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Who is the next cult-favorite player in the NBA?
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers could be the next internet meme star off the court with his hot dance moves. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Who is the next cult-favorite player in the NBA?

Few things make basketball as fun as the cult hero everyone loves. Bol. Webb. Darko. Porzingis. Lin and Linsanity. They give fans a favorite to root for beyond their own teams and spawn a thousand memes on 'NBA Twitter' within minutes of doing anything fun, on and off the court.

Hello and welcome back to the Yardbarker roundtable where we ask our experts to discuss the serious (and not so serious) sides of sports. The hard-hitting news like the Suns tracking high fives and overrated players and teams. Today's topic, cult heroes.

Who is the next NBA cult hero and why are they suitable to be the next best part of basketball Twitter?

Demetrius Bell: It's J.R. Smith. The man basically spent the entire summer following the finals sans-shirt, and I'm actually convinced that he didn't put a shirt on until October. He's already got a strong foothold in "Hennessy Twitter" (yes, this is a thing) and "Slide-Into-The-DM's Twitter" and now that he's signed a long-term extension with the Cavaliers, he'll be sliding into all of social media's hearts for the foreseeable future.

Jason Clinkscales: Hassan Whiteside is sort of there already as he emerged last season, picking up some bank and social media attention along the way. (What up, Mr. Krabs!) Yet, he's essentially all alone now in Miami, a team destined for the draft lottery so quickly after title glory. As someone who has little problem expressing his moods on Twitter, there are going some very, very, very interesting tweets and 'Gram posts. Perhaps he mimics DeMarcus Cousins, whose cult hero status was molded from being the singular good thing about the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings.

We await the subtweets and fan burns.

Alex Wong: Dion Waiters. The entire internet has been begging for Waiters to be great so they can fully embrace him. Dion Waiters Island has been a running joke for awhile now, and now that he is, in the internet's mind, Dwyane Wade's replacement in Miami, it feels like this is the year that Waiters can finally drop 40 points on 40 shots in an 11-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in mid-December and become the full cult hero that we are waiting for him to become.

I'd also like to throw in a write-in ballot for Brandon Jennings, which might be the refreshing alternative to Derrick Rose at point guard for the Knicks, and seriously, are we sure he isn't the best point guard on that team's roster in general? An easy way to get into cult hero status is to own the Garden. Jennings is one of a handful of players who have a shot at that this season.

Sam Greszes: It's gotta be Mozgov, right? Isn't he kind of already there? He just got a possibly-undeserved-yet-still-massive paycheck, and he's so likable and goofy that nobody really minds. We love big lugs like him.

Shiloh CarderI'm going to go back to the future on this one: Kobe Bryant. I know he's retired after putting in one of the best careers in NBA history, but I think his retirement could lend to a new kind of Kobe. Over the last year or so of his career, Kobe was finding his social media footing. He was more apt to be open, honest and being so, so, so "Kobe" that it was hilarious. Now he doesn't need to have any filter since he is retired and he'll get to see the entire forest since he's no longer one of the trees. He will be one of the harshest critics of the NBA while having one of the most unique perspectives. His final NBA quote of "Mamba out" is already as classic as "friends can come and go, but banners hang forever."

If you want a new cat, I'd say the Sixers' Joel Embiid.  Dude is funny and has a pretty good Twitter account. Now that he's actually playing NBA basketball and could be a rookie of the year candidate, he'll be relevant to fans who will finally get to see why he's been worth the wait.

Phillip Barnett: Steven Adams is the only answer here. He looks ridiculous, has an Australian accent and is hilarious on and off the court. His friendship with Enes Kanter only grows the legend of Adams. If his antics aren't enough for you, he's a high-motor guy on the court who does all of the little things that don't get picked up in box scores and will dunk on your favorite player when given the opportunity. Russell Westbrook loves him, and you should, too.

Jamie NealI struggle with these types of questions, but I'll go with the player I'm excited to watch develop as a player. A player I am eager to see how he fits into the Warriors since they're one of the most fun teams I've ever watched on and off the court. Patrick McCaw. He has talent to spare and while he can't hit the high notes, he certainly gives it his best effort.

Kerith Gabriel: That honor would go to Sixers center Joel Embiid. Embiid's been a must follow since arriving into the League, from publicly asking Rihanna out on a date in his rookie season to his pre and post surgery selfies. Now, that he's expected to play and will be relevant night after night, I expect only gems from Embiid's Twitter that will keep people glued to their newsfeed.

David Matthews: After years of waiting, it's Joel Embiid's time to shine. After two years lost to injury, the talented center is ready to take the entertainment he's provided on Twitter to the court and solve the Sixers' front court logjam all in one fell swoop. It will certainly help that, like Porzingis, Embiid can actually play a little bit.

But first we dance: 

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