Sports

Hunter Dickinson Criticizes Fans, Says It ‘Felt Like A Job’ To Play At Kansas For 7-Figure Salary

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Hunter Dickinson was a college basketball villain in the not-so-distant past. The former Kansas big was often in the headlines for both on- and off-the-court antics.

His production was undeniable. It earned him a comfortable payday with the Jayhawks. The money might not have outweighed the hate received.

Dickinson was a polarizing figure in the sport from 2020-2025. The center started his career at Michigan, making an immediate impact in the paint.

As a freshman, he averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 boards a night to earn All-America honors. He followed it up with back-to-back 18-ppg campaigns.

After his third season in Ann Arbor, he entered the transfer portal. He landed at Kansas where he finished out his NCAA tenure.

Hunter Dickinson was paid handsomely.

The 7-footer transferred at the boom of NIL. His NIL Valuation was an estimated $1.7 million ahead of his final season thanks to a slew of brand partnerships.

He earned that salary in Lawrence.

Dickinson totaled 17.9 points a night in Year 1 to earn another second-team All-America honor. He scored 17.4 points per game the following year. He averaged double doubles in both campaigns.

In each of his two seasons on campus, the Jayhawks made the NCAA Tournament. Both trips ended relatively early, however, as the team went a combined 1-2.

Dickinson says the team was checked out in the postseason due to an inability to meet lofty expectations.

Playing at Kansas felt like a job.

“(Fans) expect greatness, but the team didn’t feel like it had support,” the center said in a sit down with the Run Your Race podcast.

“After we’d win a game, we’d go on Instagram and see how many comments we had. It was like 30-40… On a loss, we would have like 500.

“For me, it got to a point where I didn’t like playing. We would come to the gym, and it would feel such like a job. The games got to a point where it’s like, I don’t even want to play right now.

“It got to a point where dudes were just like, ‘I’m through with it…’ Some dudes were just like, ‘Get me out of here, bro.'”

Hunter Dickinson was one of the team’s top performers. Even he struggled with the pressures of meeting expectations. Others were unable to handle the stress. That would seemingly play into the NCAA Tournament failures.

His comments fuel an ongoing debate surrounding college sports.

The introduction of NIL has opened players up to more criticism. Donors are putting their hard-earned money on the line. When success is not seen, they can feel personally scorned.

In the past, student-athletes were somewhat shielded from personal attacks. They were playing for the name on the jersey. Money has changed the game.

Hunter Dickinson was paid handsomely to play for Kansas. Despite his own success, he was on the receiving end of online hate due to the team’s shortcomings.

His career ended with an upset loss in the NCAA Tournament. He’s since moved past his time with the Jayhawks, landing a real job as a two-way NBA player.