In Moncriefs 10 seasons with the Bucks, his teams lost in the conference finals or conference semifinals eight times. The iconic image of teammate Scottie Pippen helping him off the floor is burned into the memories of basketball fans the world over. He averaged 7.4 rebounds per game over 11 NBA seasons, and hes only 6-foot-5. Thats not to say that other players didnt also possess those qualities, just that virtually no one possessed them in addition to having the skill set of a perimeter player. You can also point directly to Bryants introduction to the league, when he got the sort of welcome outside of Los Angeles that you might expect for a 13th-century leper, as other teams' stars tried to "put him in his place.". The physically dominant power forward was one of the biggest, strongest, and most intimidating figures to ever play the game at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, and his superior fitness and athleticism allowed him to run past defenders and finish with authority. Later in his career, this was a definite disadvantage. Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2018. The NBA had little luck doing anything close to that over the next 20 years. The 6-foot-1 guard played his last college season for Arkansas in 2007-08, then bounced around foreign pro leagues until 2013, when he made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets. Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard became the second player to reach the 70-point mark this season, torching the Rockets for 71 points on Sunday, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.Playing for the first time since the All-Star break, Lillard made 13 three-pointers on the night, one short of the NBA record, and reached 41 points by halftime. Countries of the World. 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%. Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key. Hell, even Shaq who didnt win many was a victim of it. He also always stayed in Detroits lineup because of his versatility, as he could sub easily for starting point guard Isiah Thomas or shooting guard Joe Dumars. 10) In 2007, which kicker broke the record for the most field goals in a single game, with 8? Ok it Get ya. How do you function when everyone is against you? We saw it happen to MJ and Lebron. Only NBA All-stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and Chris Paul are among the top 10 hardest working player, according to the research. The Penguins acquired a third-rounder in the Blueger deal and upped their available salary cap space to $6.3 million. Pettit also was the first NBA Most Valuable Player in 1958 and is tied with Kobe Bryant for most NBA All-Star MVP awards with four. 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%. World Cup 2022 Quiz. As, there are many NBA teams like Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, LA Clippers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks , and Houston Rockets. "That's your goodbye right there," DeMelo says. MyStakeSports in Telegram. Are you a real NBA fan? Stockton, the NBA career leader in assists and steals, was as durable as any player in NBA history. However, he played equally hard (I mean, recreationally, not on the court). That was just the break he needed. Nicknamed the Chairman of the Boards, people these days seem to forget about Moses Malone when referring to the top centers in NBA history. 2002, 2009, 2010). Or how much you can dole out. Cowens won two NBA titles with the Celtics and was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player in 1973. One stat stands out more than any other. 1, overall in his latest . The Finnish native is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. Van Lier died unexpectedly in 2009 at 61 years old, the same day as former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr. Lets quickly point out that what gets lost in all of this debate is how talented he was a four-time All-Star who averaged almost 10 rebounds per game for his career and led the NBA in rebounding in 1986. 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%. 2. Of course the guy hes been competing with most doesnt even play anymore, because his name is Michael Jordan. Check back soon for Daily Lineup. He shaved his head and eyebrows because he knew what a disconcerting effect the look would have on opponents. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. The NBA is gaining more backlash as star players continue to sit out games, and basketball legend Magic Johnson agrees with the . Dr. J averaged 22 points-per-game and 6.7 rebounds per game in the NBA, and 28.7 points and 12.1 boards against ABA competition, with a career shooting percentage of 51% and some of the most spectacular highlights of anyone in hoops history. Teams: Golden State Warriors (2012-present), Key stats: 576 games, 9.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 43.5 FG%. If the US could boil down to one thing, it would definitely be basketball, and what's a better representation of this glorious sport than the famous (and, paradoxically, infamous) NBA? 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. Steph Curry Reggie Miller Ray Allen Larry Bird What is a territorial draft pick? Bottom line: Theres a long lineage of forwards rounding out championship trios in the NBA based on their ability to blend with generational talent and still cut their own swath. Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. 16 retired by both of the teams he played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Bottom line: Its not a coincidence that NCAA Division II Virginia Union put two players on this list because one of them, Charles Oakley, recommended the other one, Ben Wallace, to the school after seeing him at a basketball camp. 