2002, 2009, 2010). Arguably the most physically dominant player to ever lace em up, ONeal will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Fame entrant. instead of being the 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and an 11-time All-Star. With the season underway, we adjusted our preseason rankings of the best players in league right now. Consider also that James has played in three Summer Olympics, two FIBA World Championships and, in 17 years of professional basketball, has never had a major injury. How tough is Adams? 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. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG in 13 seasons with New York Knicks (1967-68 to 1976-77) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-78 to 1979-80). Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1976-77 scoring champ. Washington wouldnt make this list if it werent for his infamous punch, but that intensity has resonated well into the future. 1 overall pick coming out of Cincinnati, and he showed that with his abilities on the defensive end. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1993-94 MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Finals MVP, two-time rebounding champ, three-time blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. Bottom line: There arent a lot of NBA players that come out of Wyoming, but James Johnson is one of them. Teams: Fort Wayne Pistons (1950-57), Minneapolis Lakers (1957-60), St. Louis Hawks (1960-62), Key stats: 817 G, 13.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 40.5 FG%. 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). Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 2006 Finals MVP, 2010 All-Star MVP, 2008-09 scoring champ, three-time NBA champion. The most intense players to ever play in the NBA brought a 110 percent effort on every single night. English's nightly offensive assaults made him an exciting player to watch. 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). Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. For someone who made a career for himself as a player who was feared on the court, hes pretty much done the opposite as an executive. 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. 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. Key stats: 1,504 G, 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 51.5 FG%. 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. Bottom line: When it comes to Bill Laimbeer, the argument is always going to come down to whether he was a tough player or just dirty. 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. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in 1991-92. 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. The infamous finger wag. Stats: 23.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.3 APG in nine seasons with New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2012-13 to 2018-19) and Los Angeles Lakers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. 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. 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. Jackson has bounced around the league throughout his career, but it hasnt been because of his intensity. Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG in 18 seasons with Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 1997-98; 2004-05 to 2011-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2003-04) and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13 to 2013-14). Bottom line: Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011, but no matter what his name was during his 18-year pro career, opponents were in for a dogfight when he stepped on a court. He also was unselfish as a mentor and widely credited as having been the man who taught Dennis Rodman the ins and outs of the NBA game and helped make him good enough that the Pistons left Mahorn unprotected in the 1989 expansion draft. Louis Hawks (1954-55 to 1964-65). Teams: Chicago Bulls (2009-11), Toronto Raptors (2011-12, 2014-16), Sacramento Kings (2012-13), Memphis Grizzlies (2013-14), Miami Heat (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-present), Key stats: 634 G, 8.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 47.7 FG%. Mahorn certainly wasnt afraid to body up; that is what earned him his nickname. The most important thing to remember about Dumars as far as gauging his toughness is that Michael Jordan called him the best defender he ever faced and the "Jordan Rules" established by Pistons coach Chuck Daly in the 1990s centered around Dumars unique defensive ability. 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). The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Apart from handing out aggressive fouls, Bill Lambier was also at the center of most flagrant splays at the time. He also was routinely voted among the NBAs dirtiest players during his career. Stats: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG in 17 season with Chicago Bulls (1987-88 to 1997-98; 2003-04), Houston Rockets (1998-99) and Portland Trail Blazers (1999-00 to 2002-03). 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. 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. 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.". Olajuwon didnt take anything from anybody when it came to where he felt his proper position in the lane was. 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. The toughness wasnt just an act. 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. Bottom line: If you want to know about toughness and making something out of nothing, just look at what John Starks went through just to make it to the NBA. 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). 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 mental aspect is just as important. 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. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which stands among the NBAs best career marks. Anyone who has watched him play has taken note of his pre-game ritual of talking to the basket while simultaneously pouring sweat off of him like hes already played a full 48. Bogdanovic is another player who is playing better as of late and gets overlooked in NBA DFS. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 scoring champ. Stats: 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG in 16 seasons with Miami Heat (2003-04 to 2015-16; 2017-18 to 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18). Bottom line: Larry Fousts toughness came in the form of brute strength as a "clear out the block" post player. