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. Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 Rookie of the Year. Bottom line: Anyone who saw Dave Cowens play back in the day can tell you this was a guy who played with reckless abandon to the point of putting himself in danger. Johnsons nickname "Gladiator" is one of the most appropriate in league history. 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. 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. His Piston Automotive Group, a global auto parts supplier, does almost $2 billion in business annually and employs 8,300 people. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. One of the tough guys in league history, McDaniel certainly never backed down from any challenge anyone was willing to present. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He made the All-NBA Defensive Team nine times, including eight first-team picks, and was known as a player who would never resort to "dirty" tactics. 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). Later in his career, this was a definite disadvantage. Answer (1 of 21): Scrolling through the answers I see different takes on what the word means. Hes also the only undrafted player in NBA history to be voted a starter for the All-Star game. The 6-foot-1 guard played his last college season for Arkansas in 2007-08, then bounced around foreign pro leagues until 2013, when he made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets. Stats: 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG in 19 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1997-98 to 2015-16). 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. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. He also was routinely voted among the NBAs dirtiest players during his career. | Getty Images The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which stands among the NBAs best career marks. Rookie of the Year. He was intense when it came to his ability to dominate in the low post, and thats something that few big men have been able to properly emulate since he retired. He has the most regular-season. Key stats: 1,270 G, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 43.9 FG%, NBA titles: 8 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976). Abdul-Jabbars skyhook just wasnt fair, as it remains one of the most unguardable moves in all of basketball history. 1, but some big men are climbing the . Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG in 14 seasons with Cincinnati Royals (1960-61 to 1969-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (1970-71 to 1973-74). A legitimate presence in the middle, Robinson embodied all of the characteristics that make up an ideal center. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Western Conference Finals MVP. Stats: 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG in 21 seasons with Golden State Warriors (1976-77 to 1979-80), Boston Celtics (1980-81 to 1993-94), Charlotte Hornets (1994-95 to 1995-96) and Chicago Bulls (1996-97). Stats: 26.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1976-77 to 1984-85) and Chicago Bulls (1985-86); also played four ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1972-73 to 1973-74) and San Antonio Spurs (1973-74 to 1975-76). Bottom line: NBA connoisseurs can appreciate what Michael Cooper brought to the Los Angeles Lakers' "Showtime" dynasty of the 1980s. His obvious passion for the game was clear, and he went hard no matter what the scoreboard read. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, 2016-17 Most Improved Player, 2021 Finals MVP, 2021 NBA champion. The Admiral led the ships path for San Antonio by example, and he lived by the idea of no easy buckets for the opponent. Teams: Golden State Warriors (1988-89, 1999-2000), New York Knicks (1990-98), Chicago Bulls (2000), Utah Jazz (2000-02), Key stats: 866 G, 12.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 41.2 FG%. 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). Will the Warriors be able to reboot and make another run at a title? Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. These guys are big, strong, athletic - they look a lot different than Trae Young. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. 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. 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%. If you want to watch a highlight reel of how to haul in an offensive rebound, just look up Malones tape. Johnson won three NBA titles in his career, which is almost entirely associated with his time with the Boston Celtics, but that was his third team after he was run off in Seattle and Phoenix because of clashes with coaches. Stats: 18.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.4 APG in 16 seasons with New Orleans Hornets (2005-06 to 2010-11), LA Clippers (2011-12 to 2016-17), Houston Rockets (2017-18 to 2018-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20) and Phoenix Suns (2020-21)*. Stats: 17.0 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 3.3 APG in 11 seasons with Cincinnati Royals (1963-64 to 1969-70), San Francisco Warriors (1969-70 to 1970-71) and New York Knicks (1971-72 to 1973-74). Sixth Man of the Year. How tough is Adams? NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Bottom line: Kevin Love might not be the first player that comes to mind when we talk about the toughest in NBA history, but he most certainly is. His size, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, was more NFL defensive end than power forward but also may have been the cause of back problems that ended his career. Bottom line: John Havlicek is one of just four players in NBA history to win eight NBA titles. 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. Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (1980-82), Detroit Pistons (1982-93), Key stats: 1,068 G, 12.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 49.8 FG%. Along with Detroits Joe Dumars, NBA legend Michael Jordan said Moncrief was one of the two toughest defensive players he ever faced. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, eight-time assists champ, 1956-57 MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, six-time NBA champion. Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1976-80), Phoenix Suns (198-83), Boston Celtics (1983-90), Key stats: 1,100 G, 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 44.5 FG%. He never made it past the second round of the playoffs but was an eight-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection and three-time All-Star. Teammate of the Year. 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. He played at least 80 of 82 regular-season games seven times, and only missed a handful of games in three other seasons. Nobody wanted to challenge him in the lane, and its hard to blame the opposition considering the volume at which he swatted shots away from the rim. He is an American basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2019. Teams: Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Key stats: 1,217 G, 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 49.0 FG%. Bottom line: Norm Van Lier had one of the more modest, accomplished careers in NBA history in almost total anonymity. 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%. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Bottom line: Xavier McDaniel set a baseline for what it meant to be tough when he was still playing for Wichita State University and became the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in points and rebounds in 1984-85. Bottom line: There is one statistic that underlines Alvin Robertsons toughness better than all others he is still the NBAs career leader with 2.7 steals per game. But that was nothing compared to how he treated opponents. McHale is another player who had no fear in tossing around his elbows, and he had no trouble sending a message to anyone going up against him when he deemed it necessary. 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. Cowens was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Sixth Man of the Year. Bottom line: Sidney Moncrief was the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1986, then won it again in 1987. Bottom line: Its safe to say that most point guards who make it from Brooklyn to the NBA are tough. Stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG in seven seasons with Minneapolis Lakers (1948-49 to 1955-56). For the prime example of Jordans mentality, look to the 1997 NBA Finals Game 5 "The Flu Game." Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. That Silas did it with aplomb and earned a reputation for never losing his cool speaks to more than just being tough. Pete Maravich Garnett has had a reputation of trash talking since he came into the league, and that is something that has followed him to this day. Its not often a point guard is as feisty as Thomas showed throughout his career. Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996 out of high school. Teams: Indiana Pacers (1975-78), Atlanta Hawks (1978-84), Detroit Pistons (1984-85), Washington Bullets (1985-87), Key stats: 813 G, 14.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 48.2 FG%. 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%.
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