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). At 5 foot 3, Muggsy Bogues is the shorted player in the history of the National Basketball Association. Dirk Nowitski has long been one of the league's toughest players to match up against, but it has become time for him to pass the torch to Kevin Durant, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili can still break down defenders with the dribble, but their explosiveness no longer rivals Chris Paul's and their strength doesn't measure up to that of James Harden. Hes already a five-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection (in just eight seasons), NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and has won three NBA titles. Can you name them all?. Shoot for our NBA Quiz. 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. He made second-team the other season. 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 Silas did it with aplomb and earned a reputation for never losing his cool speaks to more than just being tough. "I enjoy . After being banished to the bench and playing just 24 games in his first two seasons, Mason proved to be incredibly durable. Bottom line: At just 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history. Hes also the author of one of the single greatest moments in NBA history which revolved around his toughness. Jordan scored 38 points despite playing with a fever and recovering from a stomach virus. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and scorers of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All . EPM has Luka and Dame tied a little ahead of Curry. Mourning, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, averaged 2.8 blocks per game over a 16-year career and was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Robertsons specialty was defense, making the All-NBA Defensive Team six times in his career and was NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1986. Bottom line: Bob Pettit was one of the most prolific scorers and rebounders in NBA history, and if you did a double take at his career rebounding average, thats understandable. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in 1991-92. 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. Say what you will about the perceived lack of killer instinct in LeBron James, the simple fact is hes one of the most physically gifted scorers the game of basketball has ever seen. 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. Teams: New York Knicks (1987-92, 2001-02), Los Angeles Clippers (1992-94), Indiana Pacers (1994-96, 1997-2000), Denver Nuggets (1996-97), Toronto Raptors (2000-01), Utah Jazz (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2003-04), Key stats: 1,296 G, 9.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 8.0 APG, 44.7 FG%. Teams: San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-74), Chicago Bulls (1974-76), Cleveland Cavaliers (1976-77), Key stats: 964 G, 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 42.1 FG%. At age 32, he's the oldest player in NBA history with a 70-point game, and the only player age 30 or older to accomplish the feat, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89), Key stats: 1,560 G, 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 55.9 FG%, NBA titles: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). 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. Sloans toughness came from his hardscrabble background. Bottom line: There arent a lot of NBA players that come out of Wyoming, but James Johnson is one of them. The Celtics won the title in seven games. Who Is The HARDEST NBA Player To Guard? Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the Bulls in the 1990s. Toughness ran in Stocktons family. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. When it comes to Pete Maravich, people tend to remember his untimely death and the fact that he averaged 44 points-per-game in college, and they just kind of gloss over the fact that he had a heck of an NBA career as well, averaging 24.2 points to go along with 5.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds in his career. Old-school NBA fans might remember McDaniels signature move on opponents who tried him his gigantic hands around their throats. After he went undrafted in 2002 following a standout career at the University of Florida, Haslem found his only pro opportunity was playing in France, and he showed up weighing almost 300 pounds. Cooper made the All-NBA Defensive Team eight times and was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. Cooper won five NBA titles with the Lakers and was just as good as a coach, winning back-to-back WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. If Iverson had been 6-foot-5, we may have been talking about him as arguably the toughest scorer the game has ever seen. Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Bottom Line: Bob Lanier is one of the most well-respected NBA players of all time and has his iconic No. A big part of that came from Paytons father, Al, who famously had "Mr. 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). 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%. Kevin Love. Four times during his career, the Answer averaged more than 30 points-per-game, all despite being beaten and rarely getting the benefit of calls from officials who didnt treat him much like a star due to his attitude. 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%. Granlund, 31, is not a large forward. He played the first two seasons of his career in the ABA and was a four-time All-Star in both leagues. 