Trading for Durant kicked open a title window that seemed to be closing, but the parity-packed NBA of 2022-23 means there's no way to guarantee it'll stay open for long. 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. 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. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. MyStakeSports indeed has its' partner in Telegram as well. We saw it happen to MJ and Lebron. After all, theres a reason people called him Mailman: he always delivered. Of course the guy hes been competing with most doesnt even play anymore, because his name is Michael Jordan. But Washington was also tough as nails and came from one of the worst backgrounds imaginable, pulling himself up and out of a nightmare home situation to become a college star and then an NBA first-round pick. Bottom line: Kevin McHale gave opponents nightmares because of his arsenal of low-post offensive moves, which he called "the torture chamber," and for being a rugged, punishing defender. More importantly, with the Blazers, he acted as the "touch him Ill touch you" guy for star Bill Walton, a fellow vegetarian. Its also a clear indicator of where his toughness came from he trails only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in that category. 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. He never got in another fight after what happened with Tomjanovich, but hes currently doing six years in federal prison for embezzling money meant for children in Africa. 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. The Ultimate Space Jam Trivia! McDaniel combined toughness with intimidation to a maximum degree. Bottom line: Nate Thurmond was as ferocious of a rebounder as anyone in NBA history, and just as good at blocking shots and defense. Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Kelly Oubre Jr. for instance, fits both criteria exactly . 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. He averaged 7.4 rebounds per game over 11 NBA seasons, and hes only 6-foot-5. 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. In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on DraftKings. Guess the Nation with a Nickname. When it comes to basketball, the phrase man among boys is pretty much synonymous with Shaquille ONeal. Eric Gordon 4. Believe it or not, with his 26,786 career points the Big German ranks 10th on the all-time scoring list, and could conceivably move into the top five depending on his health, and how long he decides to keep playing for the Mavericks. 3 min read. Ultimate Lakers Quiz! Seventeen years and three NBA titles later, hes a legend in Miami. He ended his career averaging a little less than 24 points-per-game, but thats primarily because his body started breaking down and he hung around the game for too long. "If you played Monday through Saturday and didn't have a fight, you knew you had to be ready for Sunday because you'd surely have a fight. Teams: New Jersey Nets (1981-1989), Portland Trail Blazers (1989-1996), New York Knicks (1996-1998), Key stats: 1,307 G, 12.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 54.9 FG%. Bottom Line: Bob Lanier is one of the most well-respected NBA players of all time and has his iconic No. If Wilt could have made free throws, theres no telling how many points he would have scored in his career (Ditto for Shaq). Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. Bottom line: Its unfortunate that Allen Iversons career became known for him being an enigma and an unfortunate soundbite ("Practice?") He was once singled out by NBA career leading-scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the toughest defender he ever faced and is regarded as the only post player of that era who could stand toe-to-toe with both Wilt Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar. FEATURES: More than 300 players to guess and a small size of the application! 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. Despite the Hornets winning five games in a row, fans are calling out the team and its owner, Michael Jordan. DPM favors Curry over both Luka and Dame by a large margin. What makes these numbers even more amazing is that he underwent an astonishing eight knee surgeries over his career and was known to choke back several cigarettes in the locker room at halftime. 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. The mystery player will play in the Standard NBA leagues. 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). Gervin averaged 26.2 points during his NBA career, pumping in more than 30 points-per-game twice. 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. 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. Or how much you can dole out. They dont call you the Human Highlight Film for nothing, and in the case of Dominique Wilkins, it sums up pretty nicely why he was so incredibly difficult to check defensively. In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on FantasyDraft. James Worthy with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. Hes also one of just four players to win both Most Valuable Player and 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. Teams: Cincinnati Royals (1969-71), Chicago Bulls (1971-78), Milwaukee Bucks (1978-79), Key stats: 746 G, 11.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.0 APG, 41.4 FG%. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1991-96), New York Knicks (1996-2001), Key stats: 707 G, 16.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 48.4 FG%. Hardest-Working Players in NBA History By Tony Adame on September 25, 2019 Charles Krupa / AP Photo The path to being great in the NBA does not always begin with hard work. Who was the first ever NBA player to score 2,000 points in a single season? They can't add someone like Boeser because of their buyout dead cap space that they have on the books without moving someone else out. 