Kelly Oubre Jr. for instance, fits both criteria exactly . 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. And thats fair, because he almost killed Houstons Rudy Tomjanovich with one punch during a game in December 1977. Joe Dumars. Ultimate Basketball Team Quiz. Simply put, theres never been anyone in league history who he couldnt have out-muscled on his way to the hoop. Nique averaged better than 30 points-per-game twice, and the thing about Wilkins was that he didnt just dunk on you, he threw it down harder than just about any other player in league history. In an interesting, amazing aside, Debusschere pitched two seasons for the Chicago White Sox in 1962 and 1963 before deciding to turn his focus to his basketball career after the Detroit Pistons agreed to make him the youngest player-coach in NBA history at just 24 years old. The iconic image of teammate Scottie Pippen helping him off the floor is burned into the memories of basketball fans the world over. So whether it's now or in . 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. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Charlotte Hornets are 20-43 this season, placing them in the second-last position in the Eastern Conference. 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. 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. 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. Tough: Oracle Arena (Golden State Warriors) Photo: Facebook Capacity: 19,596 Average Regular Season Attendance:. 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%. Add in his incredible footwork and youve got a guy who finished his career ranked ninth on the all-time scoring list. Cooper almost always drew the other teams toughest defensive assignment, and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird called him the "toughest defensive player who ever guarded me." The Penguins acquired a third-rounder in the Blueger deal and upped their available salary cap space to $6.3 million. 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. Williams spent his first eight seasons with the Nets but became a household name during his seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Bottom line: For the entirety of his career, Scott Skiles was listed at 6-foot-1. Toughness ran in Stocktons family. 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. 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%. His father died when he was 4 years old, and he was the youngest of 10 children raised by a single mother in rural Illinois. 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. RAPTOR has Luka 2nd in the league. The Diesel was one of the biggest, strongest, and perhaps the most powerful presence in NBA history. Show answer He finished his career with a scoring average of 24.3 points-per-game, and had one of the best shooting lines in basketball history. You can instantly get the latest updates about various . Weddle - NFL Wordle - Guess the NFL player in as few tries as possible. Jordan's done a great job working hard, so he's doing everything we're asking. Van Lier died unexpectedly in 2009 at 61 years old, the same day as former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr. Originally Answered: Was Michael Jordan the hardest working NBA player in the NBA's history? Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-81), Key stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah projects the No. Who Is The HARDEST NBA Player To Guard? In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on DraftKings. However, he played equally hard (I mean, recreationally, not on the court). 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%. Check back soon for Daily Lineup. 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. Check back soon for Daily Lineup. Malone averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds every night in 11 seasons, and about the only reason hes not a little bit higher on this list is the fact that his career shooting percentage was a shade under 50% from the field. 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. 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. 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. It will be interesting to see how the second half of his career plays out. 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. 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. 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. Bottom line: There is one statistic that underlines Alvin Robertsons toughness better than all others he is still the NBAs career leader with 2.7 steals per game. Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the Heat in the 2010s. The answer is Eric Dickerson, who finished his career with 13,259 total rushing yards. 2. 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. 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. Popular Quizzes Today. Cowens won two NBA titles with the Celtics and was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player in 1973. We saw it happen to MJ and Lebron. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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. Bottom line: Opponents underestimated John Stocktons toughness at their own peril throughout his 18 seasons, including 11 in which he was selected first-, second- or third-team All-NBA. 1, overall in his latest . NBA players Boris Diaw, Nicolas Batum, and Dominique Wilkins were all born in which country? 2 / 60. Skiles also, famously, took a swing at Shaquille O'Neal in the locker room. Kemba Walker 3. The Ultimate Space Jam Trivia! 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. Of course the guy hes been competing with most doesnt even play anymore, because his name is Michael Jordan. He had his number retired by two of the three places he played in his college and pro career, the University of Evansville and Chicago Bulls. 3. Helpful clues! 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. Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. 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. Ultimate NBA Jersey Trivia. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Quiz. In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on FantasyDraft. Are You the Ultimate NBA Fan? 1. Can you keep it together when there are tens of thousands of people who want you to fail? Mark Jackson can make an argument for being one of the toughest. 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. 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%. 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. Bottom Line: Dennis Johnson was only 5-foot-9 when he graduated from Dominguez Hills High School in Compton, California, where he said he only played "one or two minutes," each game. Bottom line: Sidney Moncrief was the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1986, then won it again in 1987. Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-77, 1981), Washington Bullets (1977-81), Key stats: 839 G, 18.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.4 FG%. At the time when Oscar Robertson played basketball, he had the unfair advantage of being very big, very strong, and very athletic. What they found: DRF Sports released new research that . Get used to that, because Adams could play for another 10 years. Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007, 2015-16), Boston Celtics (2007-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-15), Key stats: 1,462 G, 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 49.7 FG%. Kobes one of the most athletically gifted players to ever grace an NBA court, but hes also honed his skillset to make him a lethal midrange shooter. Key stats: 1,018 G, 16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 46.0 FG%. Ok it Get ya. 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%. 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