Some say Durant is the best scorer of all time as a 7-foot player who plays like a guard and can get his shot off anytime he wants. Cooper almost always drew the other teams toughest defensive assignment, and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird called him the "toughest defensive player who ever guarded me." Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1967-68 Rookie of the Year, 1973 NBA champion. Key stats: 755 G, 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 42.7 FG%, NBA titles: 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). Mournings play was the bottom line when it came to his toughness, but he also had a world-class scowl that went with it, and his glare became synonymous with the rough-and-tumble play of the 1990s. He continued to play, leading his team to the 2017 Eastern Conference finals before being sidelined with a debilitating hip injury. Hes also one of just five players, along with LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen and Giannis Antetoukompo, to lead an NBA team in all five top statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. His Pistons' teams of the late 1980s were made up of some of the toughest players in NBA history, and Mahorn was the undisputed "baddest" of the "Bad Boys.". He shaved his head and eyebrows because he knew what a disconcerting effect the look would have on opponents. In Moncriefs 10 seasons with the Bucks, his teams lost in the conference finals or conference semifinals eight times. Thats because Johnson, a second-degree black belt in karate, has been a professional MMA fighter and kickboxer since he was 18 years old and has a 7-0 record in MMA matches and 20-0 record in kickboxing. When he played, there werent a lot of players who wanted to challenge him, because it was a battle that they were likely to lose. Teams: Washington Bullets/Wizards (1996-99), Orlando Magic (1999-2000), Detroit Pistons (2000-06, 2009-12), Chicago Bulls (2006-08), Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-09), Key stats: 1,088 G, 5.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 47.4 FG%. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.2 APG in 14 seasons with Seattle SuperSonics (2007-08), Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2015-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-17 to 2018-19) and Brooklyn Nets (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. Kobe Bryant Net Worth - $350 million The late Kobe Bryant is the only deceased player to make this list. How Haslem ended up with the Heat in the first place speaks to his toughness. There was no player like him during the era in which he played, and there isnt likely to be another one with his championship success. Teams: Cincinnati Royals (1969-71), Chicago Bulls (1971-78), Milwaukee Bucks (1978-79), Key stats: 746 G, 11.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.0 APG, 41.4 FG%. Thats what the Magic man was all about. The stories of Z-Bos toughness are legendary in NBA circles and the fact that he played at least 70 games in 12 of 18 seasons cannot be overlooked. And he only played one season, his rookie year, with the Baltimore Bullets. If you want to watch a highlight reel of how to haul in an offensive rebound, just look up Malones tape. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1976-77 scoring champ. I've got great results with it. Sixth Man of the Year. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1974 Finals MVP, eight-time NBA champion. The five-time NBA Most Valuable Player needed to define toughness to succeed in his era, with his direct counterpart none other than Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player besides Russell to grab 50 rebounds in a single game. English's nightly offensive assaults made him an exciting player to watch. Over two decades after his retirement, Abdul-Jabbars 1,797 career games (including the playoffs) is more than anyone in NBA history. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, nine-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, 1993 All-Star MVP. He never backed down from anyone regardless of the situation, and his dunk over both Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen will be one of the most iconic of all time. A legitimate presence in the middle, Robinson embodied all of the characteristics that make up an ideal center. Bogdanovic is another player who is playing better as of late and gets overlooked in NBA DFS. There was never a call that went unquestioned with Wallace, and he had no trouble illustrating exactly how he felt about everything. He won the 2016-17 Most Improved Player award and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year award. They didnt get that way because they could score or rebound. Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. Pete Maravich The 1982 NBA Rookie of the Year earned a reputation for toughness and rebounding on the way to three All-Star game selections and four NBA All-Defensive Team nods. With one of the more incredible crossovers Ive ever seen at his peak, it was tough to stop him even when everybody knew he was getting the rock. One of the tough guys in league history, McDaniel certainly never backed down from any challenge anyone was willing to present. There might just be a surprise in one of the top spots. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, 1966-67 Rookie of the Year, 1976 All-Star MVP, 1967-68 scoring champ. Johnson, a two-time All-Star, signed the richest contract in NBA history in 1993 when the Hornets got him for 12 years and $84 million. Bottom line: In 12 NBA seasons, Bobby Jones earned a reputation as one of the classiest players of all time. Accomplishments: Nine-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA scoring champ. His aggressiveness was something that he asserted as a strength, and theres no questioning the obvious impact it had in his success. Newspaper headline writers in the 1990s. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. He brought immediate toughness and stability to the roster. Bottom line: Kevin Garnett is the highest-paid player in NBA history, with $326 million in career earnings. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). He had the ability to circumvent any defensive scheme put on him (outside of Hack a Shaq), and that speaks to how impossible it was to stop him out there. Teams: Detroit Pistons (1962-1968), New York Knicks (1968-1974), Key stats: 875 G, 16.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 43.2 FG%. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. Wallace was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 but somehow wasnt voted in, furthering the notion that the Basketball Hall of Fame is a joke and needs a complete overhaul if it wants to stay relevant. Chamberlain didnt just find success when he played; he enjoyed sheer and utter dominance. The most intense players to ever play in the NBA brought a 110 percent effort on every single night. Accomplishments: 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 12-time All-Defensive team, 2007-08 MVP, two-time Finals MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, five-time NBA champion. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. Most Improved Player. Stats: 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG in 11 seasons with Milwaukee/St. Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 14 seasons with Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-59 to 1971-72). Thru 2030 Thru 2029 Thru 2028 Thru 2027 Thru 2026 Thru 2025 Thru 2024 Thru 2023 Thru 2022 Thru 2021 Thru 2020 Thru 2019 Thru 2018 Thru 2017 Thru 2016 Thru 2015 Thru 2014 Thru 2013 Thru 2012 Thru 2011 But Washington was also tough as nails and came from one of the worst backgrounds imaginable, pulling himself up and out of a nightmare home situation to become a college star and then an NBA first-round pick. Mourning doesnt get the love among the new generation of hoop-heads that he should, as some of his numbers are mind-boggling. LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. He had a very riled up rivalry against Bill Laimbeer, and neither sought to back down from the other, which only heightened the distaste between them. Malone's 36,928 points are No. Skiles languished on the bench, somewhat unfairly, for his first three seasons before going to the expansion Orlando Magic, where he set the NBA record with 30 assists in one game and was named NBA Most Improved Player in 1991. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1985-86 Rookie of the Year. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG in 15 seasons with Chicago Bulls (1984-85 to 1992-93; 1994-95 to 1997-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-02 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in points per game. The Admiral led the ships path for San Antonio by example, and he lived by the idea of no easy buckets for the opponent. He did all of this by just not being good, but by playing with a unique brand of intensity and skill a combination that was light years ahead of where the NBA was at when he broke in as a 19-year-old in 1995. He also always stayed in Detroits lineup because of his versatility, as he could sub easily for starting point guard Isiah Thomas or shooting guard Joe Dumars. Listed at 6'6" and 250 lbs, but in truth closer to 6'4", Barkley is the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding, averaging 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986-87 season. There was a reason he was the No. Bottom line: When you make it into a Beastie Boys song "I got my hair cut correct like Anthony Mason" its safe to say youve made it into some sort of rare air of sports celebrity. Teammate of the Year. Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 AST, 49.0 FG%, 42.8 FG3%, 90.4 FT% The . It was the third anniversary team in the league. Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG in 14 seasons with Boston Celtics (1950-51 to 1962-63) and Cincinnati Royals (1969-70). Let us know more about the 5 most aggressive chess players of all time- Garry Kasparov; Garry Kasparov, currently the chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, is a Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer and much more. Post-career, Johnson has been an even bigger success. A four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O'Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost two decades. Even in the 1970s, at 6-foot-9, Cowens was thought to be too small to play center in the NBA. Rodman always was willing to do that little extra to get a rebound or make a defensive play, which usually meant sacrificing his body by diving for a loose ball. On the flip side of that, fans across the country got a chance to see what made Jackson such a special player as he took starring turns for the Clippers and Pacers over the next decade. Bottom line: Most of Americas introduction to Gary Payton came via one of the most iconic Sports Illustrated covers of all time, when he was a senior at Oregon State University in 1990. When I played, I liked to hurt people.". Most Improved Player. Isaiah Rider Guard Isaiah Rider of the Portland Trailblazers stands on the court. Rating: 65. It certainly doesnt hurt that he thought he was from the planet Lovetron, because he didnt express any love to the opposition when he played. And thats fair, because he almost killed Houstons Rudy Tomjanovich with one punch during a game in December 1977. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG in 18 seasons with Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-04 to 2009-10; 2014-15 to 2017-18), Miami Heat (2010-11 to 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19 to 2020-21)*. Teams: Denver Nuggets (1974-78), Philadelphia 76ers (1978-86), Key stats: 941 G, 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 56.0 FG%. Laimbeer was seen as a leader for the bad boy Pistons, so its not a surprise to see his name on this list. Sixth Man of the Year. In the NBA, some of the greatest players of all time have also been some of the toughest as well as some of the most beloved. This season, he's averaging 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 26.5 DraftKings points per game. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, 1963 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 11-time NBA champion. Key stats: 525 G, 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 58.9 FG%. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG in 15 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1982-83 to 1993-94), LA Clippers (1993-94), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97) and Orlando Magic (1998-99). 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? NBA Odds: Grizzlies vs. Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch - 3/3/2023. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG in 18 seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (1996-97 to 2002-03), Seattle SuperSonics (2002-03 to 2006-07), Boston Celtics (2007-08 to 2011-12) and Miami Heat (2012-13 to 2013-14); NBA's all-time leader in career 3-point field goals.
Jenn Schanz Biography,
What Is Alex Jones Wearing On The One Show Tonight,
Supreme Court Justices 2022 Political Party,
My Lottery Dream Home 2022,
Articles M