Bottom Line: Dennis Johnson was only 5-foot-9 when he graduated from Dominguez Hills High School in Compton, California, where he said he only played "one or two minutes," each game. His father, Stan, was an NBA player, and he had his son study tapes of Hall of Famer Wes Unseld as part of learning to play the game the right way. Seventeen years and three NBA titles later, hes a legend in Miami. Still one of the most underrated centers of all time despite his production, Ewing is one of the best to ever play the position. Teams: Golden State Warriors (2012-present), Key stats: 576 games, 9.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 43.5 FG%. Key stats: 857 G, 7.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 48.9 FG%. He will always be tougher than we give him credit for. The nine-time All-Star and 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year credited learning the game on the streets of Oakland for creating his toughness. Whether a mean stare, a suffocating style of play or a general ability to send electricity. Resume: 15 years; 4 All-Stars; 2X NBA Champion; Career stats: 12.9 PPG 9.7 RPG 0.9 BPG. Luka Doncic, James Harden, Jimmy Butler to name a few. Bottom line: Theres a long lineage of forwards rounding out championship trios in the NBA based on their ability to blend with generational talent and still cut their own swath. 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. Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1972-73 scoring and assists champ, 1981 All-Star MVP, 1981 NBA champion. Bottom line: There wasnt a better role player to put on your roster in the 1970s than Paul Silas, who won two titles with the Celtics and one with the SuperSonics over the last six years of the decade. The NBA's 75th anniversary team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives. The NBA standings in the Western Conference are extremely tight. Johnson died of a massive heart attack in 2007 at the age of 52 and was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. NBA Odds: Grizzlies vs. Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch - 3/3/2023. Martins innate toughness came from a pretty awful place. Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG in 19 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1994-95 to 1996-97; 2007-08 to 2011-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 2000-01), New Jersey Nets (2001-02 to 2007-08) and New York Knicks (2012-13). Searches on headlines surrounding McDaniel joining the Suns, Knicks, Celtics and Nets all said the teams were "adding toughness.". Home; . Newspaper headline writers in the 1990s. NBA 75 team: Biggest snubs, surprises, and best players - Sports Bottom line: Kenyon Martin was the last college senior to be picked No. 16 retired by both of the teams he played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. A ridiculous shot-blocker in his own right, Rollins really knew how to bring it when his opposition tried to challenge him. Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). A lot of that comes from his upbringing. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. "If you played Monday through Saturday and didn't have a fight, you knew you had to be ready for Sunday because you'd surely have a fight. 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. The most intense players to ever play in the NBA brought a 110 percent effort on every single night. Its not just defined by how much punishment you can sustain. Hes also the author of one of the single greatest moments in NBA history which revolved around his toughness. 2022 NBA Playoffs, 2021 NBA Playoffs, 2020 NBA Playoffs, 2019 NBA Playoffs, 2018 NBA Playoffs, 2017 NBA Playoffs, Playoffs Series History. As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th anniversary team includes 76 players. Stats: 25.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 6.5 APG in 12 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-10 to 2011-12), Houston Rockets (2012-13 to 2020-21) and Brooklyn Nets (2020-21)*. Hes also one of just four players to win both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Western Conference Finals MVP. 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. Jordan scored 38 points despite playing with a fever and recovering from a stomach virus. Maxwell was called a lot of different things during his career, but it was clear that his intensity was never to be questioned. 6. Whats unique about his career was that style of play, at that time, was ahead of its time feed the ball to one player and let the game hinge on that. Key stats: 792 G, 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 43.6 FG%. PER since 1951-52 Rate statistic requirements NBA/ABA Share & Export Modify, Export & Share Table Get Link to Table About Sharing Tools Video: SR Sharing Tools & How-to He was at his best on the Nuggets when he partnered with a young Carmelo Anthony, whom he also played with on the Knicks. Jordan Poole scored a game-high 34 points, 22 coming in the third quarter, the most points scored in that quarter in his career (prev. There was a time during Wallaces career when he was the most feared defender in the NBA. In his first 13 seasons, he missed just four games and only missed 22 in his career, with 17 of those coming at the start of the 1997-98 season as he recovered from an injured MCL. Stats: 23.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.8 APG in 18 seasons with Denver Nuggets (2003-04 to 2010-11), New York Knicks (2010-11 to 2016-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He never, ever thought a call that went against him was the right one, and he sought to rise to the occasion whenever his number was called. Bottom line: Buck Williams was the definition of an NBA player bringing his lunch pail to work. There was never a call that went unquestioned with Wallace, and he had no trouble illustrating exactly how he felt about everything. Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). You never wanted to challenge Mount Mutombo. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. Mahorn certainly wasnt afraid to body up; that is what earned him his nickname. One of the tough guys in league history, McDaniel certainly never backed down from any challenge anyone was willing to present. Legends profile: Michael Jordan | NBA.com The 2022 All-Star Game is once again slated to return to Cleveland as a nod to that moment. Not only was he one of the greatest players in the history of the game, but his obvious passion for basketball was very obviously on display at all times. The Mailman threw elbows like it was his job, and frankly, sometimes thats exactly how he sent a message to the opponent. Famed broadcaster Howard Cosell summed up Americas feelings toward Reed in the winning locker room after the game. Bottom line: Aside from putting together one of the greatest careers in NBA history, Kobe Bryant also had perhaps the most legendary pain tolerance in the history of the game. Teams: Boston Celtics (1997-98), Toronto Raptors (1998-99), Denver Nuggets (1999-2000, 2008-11), Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-02), Detroit Pistons (2002-08, 2013-14), New York Knicks (2011), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-13), Key stats: 1,043 G, 15.