Written by David Roberts
Reviewed by Lucas Walter
Updated
The top basketball influencers in 2026 are Chris Matthews, MayGoesCrazy, Chris Brickley, The Professor, and Matt Kiatipis. This list ranks 22 basketball influencers by median views across their recent videos, not by follower count. Each one was found by searching across hundreds of thousands of top-performing posts in the basketball niche.
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All 22 are listed in rank order. Select a row to jump to the write-up.
| Rank | Creator | Followers | Median views | Engagement | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Matthews @lethalshooter | 4.4M | 6.1M | 5% | Shooting sessions with guests |
| 2 | MayGoesCrazy @maygoescrazyy | 1.7M | 1.7M | 1.9% | Basketball skits |
| 3 | Chris Brickley @cbrickley603 | 3.9M | 1.1M | 5.1% | NBA player workouts |
| 4 | The Professor @theprofessor | 5.5M | 634K | 7.4% | Streetball handles |
| 5 | Matt Kiatipis @mkiatipis | 3.7M | 570K | 2% | 1v1 streetball series |
| 6 | Tristan Jass @tristanj22 | 2.3M | 448K | 5.1% | Trick shots and stunt dunks |
| 7 | Jake Martin @good.ball21 | 155K | 438K | 5.8% | Pickup runs and 1v1s |
| 8 | JDub @jdub | 651K | 418K | 4.4% | Costumed court skits |
| 9 | Kris London @lsk | 765K | 412K | 2.5% | NBA culture and cards |
| 10 | Kenny Beecham @KennyFR | 769K | 372K | 3.5% | NBA talk |
| 11 | Jef @JefBayless | 204K | 369K | 2.5% | NBA rants and rankings |
| 12 | Jordan Kilganon @killerjunior23 | 1M | 353K | 2% | Dunk experiments |
| 13 | whristan @whristan | 900K | 333K | 19.6% | NBA night recaps |
| 14 | Thinking Basketball @ThinkingBasketball | 683K | 300K | 3.6% | NBA film study |
| 15 | Amarion Davis @yessuhad | 157K | 295K | 7.3% | Rage-bait park 1v1s |
| 16 | Peter Danyliv @peterdanyliv | 3M | 252K | 11.8% | Team-life POV skits |
| 17 | CashNasty @cashnasty | 1.2M | 211K | 4% | Hoops debates and dunk shows |
| 18 | Mike Dunn @seemikedunn | 876K | 209K | 2.1% | Shooting form coaching |
| 19 | Mike Korzemba @MikeKorzemba | 1.9M | 194K | 1.4% | NBA stories and what-ifs |
| 20 | Elijah Andrews @woahhelijah | 1.3M | 184K | 10.3% | Handles at the park |
| 21 | D’Vontay Friga @DVontayFriga | 1.4M | 184K | 2% | One-vs-many challenges |
| 22 | Shane Hennen @hennen_workouts | 868K | 167K | 3.9% | Drills and team skits |
The best basketball influencers aren’t simply the accounts with the most followers. Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok all show videos to people based on how the video performs individually, not just based on who follows the creator. As a result, a small or midsized account can reach more people than one several times its size.
That’s why we rank basketball influencers by median views of their videos (the average number of people a typical video reaches). As of November 2026, the five most watched are Chris Matthews, MayGoesCrazy, Chris Brickley, The Professor, and Matt Kiatipis.
Sorted into four jobs a brand can hire for: teaching the game, playing it on camera, skits and stunts, or talking about the league. The number beside each name is the creator’s overall rank.
Coaches who teach on camera, from NBA workouts to shooting form. A natural home for gear players train in.
Shooting sessions with celebrities, reporters, and pro players, each ending on whether the guest finally “understands it.” Stunt shots in odd places fill the gaps, often with an energy-drink brand.
9 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in pro basketball events, energy drinks, and AI apps.
Workouts with NBA and WNBA players in a Manhattan gym, cut as highlights with notes on the drills. Clips from the trainer’s own series and podcast run between them.
12 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in sportswear, basketballs, headphones, and AI apps.
Short shooting lessons from the coach behind a shooting academy, narrated over one shooter at a time. Footwork, balance, and release, filmed from a low angle.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Drill tutorials with players demonstrating footwork and shooting, alternating with POV skits about coaches and team politics. Filmed on a school court.
14 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in basketball shoes, trading cards, and insoles.