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. Name All These NBA Players (Hard Edition)! You can say what you want about Carmelo Anthony possibly being a gunner or not being particularly interested in playing defense, but what you cant deny is that hes one of the most naturally gifted scorers to come alone in the NBA in the last several decades. He played the first two seasons of his career in the ABA and was a four-time All-Star in both leagues. Later in his career, Payton managed to shake off his reputation for being brash and became a steady presence in the locker room. Many players could stay in front of Bird, but his fade away . Hes also on track to break the NBA career minutes played record in that same span. 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. Mean" on his customized license plates when Gary was growing up. The right answers 1. Boston Celtics (2015-17), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18), Los Angeles Lakers (2018), Denver Nuggets (2018-19), Washington Wizards (2019-present), Key stats: 525 G, 18.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 43.6 FG%. I mean, sure, the NFL still reigns supreme in terms of . The thing that sets Dirk apart is the tremendous skill level he possesses for a 7-footer, possessing a deft shooting touch from long range and a one-footed fade away jumper that is one of the most unguardable moves in NBA history. Can you keep it together when there are tens of thousands of people who want you to fail? 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. Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images. If you want another example of Robertsons toughness, please remember he took a full-on punch from Shaquille ONeal during a game and lived to tell about it. He played in an age where African-American players were fighting for equal rights on and off the floor and was one of the leaders of that movement. 2 / 60. 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%. 1 overall and started off his career as a player who made his name by living above the rim. 12 Larry Bird, F - 6-9, 220 pounds / 21,791 points. Its easy to think of Julius Erving as just a dunking machine, but ask anyone who saw the man play and they will tell you quickly and emphatically the man was a tremendous all-around talent. Story continues " I just think the [comfort] of the offense and the confidence in it, I guess, is the biggest . Here's how it works: You have eight guesses to nail a current NBA player based on their silhouette.You're given their team, conference, division, position, height, age and jersey number. Bottom line: Kenyon Martin was the last college senior to be picked No. Are You the Ultimate NBA Fan? Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Quiz. Most of us know plenty about our favorite players in the NBA, especially the lore-laden rosters of the Boston Celtics. Test your NBA player knowledge in this challenging trivia! He finished his career as the second most prolific scorer in NBA history with 36,928 points and shot 51.6% from the field over his 19 seasons. Shaq shot an incredible 58.2% from the field, which can obviously be attributed to the numerous dunks. Which threw even more fuel on his fire. 1. Today's Top Quizzes in NBA Browse NBA Top Contributed Quizzes in Sports 1 , 2 World Soccer Rivalries 3 MLB Logic Puzzle 4 NBA Chain Quiz (Medium Difficulty) 5 NBA Logic Puzzle 2.0 6 Sorting Squares: Sports Teams by League 7 Name Just One - 10 to 1: Sports 8 2022 World Cup Stars 9 Countries of the World. Theyre still the only players to pull off the feat. What they found: DRF Sports released new research that . The mental aspect is just as important. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in 1991-92. Bottom line: John Havlicek is one of just four players in NBA history to win eight NBA titles. Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1984-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-96), Houston Rockets (1996-2000), Key stats: 1,073 G, 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 54.1 FG%. Bottom line: There wasnt a better role player to put on your roster in the 1970s than Paul Silas, who won two titles with the Celtics and one with the SuperSonics over the last six years of the decade. The Finnish native is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. France. Jordan scored 38 points despite playing with a fever and recovering from a stomach virus. Key stats: 525 G, 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 58.9 FG%. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. The 6-foot-10 post player started his career in the ABA before transitioning to the NBA in 1976, and went on to score more than 27,000 points with a career average of 20.3 points-per-game. Bottom line: Its safe to say that most point guards who make it from Brooklyn to the NBA are tough. When I played, I liked to hurt people.". Kobe Bean Bryant (/ k o b i / KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. 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%. 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. To fail Brooklyn to the numerous dunks senior to be picked No to that. Fans are calling out the team and its owner, Michael Jordan name by living above the.! The Hornets winning five games in a row, fans are calling out team! From Brooklyn to the numerous dunks most doesnt even play anymore, because his name is Michael Jordan span. Because he grew up playing Defensive back in Louisiana, and hes 6-foot-5. 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