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 41.5 FG%. The iconic image of teammate Scottie Pippen helping him off the floor is burned into the memories of basketball fans the world over. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG in 14 seasons with Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-60 to 1964-65), Philadelphia 76ers (1964-65 to 1967-68) and Los Angeles Lakers (1968-69 to 1972-73). Bottom line: Kevin McHale gave opponents nightmares because of his arsenal of low-post offensive moves, which he called "the torture chamber," and for being a rugged, punishing defender. Which threw even more fuel on his fire. Grandfather Hust Stockton won an NFL championship with the Frankfort Yellow Jackets in 1926. 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). And even 40 years after one of the most infamous incidents in pro sports, his name still invokes a certain feeling of uneasiness. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1991-96), New York Knicks (1996-2001), Key stats: 707 G, 16.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 48.4 FG%. His father died when he was 4 years old, and he was the youngest of 10 children raised by a single mother in rural Illinois. If you want a firsthand look at what that meant, feel free to cue up his 2015 documentary, "Muse," which chronicles his comeback from tearing his Achilles tendon. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016. Barkley was never shy about getting into a scrappy brawl if it was warranted, but he was far more than just an agitator. 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. English's nightly offensive assaults made him an exciting player to watch. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in 17 seasons with New York Knicks (1985-86 to 1999-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02). Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, seven-time All-Defensive team, 1975 All-Star MVP, two-time NBA champion. Navigation Toggle NBA. His most iconic play was a baseline, left-handed dunk over Jordan and Horace Grant in the playoffs. Teams: San Antonio Spurs (1984-1989), Milwaukee Bucks (1989-1993), Detroit Pistons (1993), Toronto Raptors (1995-1996), Key stats: 779 G, 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 42.7 FG%. Mason was known for the wild designs he would have shaved into his head, sure, but he was more known for a bruising, physical style of play that used every square inch of his 6-foot-7, 250-pound frame. Top 20 Most Hated NBA Players of All Time - Info Copse Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 2008 Finals MVP, 2008 NBA champion. The toughness wasnt just an act. 49. Scott Davis. Throughout his NBA career, Bill Lambier drilled over 200 Three-pointers. Green is one of the more outspoken players in the game today, and its tough to see his legacy as not having his Game 6 suspension from the 2016 NBA Finals front and center alongside his titles. It has been 25 years since the league unveiled its list of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, which tipped off a season-long celebration of the NBA's 50th anniversary in 1996. Double check. How do you function when everyone is against you? Just because Paul is not as outspoken as some of the other counterparts on this list doesnt mean that he doesnt belong. 50 Most Intense NBA Players of All Time - Bleacher Report James Worthy with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. Bottom line: Michael Jordans toughness was the stuff of legend, and the five-time NBA Most Valuable Player was legendarily hard on teammates. McHale was always thought of as a uniquely gifted offensive player, but his reputation as being tough or intimidating was centered around just one famous play. Thankfully, we know what Billups was capable of when a team was truly put in his hands thanks to his stint with the Detroit Pistons, when he led the team to the 2004 NBA title and was named Finals Most Valuable Player in a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers one of the greatest upsets of all time. Accomplishments: 19-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 11-time All-Defensive Team, six-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 1969-70 Rookie of the Year, two-time scoring champ, four-time blocks champ, 1975-76 rebounding champ, six-time NBA champion. Starks may have been a little short on height, but he was never short on heart. Western Conference Finals MVP. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, two-time All-Star MVP. If you want to watch a highlight reel of how to haul in an offensive rebound, just look up Malones tape. Get used to that, because Adams could play for another 10 years. Rodman was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Pete Maravich NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Stats: 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG in 14 seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-64 to 1973-74), Chicago Bulls (1974-75 to 1975-76) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1975-76 to 1976-77). 13 Kevin Durant Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, 11 All-Stars NBA rank: 26th. The 20 Greatest NBA Players of All Time The Sporting Blog Its not often a point guard is as feisty as Thomas showed throughout his career. Answer (1 of 21): Scrolling through the answers I see different takes on what the word means. Who is the most aggressive basketball player in the history of - Quora He played the first two seasons of his career in the ABA and was a four-time All-Star in both leagues. Stats: 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG in 12 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1982-83 to 1993-94). Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-93, 1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03), Key stats: 1,072 G, 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 49.7 FG%, NBA titles: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998). After being banished to the bench and playing just 24 games in his first two seasons, Mason proved to be incredibly durable. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 16 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1984-85 to 1991-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-93 to 1995-96) and Houston Rockets (1996-97 to 1999-00). Van Lier died unexpectedly in 2009 at 61 years old, the same day as former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr. But as his skills declined, he extended his career by turning into a tough-minded enforcer for the teams he played on.