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. 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: Whats most remarkable about Udonis Haslem has been his staying power. 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. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Mahorns toughness seemed to flow directly from his inability to jump very well and what he had to do to make up for that. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-77, 1981), Washington Bullets (1977-81), Key stats: 839 G, 18.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.4 FG%. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG in 10 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1970-71 to 1973-74), New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-75 to 1979-80) and Boston Celtics (1979-80). Top 20 Most Hated NBA Players of All Time - Info Copse Seriously, 11 championships in 13 seasons is arguably the most intense thing to ever be accomplished in league history. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which stands among the NBAs best career marks. Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG in 20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1996-97 to 2015-16). Roundfield toiled in relative anonymity for his entire career but still managed to make the All-NBA Defensive Team five times and made three consecutive All-Star teams, almost stealing MVP honors in 1980 with 18 points and 13 rebounds. There might not be anyone in NBA history with a sports background quite like Nash, which helps explain why he always seemed to have blood on his jersey. 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. Bottom line: Theres always going to be some dispute about what Charles Barkleys actual height and weight were during his playing days, but its safe to say it was an inch or two below the 6-foot-6 he was listed at. Hes also on track to break the NBA career minutes played record in that same span. 50 Greatest Players in NBA History | Basketball-Reference.com The 6'9" Johnson (making him the NBA's tallest point guard) not only posted the best assists-per-game mark in league history (11.2) but had a tremendous all-around game, as well. Player Index; Traditional Stats; All Time Summary; Clutch; . Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1974 Finals MVP, eight-time NBA champion. The Celtics won the title in seven games. He was dominant at both ends of the floor, and his mean mug was enough to scare the opposition before he entered the lane. Skiles also, famously, took a swing at Shaquille O'Neal in the locker room. 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. McDaniel combined toughness with intimidation to a maximum degree. Oakleys best seasons were with the Knicks, including two NBA All-Defensive Team selections and his lone All-Star appearance, in 1994. 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). Kevin Wayne Durant was born on 29 September 1988. Free trial Game Time: 10:0 Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. Teams: Chicago Bulls (1985-88, 2001-02), New York Knicks (1988-98), Toronto Raptors (1999-2001), Washington Wizards (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2004), Key stats: 1,282 G, 9.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 47.1 FG%. Russells mental toughness was on another level. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1967 NBA champion. Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996 out of high school. Bottom line: Kevin Garnett is the highest-paid player in NBA history, with $326 million in career earnings. 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. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1976-77 scoring champ. His heroic, limping walk out of the tunnel for warm-ups, followed by scoring the first two baskets of the game (his only points) sparked the Knicks to the win and NBA title. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, 1969 Finals MVP, 1972 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 scoring champ, 1971-72 assists champ, 1972 NBA champion. "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 . 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. Anyone who has never seen some of Birds closest encounters on the hardwood should hit the YouTube channel immediately. Bottom line: Zach Randolph is perhaps the most durable, underrated and, to be honest, the most intimidating player of his generation. Hes also one of just four players to win both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. To put it in perspective, Foust scored the winning basket for the Fort Wayne Pistons in the lowest-scoring NBA game of all-time, a 19-18 win over the Minneapolis Lakers, a year in which he averaged 13.5 points. Sixth Man of the Year. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. With the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary this season, USA TODAY assembled a panel of NBA experts to rank the greatest 75 NBA players of all time. 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. If you want to watch a highlight reel of how to haul in an offensive rebound, just look up Malones tape. Isaiah Rider Guard Isaiah Rider of the Portland Trailblazers stands on the court. His career has been yeoman-like, with six teams over 11 seasons, but hes been steady and his toughness is unmatched for some pretty incredible reasons. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, 12-time All-Defensive Team, 2003-04 MVP, 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year, 2003 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 2008 NBA champion. 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. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, 1963 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 11-time NBA champion. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. 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)*. You can make a solid argument that his injury in Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers he tore his PCL and MCL turned the tide for the Lakers in their Game 7 win with Perkins sitting out. 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 won the 2016-17 Most Improved Player award and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year award. Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 AST, 49.0 FG%, 42.8 FG3%, 90.4 FT% The . Bottom line: In 12 NBA seasons, Bobby Jones earned a reputation as one of the classiest players of all time. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). 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)*. Bottom line: Whats amazing about Rick Mahorns career is that, on paper, it appears to have been pretty average. He played on some great teams, but they were during the heyday of both the 76ers with Dr. J and the Celtics with Larry Bird running the Eastern Conference. From 1989 to 1998, he won five NBA titles with two different teams, the Pistons and Bulls, and averaged at least 15 rebounds per game for seven seasons in that stretch. Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-14), Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-present), Key stats: 713 G, 18.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 44.2 FG%. 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 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. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG in 14 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1960-61 to 1973-74). Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. Accomplishments: Eight-time NBA All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 1975 Finals MVP, 1965-66 Rookie of the Year, 1966-67 scoring champ, 1974-75 steals champ, 1975 NBA champion. Teams: Golden State Warriors (2012-present), Key stats: 576 games, 9.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 43.5 FG%. 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). Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. 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. 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. 