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive Team, 2013 All-Star MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals champ, four-time assists champ. Teams: Boston Celtics (2003-11), Oklahoma City Thunder (2011-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2015, 2018), New Orleans Pelicans (2015-16). Famously, he played center in place of the injured Abdul-Jabbar in the title-clinching game six of the 1980 NBA finals as a 20-year-old rookie. Teammate 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. Teams: Boston Celtics (1970-80), Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83), Key stats: 766 G, 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 46.0 FG%. 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. Teams: Detroit Pistons (1986-93), San Antonio Spurs (1993-95), Chicago Bulls (1995-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1999), Dallas Mavericks (2000), Key stats: 911 G, 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 52.1 FG%, NBA titles: 5 (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998). Its ironic that Dumars, who has the NBA Sportsmanship Award named after him, was such a key part of Detroits "Bad Boys" teams that won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Teams: New Jersey Nets (2000-04), Denver Nuggets (2004-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2012), New York Knicks (2013-14), Milwaukee Bucks (2015), Key stats: 757 G, 12.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 48.3 FG%. Bottom line: Zach Randolph is perhaps the most durable, underrated and, to be honest, the most intimidating player of his generation. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. The most incredible rebounder weve ever seen for someone of his size, The Worm was never afraid to show his true colors. 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. He had a presence on defense that he rarely gets credit for, but its worth noting because its just not something that all players can achieve. He made one of the most dynamic combinations in the game alongside his towering teammate, Shaquille O'Neal. Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard are deserving, but what separates them from Nikola Joki (an MVP winner), Paul George, Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler? 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. 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. There was a time during Wallaces career when he was the most feared defender in the NBA. Mainly because he wasnt a bully. 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%. 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. If you want to watch a highlight reel of how to haul in an offensive rebound, just look up Malones tape. NBA legend Michael Jordan. Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1973-77), Boston Celtics (1977-78), San Diego Clippers (1978-79), Portland Trail Blazers (1979-82), Golden State Warriors (1987), Key stats: 507 G, 9.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 52.6 FG%. Key stats: 525 G, 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 58.9 FG%. Stats: 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG in 11 seasons with Boston Celtics (1970-71 to 1979-80) and Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). Stats: 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG in 19 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1997-98 to 2015-16). NBA Odds: Grizzlies vs. Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch - 3/3/2023. 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). 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). 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)*. Bottom line: Its safe to say that most point guards who make it from Brooklyn to the NBA are tough. 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. Despite going undrafted, Wallace won an NBA-record four Defensive Player of the Year awards (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and helped lead the Pistons to the 2004 NBA title and back into the finals in 2005. RANKED: The 14 best players in the NBA right now. When I played, I liked to hurt people.". Teammate of the Year. Teams: Houston Rockets (2013-17), Los Angeles Clippers (2017-present), Key stats: 397 G, 9.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 41.0 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 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. You dont find many players who didnt average double figures in scoring or rebounding for their career that can say they were a two-time All-Star and five-time pick for the All-NBA Defensive Team. Most Valuable Player. Want to learn how to continue to get better every season while simultaneously carrying the load? He brought an intensity to the court that is highly unlikely to ever be harnessed within another player ever again. Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest player that the NBA has seen and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Stats: 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 13 seasons with Baltimore/Capitol/Washington Bullets. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1995-96 Defensive Player of the Year, 1995-96 steals champ, 2006 NBA champion. "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer," Cosell told Reed. Paytons reputation was made by his skill as much as by his fearlessness, talking trash and backing it up to everyone. Hes got the alpha male mentality and continues to improve his attack, and the idea that people still undervalue him is scary. Bottom line: One of 18 children, Steven Adams had a rough childhood in New Zealand after his father died in 2006, but basketball took him off the streets of his hometown and put him in a gym. Over and over, we saw the 6-foot, 165-pound guard take it to opponents who towered over him, and the sight of Iverson dunking over NBA power forwards was unlike almost anything wed ever seen. Bottom line: Kevin Garnett is the highest-paid player in NBA history, with $326 million in career earnings. Sixth Man of the Year. 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). Stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG in 14 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1986-87 to 1992-93), San Antonio Spurs (1993-94 to 1994-95), Chicago Bulls (1995-96 to 1997-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1998-99) and Dallas Mavericks (1999-2000). 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. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, 1963 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 11-time NBA champion. Searches on headlines surrounding McDaniel joining the Suns, Knicks, Celtics and Nets all said the teams were "adding toughness.".

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