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He became tough growing up in Dallas and playing basketball on the playgrounds. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. A great rebounder, a fantastic shot-blocker and a solid player, Thurmonds intensity isnt one to be looked past. 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. Unseld was never one to back down from anything, and he crafted his attack around the idea that he was fearless. Defensive Player of the Year. 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. He quickly earned a reputation for being the "protector" of young Bulls star Michael Jordan and was a ferocious rebounder and defender. Laimbeer also was durable. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. 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. Western Conference Finals MVP. 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. Unseld was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. He is an American basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2019. 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). Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, 1963 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 11-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1974 Finals MVP, eight-time NBA champion. Rating: 65. His Piston Automotive Group, a global auto parts supplier, does almost $2 billion in business annually and employs 8,300 people. 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. One little-known fact about Havlicek, an 11-time All-NBA pick and eight-time All-NBA Defensive pick, is that he was also drafted as a wide receiver by the Cleveland Browns and briefly contemplated a career in the NFL. 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. Old-school NBA fans might remember McDaniels signature move on opponents who tried him his gigantic hands around their throats. Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. Stats: 20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG in 15 seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (1983-84 to 1994-95) and Houston Rockets (1994-95 to 1997-98). Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). 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). Kyrie Irving believes adjusting his aggression level can help get Dallas back on track. He invented the famous and devastating skyhook shot. That Silas did it with aplomb and earned a reputation for never losing his cool speaks to more than just being tough. Where Love is toughest has been in his approach to the mental aspects of the game, where hes been open about his struggles with anxiety, rage and depression bringing widespread awareness to an issue that still is considered taboo in some corners. 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. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1967 NBA champion. Lanier, at 6-foot-11, was one of the best all-around big men in NBA history and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds for his career. Being tough on the basketball court isn't only a physical thing. He has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2014, four NBA scoring . Thats what the Magic man was all about. Thru 2030 Thru 2029 Thru 2028 Thru 2027 Thru 2026 Thru 2025 Thru 2024 Thru 2023 Thru 2022 Thru 2021 Thru 2020 Thru 2019 Thru 2018 Thru 2017 Thru 2016 Thru 2015 Thru 2014 Thru 2013 Thru 2012 Thru 2011 Over the course of one season, Haslem lost 50 pounds, returned home and aced his tryout with the Heat. 2002, 2009, 2010). Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 Rookie of the Year. Bottom line: At just 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history. Or the likes of Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter. Double check. Rodman was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. 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%. 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. An enforcer, McDaniel did well when it came to boosting the energy of whatever roster he was on. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 scoring champ. Western Conference Finals MVP. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. NBA Odds: Grizzlies vs. Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch - 3/3/2023. He always seemed to be giving it his all, and rarely did anyone see a smile creep across his face when he was in the midst of battle. 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. Bottom line: In 12 NBA seasons, Bobby Jones earned a reputation as one of the classiest players of all time. 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). Wallace was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 but somehow wasnt voted in, furthering the notion that the Basketball Hall of Fame is a joke and needs a complete overhaul if it wants to stay relevant. Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. Check. Accomplishments: Two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time rebounding champ, five-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. Most Improved Player. NBA Player Earnings Listing the top earnings for all active NBA players. 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. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1979-80 to 1991-92). 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. They didn't get that way because they could score or rebound. Bottom line: Owner of one of the NBAs all-time greatest nicknames, Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson was known for his instant offense off the bench former Boston Celtics guard Danny Ainge actually gave Johnson the nickname. Searches on headlines surrounding McDaniel joining the Suns, Knicks, Celtics and Nets all said the teams were "adding toughness.". Get used to that, because Adams could play for another 10 years. 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. Bottom line: Its safe to say that most point guards who make it from Brooklyn to the NBA are tough. 