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. 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. Teams: Chicago Bulls (1985-88, 2001-02), New York Knicks (1988-98), Toronto Raptors (1999-2001), Washington Wizards (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2004), Key stats: 1,282 G, 9.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 47.1 FG%. Or the likes of Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter. Ringo H.W. Stats: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG in 21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2018-19). Martins innate toughness came from a pretty awful place. A big part of that came from Paytons father, Al, who famously had "Mr. Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (2001-07), New York Knicks (2007-08), Los Angeles Clippers (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009-17), Sacramento Kings (2017-19). Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1990-03), Milwaukee Bucks (2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), Boston Celtics (2004-05), Miami Heat (2005-07), Key stats: 1,335 G, 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 46.6 FG%. Unseld was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. Who are the most athletic players in NBA history? We take - Sportskeeda Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 Rookie of the Year. Not only was Dawkins downright crazy on the court, but he seemingly thrived off of breaking the backboard. 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. Listed at 6'6" and 250 lbs, but in truth closer to 6'4", Barkley is the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding, averaging 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986-87 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. 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 30 Best NBA Players of All Time, Ranked - Complex Top 15 Greatest White Players In NBA History - TheSportster Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. Garnett has had a reputation of trash talking since he came into the league, and that is something that has followed him to this day. 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: 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. Stats: 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1980-81 to 1992-93). Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, 1959 All-Star MVP. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG in 15 seasons with Chicago Bulls (1984-85 to 1992-93; 1994-95 to 1997-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-02 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in points per game. Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1985-90), Phoenix Suns (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-92), Boston Celtics (1992-95), New Jersey Nets (1996-98), Key stats: 870 G, 15.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 48.5 FG%. He averaged 7.4 rebounds per game over 11 NBA seasons, and hes only 6-foot-5. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 1979-80 Rookie of the Year, 1982 All-Star MVP, three-time NBA champion. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in 17 seasons with New York Knicks (1985-86 to 1999-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02). 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. 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%. Accomplishments: 11-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980-81 MVP, two-time NBA All-Star MVP, 1983 NBA champion. Live stream: Grizzlies 97, Nuggets 113 | HoopsHype By playing ferocious defense, first of all, and also by having what could only be described as a throwback attitude to decades past when it comes to the competition. With the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary this season, USA TODAY assembled a panel of NBA experts to rank the greatest 75 NBA players of all time. Its not often a point guard is as feisty as Thomas showed throughout his career. 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. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 2000-01 MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, 1996-97 Rookie of the Year, four-time scoring champ, three-time steals champ. He wouldnt let anybody take him out of his style of game, and if any opposition tried, he made sure to send his message loudly and clearly. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1993-94 MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Finals MVP, two-time rebounding champ, three-time blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. Bottom line: Patrick Beverley is truly a case study in determination. 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. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, two-time All-Star MVP, 1990 Finals MVP, 1984-85 assists champ, two-time NBA champion. Stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG in 18 seasons with Indiana Pacers (1987-88 to 2004-05). Games. Western Conference Finals MVP. Bottom line: For the entirety of his career, Scott Skiles was listed at 6-foot-1. When McHale clotheslined Lakers forward Kurt Rambis during Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals, it shocked teammates and opponents alike and arguably turned the tide of the series. You know who else thought McDaniel was tough? Which threw even more fuel on his fire. Mourning doesnt get the love among the new generation of hoop-heads that he should, as some of his numbers are mind-boggling. Johnson, a two-time All-Star, signed the richest contract in NBA history in 1993 when the Hornets got him for 12 years and $84 million. Teammate of the Year. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1967-68 Rookie of the Year, 1973 NBA champion. He had a presence on defense that he rarely gets credit for, but its worth noting because its just not something that all players can achieve. He made one of the most dynamic combinations in the game alongside his towering teammate, Shaquille O'Neal. 16 retired by both of the teams he played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Barkley was never shy about getting into a scrappy brawl if it was warranted, but he was far more than just an agitator. Two of the top teams in the Western Conference will go head-to-head in a rematch from last Saturday as an epic matchup . 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. 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. Its a shame that the Knicks decided to trade Jackson to the Clippers in 1992 and split up what was just becoming a playoff contender with a nucleus of Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Jackson. Answer (1 of 21): Scrolling through the answers I see different takes on what the word means. Toughness ran in Stocktons family. Arguably the most physically dominant player to ever lace em up, ONeal will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Fame entrant. Will the Warriors be able to reboot and make another run at a title? 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. Most Improved Player. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, 1950-51 rebounding champ, 1955 NBA champion. Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG in 17 seasons with Seattle SuperSonics (1990-91 to 2002-03), Milwaukee Bucks (2002-03), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), Boston Celtics (2004-05) and Miami Heat (2005-06 to 2006-07). NBA 75 team: Biggest snubs, surprises, and best players - Sports 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. It certainly doesnt hurt that he thought he was from the planet Lovetron, because he didnt express any love to the opposition when he played. Kevin Wayne Durant was born on 29 September 1988. 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)*. 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%. Being tough on the basketball court isn't only a physical thing. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016. Teammate of the Year. 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%. Bottom line: Michael Jordans toughness was the stuff of legend, and the five-time NBA Most Valuable Player was legendarily hard on teammates. The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time | Britannica The 11-time NBA All Star . Free trial Game Time: 10:0 Pete Maravich was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Bottom line: Anyone who saw Dave Cowens play back in the day can tell you this was a guy who played with reckless abandon to the point of putting himself in danger. 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%. For the prime example of Jordans mentality, look to the 1997 NBA Finals Game 5 "The Flu Game." 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. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1994-95 MVP, 1991-92 Defensive Player of the Year, 1989-90 Rookie of the Year, 1993-94 scoring champ, 1990-91 rebounding champ, 1991-92 blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. 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.
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