Beverley was a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team pick two times in his first six seasons and has become a staple of highlight-reel clips for his ability to get under the skin of opponents none more so than 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook. !Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsportsguy5/TikTok: https:/. Adams found a home on a basketball court, where he developed his game based on physicality and tenacity and quickly established himself as one of the toughest players in the NBA. Show answer. MyStake Mini Games Quiz. Cowens won two NBA titles with the Celtics and was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player in 1973. 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: 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. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound Robertson was simply too strong and athletic for any other guards of his era to handle, which is a big part of the reason he finished his career in 11th place on the NBA scoring list with 26,710 points. Hes also the author of one of the single greatest moments in NBA history which revolved around his toughness. Its hard to argue against listing the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, who possessed the single most unstoppable shot anyones ever seen in the sport of basketball, topping this list. Guess the most average players - The average NBA height is 6'6" and the average age is 26 years old. While Barkleys attitude and off-the-court antics had their detractors, one thing no one ever questioned was his toughness. Over the last 25 years, the next closest per game scoring average was Kobe Bryant's 35.4 points per game in 2005 - 06. Bottom line: Possibly the greatest enforcer in NBA history, Charles Oakley was a first-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1985 out of NCAA Division II Virginia Union. 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. Bottom line: At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Joe Dumars was built more like the NFL safeties of his era than a shooting guard. Joe Dumars. In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on FantasyDraft. Over the course of one season, Haslem lost 50 pounds, returned home and aced his tryout with the Heat. Thankfully, we know what Billups was capable of when a team was truly put in his hands thanks to his stint with the Detroit Pistons, when he led the team to the 2004 NBA title and was named Finals Most Valuable Player in a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers one of the greatest upsets of all time. 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. Hes also one of just four players to win both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. "Just like that. 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. 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. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar poured in more than 38,000 points in his 20 year career, dipping below 1,000 points in a season only once, and averaging 24.6 points-per-game for his career while shooting a sizzling 55.9% from the field. 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%. HARDEST GUESS THE NBA PLAYER BY PHOTO Quiz - By Abishakes_08 Popular Quizzes Today 1 Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield 2 Sort the Flags II 3 Find the 'Story' Movie 4 Countries of the World Sports NBA QUIZ LAB SUBMISSION Random Sports or NBA Quiz HARDEST GUESS THE NBA PLAYER BY PHOTO Can you name the HARDEST GUESS THE NBA PLAYER BY PHOTO? Name All These NBA Players (Hard Edition)! Its not just defined by how much punishment you can sustain. 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. Bottom line: There arent a lot of NBA players that come out of Wyoming, but James Johnson is one of them. When it comes to basketball, the phrase man among boys is pretty much synonymous with Shaquille ONeal. At 5 foot 3, Muggsy Bogues is the shorted player in the history of the National Basketball Association. Wilt Chamberlain was about as dominant a physical specimen as the NBA has ever seen, having been a track and field star despite his seven foot frame. What you see every night is a group of big, freakishly athletic men running up and down the court scoring in ways James Naismith never would have dreamed possible. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah projects the No. He did all of this by just not being good, but by playing with a unique brand of intensity and skill a combination that was light years ahead of where the NBA was at when he broke in as a 19-year-old in 1995. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. 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. Its almost unfair that a player could come along with Durants combination of size, measuring in at 6-foot-9, and shooting range. But at the end of the day, thats precisely why he was such an unguardable force no one could stop him from physically dominating them and getting those dunks anytime he wanted. 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. He also was durable, ranking in the Top 25 in games played. 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. Along with Detroits Joe Dumars, NBA legend Michael Jordan said Moncrief was one of the two toughest defensive players he ever faced. Bottom line: At just 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history. Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-93, 1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03), Key stats: 1,072 G, 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 49.7 FG%, NBA titles: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998). 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. Bottom line: Norm Van Lier had one of the more modest, accomplished careers in NBA history in almost total anonymity. People these days tend to remember him more for his battle with HIV and his work as an analyst, but the fact of the matter is he was an absolute basketball anomaly: a 6-foot-8 point guard whose unselfishness is pretty much the sole reason he didnt become a 30 points-per-game scorer. Havlicek died in April 2019 at 79 years old. 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. 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%. The best way to sum up Allen Iverson is to describe him as a little man with a very big game. After an excellent debut in last season's playoffs, Edwards . 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. 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. Thurmond set the NBA record with 18 rebounds in one quarter, was the first NBA player to record a quadruple-double but only played in the NBA Finals once, losing to Chamberlain and the 76ers in 1967. Jones can place his name among the most admired NBA players of al -time for his class and demeanor, and he was finally elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. The 6-foot-6 product of UMass spent the first five years of his career in the ABA before becoming arguably the most legendary player in Philadelphia 76ers franchise history, pouring in more than 18,000 points in 11 NBA seasons and over 30,000 points when you include his five seasons in the ABA. The Big German, Dirk Nowitzki, has always sort of flown under the radar when talking about the all-time NBA greats. Which NBA player holds the record for the most consecutive games played? He made second-team the other season. Bottom line: When you go down the list of the greatest enforcers in NBA history, make sure you put some respect on Maurice Lucas name. 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%. 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. Roundfield died tragically in Aruba in 2012 while swimming with his wife. Kobe has always been a divisive player, but its hard to argue against the incredible scoring prowess of a guy who once pumped in 35.4 points-per-game in the modern era of professional basketball. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. You can instantly get the latest updates about various . 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. He quickly earned a reputation for being the "protector" of young Bulls star Michael Jordan and was a ferocious rebounder and defender. Top 20 Hardest Players to Guard in NBA History, 10 Feel-Good WCW Stories That Made Fans Emotional, 5 Best WWE Tag Team Champions Of The Golden Era (& 5 Worst). Kelly Oubre Jr. for instance, fits both criteria exactly . 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. Key stats: 857 G, 7.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 48.9 FG%. As, there are many NBA teams like Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, LA Clippers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks , and Houston Rockets. Theres a mental aspect to being tough thats just as important. Bottom line: Kenyon Martin was the last college senior to be picked No. Careers in NBA history and Defensive Player of the Most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history in total! 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