Streetball, park 1v1s, and challenge runs filmed by the people playing. Shoes and apparel are in every frame.
Streetball from a two-decade AND1 veteran: handles on whoever shows up at the court, with jokes to the camera. Tour stops abroad and event appearances fill the rest.
10 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in basketball apparel and tourism.
Organized 1v1 games against a recurring cast of streetballers, filmed city by city across Asia and the UK. Each episode introduces the opponent, plays the game, and settles the rivalry.
5 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in supplements, sports betting, crypto wallets, and basketball gear.
Fast-cut clips from pickup runs and 1v1s in ordinary gyms: ankle-breakers, trash talk, and travel-or-not arguments. Captions are often left blank.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
1v1s against strangers at public parks, played under silly rules like Simon Says to bait a reaction. Set to music, with the joke written on screen.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Dribble moves on outdoor courts, filmed from beside the play and set to music. Comedy cuts about types of hoopers run between.
1 sponsored post in the last 90 days, in basketball video games.
Challenge series in gyms and parks: one invited hooper takes on a line of opponents under set rules, explained in voiceover. Guests include former NBA players.
11 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in fantasy sports apps, banking apps, and apparel.
Videos built on a premise: a costume, a dare, a dunk nobody has tried. Room for a scripted product moment.
Quick basketball skits, one premise each, like the hooper who only makes contested shots. A small cast plays every part, on courts and indoors.
2 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in basketball video games.
Trick shots and dunks staged in everyday places, from arena tunnels to traffic, with a small crew filming the reactions. Posts about recovery from brain surgery run alongside.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in trading cards and basketball video games.
Gym and court skits, often in costume, like a Halloween run in a horror-movie mask. NBA 2K challenges and travel vlogs come in between.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in basketball video games, snacks, and pro basketball.
Short dunk experiments from a professional dunk performer: a dunk from the three-point line, a one-second hang, a volleyball. Longer videos ambush college gyms in disguise.
3 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in basketball shoes and energy drinks.
Serialized POV skits about a fictional varsity team, with one actor playing coaches, parents, and bench players. Shoe reviews and move breakdowns sit between episodes.
11 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in basketball shoes and insoles.
Commentary, breakdowns, and history for fans who follow the league. Ticket, betting, and card sponsors buy here.
NBA takes, card rips, and access at league events from a 6’10” creator whose bio says “Never made the league.” Talks to camera, at home or courtside.
6 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in basketball video games, hotels, and computer hardware.
Talking-head NBA commentary from a studio set, one storyline a video: rankings, slumps, and trade reactions. The second channel of a full-time NBA podcaster.
9 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in event tickets, mattresses, and meal kits.
NBA rants and rankings to camera from a desk, cut fast with broadcast clips. Fan interviews and the odd football video break it up.
2 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in phone plans and VPNs.
Fast recaps of each night in the NBA, voiced over broadcast footage and cut to a punchline. Opening week and viral moments get the most attention.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Film breakdowns of NBA schemes, rules, and player fit, narrated over game footage with charts and telestration. Made by an analyst and author; many uploads are for channel members only.
2 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in event tickets and meal kits.
Basketball debates and challenges from the host of a TV dunk show, plus gym sessions and creator events. Much of the reach now runs on the show’s own accounts.
6 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in insurance, basketball video games, and films.
Narrated NBA stories with a conspiracy or what-if angle, told over archival footage and graphics. Long videos, a little more than one a week.
8 sponsored videos in the last 90 days, in sports betting, collectibles, and posters.
We analyzed the 299 posts these 22 creators published on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok in the last 30 days. Of those, 36 beat their creator’s usual views by 3× or more.
Here is how this month’s breakouts open, read from what each video says in its first seconds, or from its caption when nobody speaks.
“Guys, what are we?”
The most common breakout opening drops the viewer into a scene that is already running: trash talk on a park court, a player arguing with a coach, a teammate calling for a screen. Six different creators opened breakouts this way, and none of them explained the setup first.
Peter Danyliv 1.3M views · 5.1× their usualTheir usual posts more often open on music alone. In the breakouts, the first words are already part of an argument the viewer wants to see settled.
“It’s not about full foot.”
Two of the three breakouts that open on a claim come from one shooting coach, so read this as a coach’s hook more than a habit of the whole niche. The first sentence corrects something the viewer believes about their shot, and the clip then shows why.
