But as his skills declined, he extended his career by turning into a tough-minded enforcer for the teams he played on. In an alternate universe, Van Lier wouldve been able to pursue his first love of playing quarterback for a big-time college football program, but all of the schools that recruited him wanted him to play defensive back, a throwback to a racist, ignorant era. Whats interesting about World Peaces career is that if hed have been born 10 years earlier, he likely would have been a player with comparable success to Dennis Rodman because his physical, tough style of play was more akin to past generations. Pete Maravich was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He's made five All-NBA teams, four All-Defensive teams and an All-Rookie team. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA titles and six NBA Most Valuable Player awards and is in the conversation when it comes to the greatest basketball players of all time, which probably automatically puts him in the conversation for toughest players ever, as well. 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. 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. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 scoring champ. 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." 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. "This is the most passive aggressive relationship I've ever seen in my life," former NFL player Bart Scott said Wednesday on ESPN's "First Take," referring to both Rodgers and Packers management . NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Kobe Bryant Net Worth - $350 million The late Kobe Bryant is the only deceased player to make this list. Chiu/AP Images. One of the most prolific forwards to ever play, Barkley stuck to his beliefs when it came to what he believed to be rightfully his on the hardwood. 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. Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG in 13 seasons with Cincinnati Royals/KC-Omaha/Kansas City Kings (1970-71 to 1975-76), New York Nets (1976-77), Boston Celtics (1978-79 to 1982-83) and Milwaukee Bucks (1983-84). Defensive Player of the Year. After his career nearly ended with a one-year suspension for his role in "The Malice at the Palace," he redeemed himself and won an NBA title with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in 2010. 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%. Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 13 seasons with Baltimore Bullets (1967-68 to 1971-72) and New York Knicks (1971-72 to 1979-80). Bottom line: At one point in NBA history, no player was tougher or more intimidating than Larry Johnson, the No. His fight with future TNT co-host Shaquille ONeal during their playing days will be watched by generations of basketball fans to come. Bottom line: Whats amazing about Rick Mahorns career is that, on paper, it appears to have been pretty average. Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the Heat in the 2010s. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, 1971 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 assists champ. Bottom line: Buck Williams was the definition of an NBA player bringing his lunch pail to work. Trash talking, stealing the rock, facilitating the flow of the offense, it was all just part of Paytons routine on a game-by-game basis. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, 1972 Finals MVP, 1959-60 Rookie of the Year, 11-time rebounding champ, seven-time scoring champ, 1967-68 assists champ, two-time NBA champion. Bottom line: NBA fans who got to know Dennis Rodman in the 1980s, when he first joined the league, were able to appreciate his innate toughness before his life off the court overshadowed his game. Stats: 16.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.9 APG in 12 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1962-63 to 1968-69) and New York Knicks (1968-69 to 1973-74). Bottom line: Willis Reed isnt just one of the toughest players in NBA history. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, four-time NBA champion. 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. Stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG in 10 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (2011-12 to 2017-18), Toronto Raptors (2018-19) and LA Clippers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. The all time official leaders for the NBA. Teams: San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-74), Chicago Bulls (1974-76), Cleveland Cavaliers (1976-77), Key stats: 964 G, 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 42.1 FG%. His most iconic play was a baseline, left-handed dunk over Jordan and Horace Grant in the playoffs. The 2020-21 NBA season is about halfway through. There are just not players like Sprewell who come along everyday, and his stint with the Knicks came with the vow that he was a changed man. Jordan, coming off a gold medal performance at the 1984 Olympics, prospered in the pro game with a fabulous first season, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Sixth Man of the Year. Moncrief had a hard-luck career with the Milwaukee Bucks as far as making it to the NBA Finals. Teams: New Jersey Nets (1989-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-96), Charlotte Hornets (1996-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Milwaukee Bucks (2001-03), Key stats: 882 G, 10.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 50.9 FG%. 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%. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work as a pioneer for civil rights. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1968-69 MVP, 1968-69 Rookie of the Year, 1978 Finals MVP, 1974-75 rebounding champ, 1978 NBA champion. A great rebounder, a fantastic shot-blocker and a solid player, Thurmonds intensity isnt one to be looked past. The two were unexpectedly caught in rough waters, and he was swept away by the current after getting her to safety. Whether a mean stare, a suffocating style of play or a general ability to send electricity. Over the course of one season, Haslem lost 50 pounds, returned home and aced his tryout with the Heat. Perkins wasnt just hired muscle, though. Whether it was his clampdown defense, a proclivity to rise to the occasion or just the words that come out of his mouth, World Peaces intensity is one thing people will never question about him. Havlicek died in April 2019 at 79 years old. 