11. Kyrie Irving Knows He Must 'Be More Aggressive' For Mavs 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. 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. Get used to that, because Adams could play for another 10 years. 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. With a psychotic work ethic and completely unafraid to call out anyone (including his teammates), it doesnt get more intense than Bryant among modern day players. 2002, 2009, 2010). Havlicek died in April 2019 at 79 years old. Stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG in nine seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (2012-13 to 2020-21)*. Western Conference Finals MVP. 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%. Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG in 17 seasons with Seattle SuperSonics (1990-91 to 2002-03), Milwaukee Bucks (2002-03), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), Boston Celtics (2004-05) and Miami Heat (2005-06 to 2006-07). 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. A lot of that comes from his upbringing. 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. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Are you kidding me? A great rebounder, a fantastic shot-blocker and a solid player, Thurmonds intensity isnt one to be looked past. Although his legacy is defined largely by the infamous malice at the palace, World Peaces placement on this list is about more than just that. Bottom line: For the entirety of his career, Scott Skiles was listed at 6-foot-1. 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. 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. He was unstoppable back when he played, and hed probably be unstoppable now if he was in his prime. Each of the last three seasons, NBA players voting in an anonymous poll have listed Adams as one of the three players they would least like to fight in the entire league. Somehow, LeBron James is still No. Teams: Chicago Bulls (1999-2002), Indiana Pacers (2002-06), Sacramento Kings (2006-08), Houston Rockets (2008-09), Los Angeles Lakers (2009-13, 2015-17), New York Knicks (2013-14), Key stats: 991 G, 13.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 41.4 FG%. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, 1971 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 assists champ. But that was nothing compared to how he treated opponents. A four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O'Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost two decades. Nets, down 28 to Celtics, pull off NBA's largest comeback of season The mental aspect is just as important. 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. 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. Accomplishments: 11-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980-81 MVP, two-time NBA All-Star MVP, 1983 NBA champion. NBA Insiders: Who Did Enough to Contend in Wild Western Conference Just because Paul is not as outspoken as some of the other counterparts on this list doesnt mean that he doesnt belong. 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. 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)*. Arguably the most physically dominant player to ever lace em up, ONeal will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Fame entrant. NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch Key stats: 963 G, 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 44.0 FG%, NBA titles: 11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969). He shaved his head and eyebrows because he knew what a disconcerting effect the look would have on opponents. An absolute mountain of a man, Eaton was a dominant shot blocker before the term was readily used to describe players. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. Although hes turned around his reputation and now does heralded work within the community, Washingtons intensity will never be forgotten. He was teased and bullied mercilessly as a child and through high school because he stuttered, and it got so bad he had to leave several schools. 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%. That makes the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 15-time All-NBA pick one of the toughest and most durable players of all time. How did he do it? Most Improved Player. 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. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. 49. 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%. Pettit only played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a first-team All-NBA pick 10 times. 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). Stemming from his incredible work ethic, which was started at a young age by his father, the dedication to the game of basketball paid off, as Pistol Pete averaged 44.2 ppg during his college career with LSU. Mark Jackson can make an argument for being one of the toughest. Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-81), Key stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%. Johnsons nickname "Gladiator" is one of the most appropriate in league history. Its also a clear indicator of where his toughness came from he trails only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in that category. The most intense players to ever play in the NBA brought a 110 percent effort on every single night. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 2008 Finals MVP, 2008 NBA champion. Three teams are well situated (Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings), and 1 overall pick coming out of Cincinnati, and he showed that with his abilities on the defensive end. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.1 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1965-66 to 1966-67; 1972-73 to 1977-78) and Houston Rockets (1978-79 to 1979-80); also played four ABA seasons with Oakland Oaks (1968-69), Washington Capitols (1969-70) and New York Nets (1970-71 to 1971-72). Parish might not get the love that he deserves for being intense, but theres no questioning his commitment. Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 14 seasons with Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-59 to 1971-72). 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. Defensive Player of the Year. James Worthy with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. 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%. Mourning doesnt get the love among the new generation of hoop-heads that he should, as some of his numbers are mind-boggling. 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. 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. I'll never understand the hate that Trae . Cowens was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Stats: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG in 14 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1989-90 to 2002-03). He will always be tougher than we give him credit for. Kick a cameraman in the crotch? Laimbeer is easily the most hated NBA player of all-time. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1988 Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Top 10 Coaches in NBA History | Basketball-Reference.com Bottom line: The mystery behind Chauncey Billups career lies within the mulitude of inexplicable trades that let him play on seven different teams over his 14-year career. An absolute force in the lane, he had very little trouble positioning himself to provide a competitive advantage. Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. 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). He had game-changing skills, and thats not something we talk about when discussing point guards very often. Being tough on the basketball court isn't only a physical thing. Johnson went to work as a forklift driver after he graduated, while he grew to 6-foot-3 over the next year, and was spotted during a pickup game by a junior college coach because of the intense way he played defense. 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.