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). Jackson has bounced around the league throughout his career, but it hasnt been because of his intensity. And even 40 years after one of the most infamous incidents in pro sports, his name still invokes a certain feeling of uneasiness. 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%. A legitimate presence in the middle, Robinson embodied all of the characteristics that make up an ideal center. If you ever happened to catch a game that Skiles played in, you know thats spotting him at least 2-3 inches. Every referee that has ever been a part of one of Wallaces game would attest that he should be even higher. Bottom line: Kendrick Perkins was basketballs version of a hockey enforcer on some truly great teams the Celtics in the late 2000s that included an NBA title in 2008 and several almost-great Oklahoma City Thunder teams with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the early 2010s. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. 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%. Defensive Player of the Year. Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2018. 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. 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. 1 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1991 out of UNLV. The 11-time NBA All Star . Rookie of the Year. For the 1990s video-game kids, he also was one of three players on the original "NBA Jam" who could consistently rebound. Key stats: 971 G, 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 55.4 FG%. For the prime example of Jordans mentality, look to the 1997 NBA Finals Game 5 "The Flu Game." 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%. Bottom line: Wes Unseld was only 6-foot-7 but dominated on the boards like few players in NBA history, thanks to being 250 pounds. 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)*. "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer," Cosell told Reed. 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. His intensity was on obvious display every time he dribbled the ball up the floor and with every single move he made. 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. The most incredible rebounder weve ever seen for someone of his size, The Worm was never afraid to show his true colors. Teammate of the Year. Grandfather Hust Stockton won an NFL championship with the Frankfort Yellow Jackets in 1926. Washington wouldnt make this list if it werent for his infamous punch, but that intensity has resonated well into the future. Bottom line: Larry Fousts toughness came in the form of brute strength as a "clear out the block" post player. Stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG in 12 seasons with Boston Celtics (1957-58 to 1968-69). 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: 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). While Barkleys attitude and off-the-court antics had their detractors, one thing no one ever questioned was his toughness. Stats: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG in 14 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1989-90 to 2002-03). Louis Hawks (1954-55 to 1964-65). When I played, I liked to hurt people.". 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. Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). 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. 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. Maxwell was called a lot of different things during his career, but it was clear that his intensity was never to be questioned. 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: Nate Thurmond was as ferocious of a rebounder as anyone in NBA history, and just as good at blocking shots and defense. The mental aspect is just as important. 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. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, 1959 All-Star MVP. Kick a cameraman in the crotch? Although he never won an NBA title in 14 seasons. 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)*. Instead, he broke them. 6. His most iconic play was a baseline, left-handed dunk over Jordan and Horace Grant in the playoffs. Hes also the author of one of the single greatest moments in NBA history which revolved around his toughness. Marches to the beat of his own drum? 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%. He was capable of controlling the defensive rebound and dribbling the length of the court for a ferocious finish at the rim. If any other player had dressed up like grandmamma, they probably wouldnt have been able to live it down, but nobody dare challenged Johnson like that. Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1972-73 scoring and assists champ, 1981 All-Star MVP, 1981 NBA champion. Most Improved Player. Despite being too short and overweight most of the time (by NBA standards), Barkley dominated almost the entirety of his career and is the shortest player in history to lead the league in rebounds. 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. Scott Davis. Even in the 1970s, at 6-foot-9, Cowens was thought to be too small to play center in the NBA. With an undisputed World Champion record from 1985 to 1993, Garry Kasparov has also been the Classical . 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)*. Somehow, LeBron James is still No. 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. 1 overall pick coming out of Cincinnati, and he showed that with his abilities on the defensive end. Rollins thought he owned the lane, and anyone who came in, he treated as an intruder into his own home. 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. 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. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. He was unstoppable back when he played, and hed probably be unstoppable now if he was in his prime. Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG in 15 seasons with St. Louis Hawks (1960-61 to 1967-68), Seattle SuperSonics (1968-69 to 1971-72), Cleveland Cavaliers (1972-73 to 1973-74) and Portland Trail Blazers (1974-75). Which threw even more fuel on his fire.