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. Stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG in seven seasons with Minneapolis Lakers (1948-49 to 1955-56). Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009), Key stats: 914 G, 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 47.5 FG%. Whether a mean stare, a suffocating style of play or a general ability to send electricity into the building, there is no questioning what these currently bring or have brought to the table. Some might think hes a little delusional at times, but theres no questioning Martins passion for the game. Bottom line: LeBron James could be in the Top 30 NBA career games played at the end of the 2019-20 season and likely will break Robert Parrishs career record of 1,611 games if he plays four more seasons, which hes openly said he wants to do. Post-career, Johnson has been an even bigger success. Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. Accomplishments: 12-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time NBA All-Defensive team, three-time NBA MVP, 1983 Finals MVP, six-time NBA rebounding champ, 1983 NBA champion. 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. RANKED: The 14 best players in the NBA right now. Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present), Key stats: 1,217 G, 27.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.3 APG, 50.4 FG%. Myself, I liked to get my fight over on Monday or Tuesday and not worry about it the rest of the week.". In the 1970s, it was Bob Dandridge, who scored more points in the NBA Finals in that decade than any NBA player while winning a title in 1971 alongside Oscar Robertson and Abdul-Jabbar on the Bucks, then alongside Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld on the Bullets in 1978. 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. Key stats: 792 G, 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 43.6 FG%. "I am mean," said Payton's father, who died in 2015. "You'd have a fight a week," Johnson told Sports Illustrated in 1992. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1968-69 scoring champ, two-time rebounding champ, 1978 NBA champion. The complete list of players is in alphabetical order below. How Haslem ended up with the Heat in the first place speaks to his toughness. Western Conference Finals MVP. Some players have a signature that highlights exactly why they're on this list, while others bring a quiet approach to their complete and total dominance. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? 1, but some big men are climbing the . Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, five-time MVP, six-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, 1984-85 Rookie of the Year, 10-time scoring champ, three-time steals champ, six-time NBA champion. Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1986-87), Indiana Pacers (1987-89), Orlando Magic (1989-94), Washington Bullets (1994-95), Philadelphia 76ers (1995-96), Key stats: 600 G, 11.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 43.5 FG%. Its kind of incredible to think of now, but McHale didnt even become a full-time starter until five years into his career, winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year twice in that stretch. Stats: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG in 21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2018-19). Stats: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1956-57 to 1968-69). J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Arguably the most physically dominant player to ever lace em up, ONeal will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Fame entrant. Randolph toiled away for a lot of his career in obscurity. He brought an intensity to the court that is highly unlikely to ever be harnessed within another player ever again. Double check. Kevin Wayne Durant was born on 29 September 1988. Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG in 19 NBA seasons with Buffalo Braves (1976-77), Houston Rockets (1976-77 to 1981-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-83 to 1985-86; 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-87 to 1987-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-89 to 1990-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-92 to 1992-93) and San Antonio Spurs (1994-95); also played two ABA seasons with Utah Stars (1974-75) and Spirits of St. Louis (1975-76). Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, four-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, five-time NBA champion. Searches on headlines surrounding McDaniel joining the Suns, Knicks, Celtics and Nets all said the teams were "adding toughness.". Most Valuable Player. Hes also one of just four players to win both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. 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. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. And he only played one season, his rookie year, with the Baltimore Bullets. Teammate of the Year. Anyone who watched the Knicks with Oakley saw the team take on a swagger that clubs rarely do anymore. Stats: 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 13 seasons with Baltimore/Capitol/Washington Bullets. Paytons reputation was made by his skill as much as by his fearlessness, talking trash and backing it up to everyone. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He may have often looked out of place when he played, but thats because he was far ahead of his time. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1972-73 MVP, 1973 All-Star MVP, 1970-71 Rookie of the Year, two-time NBA champion. Grandfather Hust Stockton won an NFL championship with the Frankfort Yellow Jackets in 1926. Havlicek simply wore opponents out with his conditioning, and if you want to teach a young player how to move without the ball in their hands, all you need is to cue up old Havlicek highlights on YouTube. Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1985-90), Phoenix Suns (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-92), Boston Celtics (1992-95), New Jersey Nets (1996-98), Key stats: 870 G, 15.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 48.5 FG%. 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. 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%. He ruined his own best chance at playoff success when he punched Oklahoma Citys Steven Adams in the jaw in Game 6 of a 2014 NBA playoff series and was suspended for Game 7, which the Grizzlies lost. He was truly one of a kind when it came to his on-court performance. Bottom line: Say what you will about Draymond Green, if his career ended tomorrow, you would have to put him in the discussion as the best defensive player of his era. Key stats: 1,346 G, 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 44.7 FG%, NBA titles: 5 (2000, 2001. | Getty Images But no one who ever watched the man play would classify it as such. Bottom line: There arent a lot of NBA players that come out of Wyoming, but James Johnson is one of them. The Admiral led the ships path for San Antonio by example, and he lived by the idea of no easy buckets for the opponent. Games. Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1967-68 Rookie of the Year, 1973 NBA champion. Johnson was 6-foot-2 and built more like an NFL defensive back than an NBA guard, but even on the Bad Boys, he was intimidating. Teams: Detroit Pistons (1970-1980), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-1984), Key stats: 959 G, 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 51.4 FG%. Its also a clear indicator of where his toughness came from he trails only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in that category. Why is Oakley so beloved? Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1999-2000 MVP, 1992-93 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time scoring champ, four-time NBA champion. Kyrie Irving believes adjusting his aggression level can help get Dallas back on track. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1985-86 scoring champ. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1974-75 MVP, 1972-73 Rookie of the Year, three-time scoring champ, two-time NBA champion. Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest player that the NBA has seen and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Kick a cameraman in the crotch? Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-81), Key stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1950-51 Rookie of the Year, 1952 All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1956 NBA champion. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. 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. Perhaps thats why he was such a valuable commodity. 2022 NBA Playoffs, 2021 NBA Playoffs, 2020 NBA Playoffs, 2019 NBA Playoffs, 2018 NBA Playoffs, 2017 NBA Playoffs, Playoffs Series History. Bottom line: Steve Nash seemed like he was made of pure scrap iron for most of his NBA career, bouncing around the court and off of other players like he was inside of a pinball machine. Perhaps one of the most searched for athletes on YouTube thanks in large part due to the fights he found himself in, Johnson didnt do anything to eschew his reputation of being a tough guy around the league. Starks may have been a little short on height, but he was never short on heart. Oakley squared up with a whos who of NBA tough guys and had an epic series of throwdowns with Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. Mazzulla, in addition to saying his team "let its foot off the gas," also pointed out how the Nets dominated every statistical category -- from taking and making more 3s and free throws to getting . He was unstoppable back when he played, and hed probably be unstoppable now if he was in his prime. Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG in 19 seasons with Utah Jazz (1985-86 to 2002-03) and Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04). Or the likes of Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, two-time NBA champion. Unseld, known for bone-rattling picks, played for a decade before helping lead the Bullets to the NBA title in 1978, when he was named Finals MVP. Accomplishments: 17-time All-Star, 17-time All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, 2007-08 scoring champ, 2019-20 assists champ, four-time NBA champion. Teams: New York Knicks (1987-92, 2001-02), Los Angeles Clippers (1992-94), Indiana Pacers (1994-96, 1997-2000), Denver Nuggets (1996-97), Toronto Raptors (2000-01), Utah Jazz (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2003-04), Key stats: 1,296 G, 9.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 8.0 APG, 44.7 FG%. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 15-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, 2000 All-Star MVP, 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA champion. 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. Bottom line: Norm Van Lier had one of the more modest, accomplished careers in NBA history in almost total anonymity. "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. Despite being an effective defensive player, Bill was also an efficient Outside scoring Centre. "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer," Cosell told Reed. Most Improved Player. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. Bottom line: Michael Jordans toughness was the stuff of legend, and the five-time NBA Most Valuable Player was legendarily hard on teammates. In high school, he awoke at 4:30 a.m. to do farm chores and walk two miles to school, where he had basketball practice at 7 a.m. Unseld wasted little time putting the league on notice, and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to win Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. When Sprewell choked out former head coach P.J. Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1972-73 scoring and assists champ, 1981 All-Star MVP, 1981 NBA champion. The most incredible rebounder weve ever seen for someone of his size, The Worm was never afraid to show his true colors. 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. One of the most well-rounded offensive guards ever. The NBA is celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout the 2021-22 season, and part of that celebration includes the unveiling of the list of the greatest players in NBA history. Jordan played in an NBA era where you had to essentially fight your way out of games, with every opponent he faced trying to physically break him. Will the Warriors be able to reboot and make another run at a title? Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG in 16 season with San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-69 to 1971-72; 1981-82 to 1983-84) and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-73 to 1980-81) . The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which stands among the NBAs best career marks. NBA75: Meet the best players in league history, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. Stats: 22.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.3 APG in 10 NBA seasons with Philadelphia Warriors (1950-51 to 1961-62). He wouldnt let anybody take him out of his style of game, and if any opposition tried, he made sure to send his message loudly and clearly. 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. While Barkleys attitude and off-the-court antics had their detractors, one thing no one ever questioned was his toughness. Laimbeer also was durable. Stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG in 12 seasons with Boston Celtics (1957-58 to 1968-69). Stats: 20.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.0 APG in nine seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1965-66 to 1971-72; 1974-75 to 1975-76); also played two ABA seasons with Carolina Cougars (1972-73 to 1973-74). Bottom line: Its unfortunate that Allen Iversons career became known for him being an enigma and an unfortunate soundbite ("Practice?") 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. James Worthy with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. Oakleys best seasons were with the Knicks, including two NBA All-Defensive Team selections and his lone All-Star appearance, in 1994. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1992-95), Miami Heat (1995-2002, 2005-08), New Jersey Nets (2003-04), Key stats: 838 G, 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 52.7 FG%. Starks worked his way up from 10-day contracts with the Warriors to the CBA to finally landing a shot with the Knicks in 1990, where he spent almost a decade as a key foil to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.5 APG in 11 seasons with Golden State Warriors (2009-10 to 2020-21)*. Martins innate toughness came from a pretty awful place. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, 1959 All-Star MVP. By playing ferocious defense, first of all, and also by having what could only be described as a throwback attitude to decades past when it comes to the competition. These guys are big, strong, athletic - they look a lot different than Trae Young. Its a shame that the Knicks decided to trade Jackson to the Clippers in 1992 and split up what was just becoming a playoff contender with a nucleus of Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Jackson. He has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2014, four NBA scoring . Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. Player Index; Traditional Stats; All Time Summary; Clutch; . Accomplishments: 12-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time NBA All-Defensive team, three-time NBA MVP, 1983 Finals MVP, six-time NBA rebounding champ, 1983 NBA champion. Dumars showed no fear when it came to his play on the defensive end, and he wasnt afraid to go hard against anyone who he was lined up against on any given night. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. In an interesting, amazing aside, Debusschere pitched two seasons for the Chicago White Sox in 1962 and 1963 before deciding to turn his focus to his basketball career after the Detroit Pistons agreed to make him the youngest player-coach in NBA history at just 24 years old. 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. 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. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in 1991-92. Jones toughness meant playing through a variety of debilitating health problems, including asthma, a chronic heart condition and epileptic seizures that once caused a serious injury when he fell in his kitchen. Can you keep it together when there are tens of thousands of people who want you to fail? I've got great results with it. Stats: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG in 14 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1989-90 to 2002-03). 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. 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. Teams: St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks (1964-69), Phoenix Suns (1969-72), Boston Celtics (1972-76), Denver Nuggets (1976-77), Seattle Supersonics (1977-80), Key stats: 1,254 G, 9.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 43.2 FG%. Foust, an eight-time All-Star, died in 1984 of a heart attack at 59 years old. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Robertson was found not guilty of human trafficking in 2015, five years after he was arrested and after authorities discovered the accuser made up the whole story. He asserted himself no matter what the situation, and his leadership on the court was integral in Houston winning back-to-back titles. Bottom line: John Havlicek is one of just four players in NBA history to win eight NBA titles. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1963-64 MVP, 1960-61 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, six-time assists champ, 1971 NBA champion.
Pond Overflow Pipe Design,
Orthopedics Westminster,
Michael Jarvis Obituary,
Articles M