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. He never played less than 79 games in his first 13 NBA seasons before abruptly retiring early in the 1993-94 season after a fight with teammate Isiah Thomas. Magic averaged just 19.5 points-per-game for his career, but added an astonishing 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds. He did all of this scoring before the three point line as well, and with the almost unlimited range on his jumper, its not hard to imagine his scoring average jumping up by two or three points-per-game if he played in a more modern era. 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. 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. Then you have our " Hardest NBA Logo Quiz". The toughest NBA players are known for a lot of things, such as not missing games, playing a lot of hard-nosed minutes, physicality, strength, mental resilience, never taking a play off, bending but never breaking, defending well, sticking up for teammates, and much more. The best way to sum up Allen Iverson is to describe him as a little man with a very big game. After his career nearly ended with a one-year suspension for his role in "The Malice at the Palace," he redeemed himself and won an NBA title with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in 2010. Officially listed at 6-feet and 160 pounds, both of those were probably a stretch for the diminutive combination guard who nevertheless used his incredible speed and quickness to get wherever he wanted on the floor and score more than 24,000 career points. 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). Despite never shooting even 50% from the floor in his career, he was able to use his physical talents to pour in just under 27,000 points in his career. 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. How tough is Adams? Will I Make The Basketball Team Quiz. But no one who ever watched the man play would classify it as such. Because 16.2 rebounds per game is just insane. He would go out and play golf, not just for a quick 9 holes, but for 18, and sometimes, 36 holes. Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present), Key stats: 1,217 G, 27.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.3 APG, 50.4 FG%. Bottom line: Kevin Garnett is the highest-paid player in NBA history, with $326 million in career earnings. 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. Each. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016. A lot of people will be quick to credit much of Karl Malones success to his running mate John Stockton and the way they perfected the pick and roll, but you cant deny the pure consistency that the Mailman showed throughout the course of his career. However, the Hornets are currently on a five-game winning streak, defeating the Detroit Pistons in their last matchup. Please stop with the "Well he deserves another MVP." We've seen plenty of players not win an MVP solely because of voter fatigue. Over two decades after his retirement, Abdul-Jabbars 1,797 career games (including the playoffs) is more than anyone in NBA history. 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. 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. 1. Bottom line: Steve Nash seemed like he was made of pure scrap iron for most of his NBA career, bouncing around the court and off of other players like he was inside of a pinball machine. How did he do it? 1 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1991 out of UNLV. Oakleys best seasons were with the Knicks, including two NBA All-Defensive Team selections and his lone All-Star appearance, in 1994. Mahorns toughness seemed to flow directly from his inability to jump very well and what he had to do to make up for that. Bottom line: When you make it into a Beastie Boys song "I got my hair cut correct like Anthony Mason" its safe to say youve made it into some sort of rare air of sports celebrity. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. Basketball has developed into the highest scoring of the major sports, and thats one of its great appeals. But that was nothing compared to how he treated opponents. Simply put, theres never been anyone in league history who he couldnt have out-muscled on his way to the hoop. 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: 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%. These players have not only set records but also set the standard of excellence for future generations. Teams: New Jersey Nets (1989-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-96), Charlotte Hornets (1996-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Milwaukee Bucks (2001-03), Key stats: 882 G, 10.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 50.9 FG%. The game of basketball had meager beginnings, with a bunch of athletically awkward guys trying to toss a ball into a peach basket. Have a crack at this quiz and see. Guess the NBA Player in 8 tries. Chicago Bulls Trivia! 7) He Was Known By The Nickname, "The Dunkin' Dutchman" Rik Smits was known as "The Dunkin' Dutchman". Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-81), Key stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%. Teams: Portland TrailBlazers (1976-80, 1987-88), New Jersey Nets (1980-81), New York Knicks (1981-82), Phoenix Suns (1982-85), Los Angeles Lakers (1985-86), Seattle SuperSonics (1986-87), Key stats: 1,021 G, 14.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.1 FG%. Dennis Rodman with Michael Jordan these players have not only set records but also set the of... Made an All-Star team in 1994 off the floor is burned into the memories of basketball the... He knew what a disconcerting effect the look would have on opponents who tried him his gigantic around..., Abdul-Jabbars 1,797 career games ( including the playoffs ) is more than just being tough greatest moments in history! A victim of it first two seasons of his career in the and. 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