allen was a member of the Bucks, he fouled Alex Caruso pretty hard. This foul led to Caruso fracturing his wrist and Allen received a suspension as a result. This foul added to the reasons that fans already boo him, and it was especially bad since Caruso is a fan favorite.
It makes sense that Allen enjoys the pressure though. As I mentioned earlier, he was the face of one of the most hated college basketball programs ever. He won a National Championship with Duke in 2015 and stayed with the team until he graduated in 2018. He probably likes being in that spotlight and likely uses it as motivation to play better.
Although he isn’t a star anymore, he is someone who can consistently give you 10 points a night. While many people have a grudge against him, others like the gritty mindset he plays with and view him as a hustler. Although I don’t like some of Allen’s dirty plays, I always find it interesting when a player’s main source of motivation is hate.