Mike Dunn 1.2M views · 5.7× their usualThe other is a film breakdown that opens on something “incredible” in the first game of the preseason. Both give the viewer a claim to check against the footage.
“Being in the air for 1 full second is impossible according to science, but I’m a pro dunker, so let’s see if I can do it.”
Every breakout that opens on a test comes from one dunker. The first sentence names a limit, like a dunk from the three-point line or a full second in the air, and the video tries to beat it. The same creator’s usual videos open on music or on a training story instead.
Jordan Kilganon 2.3M views · 6.6× their usualTristan Jass: “Almost got arrested for dunking on a cop 🚨👮♂️🚔” reached 18M views, 40.9× their usual.
Matt Kiatipis: “Japanese Samurai Warrior Took The 1v1 Kings Throne?!🤯” reached 14M views, 25.4× their usual.
Jake Martin’s video reached 11M views, 24.3× their usual.
This table shows what the basketball accounts on this list do at each size on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Use it to judge whether a creator’s numbers are strong for their tier.
| Tier | Followers | Median views | Engagement | Posts a week | Sponsored posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 100K to 500K | 369K | 5.8% | 3 | 2% |
| Macro | 500K to 2M | 300K | 3.5% | 1.9 | 19% |
| Mega | Over 2M | 602K | 5.1% | 2.1 | 29% |
The figures are medians across these 22 accounts, from each account’s recent videos. “Sponsored posts” is the share of posts in the 90 days to Nov 6, 2026, that carry a paid-partnership or paid-promotion label or a stated sponsor, or are part of a brand campaign.
If you sell to people who play or watch basketball, first decide which of the two you need: the creators who reach players are rarely the ones who reach fans.
Trainers and hoopers film people playing, so their audiences play too. That is where shoes, training gear, and recovery products fit. NBA talk and film channels speak to people who watch the league, which suits tickets, streaming, trading cards, and the video game.
Commentary and film channels often work over NBA broadcast clips that belong to the league, so a product can appear only in the creator’s own segments. Trainers, hoopers, and skit creators shoot everything themselves, and a product can stay in the frame for the whole video.
NBA 2K, shoe brands, and betting or fantasy apps each paid several creators on this list in the last 90 days. Ask about category exclusivity before you sign.
On YouTube, look for the paid-promotion label at the start of a video. On Instagram and TikTok, read the captions for ad words and discount codes.
Many trainers and challenge channels film high-school players. Ask who will be in your video, and how the creator gets permission from players and parents, before you agree on a brief.
We identified and ranked these creators by searching hundreds of thousands of top-performing basketball posts across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok with Klint.
We rank by median views across each creator’s recent videos, so one viral post can’t lift an account up the list. Creators from any country qualify if they post in English or with no words and at least half of their recent posts are about basketball; current pro players, league and media accounts, and betting tipsters are not included.
To get this list or a similar one for yourself, describe the creators you’re looking for in the Klint web app, or paste this prompt into any AI agent connected to Klint:
Find the top 22 basketball influencers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, ranked by median views across their last 30 videos or their last 90 days, whichever is lower. Show followers, engagement, and their best recent post.
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As of November 2026 the top five basketball influencers by median views are Chris Matthews, MayGoesCrazy, Chris Brickley, The Professor, and Matt Kiatipis.
This list has 7 basketball YouTubers, not 10. By median views, they are MayGoesCrazy, Kenny Beecham, Jef, Jordan Kilganon, Thinking Basketball, Mike Korzemba, and D’Vontay Friga.
This is a list of people who make basketball content, so current professional players’ own accounts are left out, along with team, league, and media accounts such as highlight pages. A creator who once tried out for a team, or who played streetball for a living, still qualifies when the posts are their own videos.
On this list, 11 are on Instagram, 7 on YouTube, and 4 on TikTok. A creator with accounts on several platforms is counted under the one with the highest median views.
By hand, search Instagram and TikTok for the drills, park runs, or NBA takes your customers watch, then check each account’s recent posts for views, not followers. Klint runs that search in one request, for example “basketball trainers on Instagram who have worked with a shoe brand.”
It depends on the platform, the audience size, and the work: a read in a commentary video asks less of a creator than a workout or a skit built around your product. On this list most shoe posts came in runs from the same brand over several weeks, so expect to discuss a series, and check whether a sponsor in your category already holds the creator.
Yes. Any creator can ask to be taken off Klint’s lists, and the request applies to every page they would otherwise appear on.
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