When a player is seen as an enforcer on one of the most physical teams in league history, you know hes got to be intense. 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. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. Stats: 26.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1976-77 to 1984-85) and Chicago Bulls (1985-86); also played four ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1972-73 to 1973-74) and San Antonio Spurs (1973-74 to 1975-76). Hes also on track to break the NBA career minutes played record in that same span. Stats: 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG in 19 seasons with Utah Jazz (1984-85 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in total assists and steals. Bottom line: John Havlicek is one of just four players in NBA history to win eight NBA titles. 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. First with his play and then with his legendary trash talk. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1963-64 Rookie of the Year, 1965 All-Star MVP, 1973 NBA champion. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016. Jordan retired for the first time at the . Stats: 22.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.3 APG in 10 NBA seasons with Philadelphia Warriors (1950-51 to 1961-62). NBA75: Meet the best players in league history, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. That Silas did it with aplomb and earned a reputation for never losing his cool speaks to more than just being tough. Bottom line: Xavier McDaniel set a baseline for what it meant to be tough when he was still playing for Wichita State University and became the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in points and rebounds in 1984-85. Olajuwon didnt take anything from anybody when it came to where he felt his proper position in the lane was. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, four-time NBA champion. 49. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 14 seasons with Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-59 to 1971-72). 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. Stats: 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG in 11 seasons with Boston Celtics (1970-71 to 1979-80) and Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). 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%. Perkins wasnt just hired muscle, though. Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 AST, 49.0 FG%, 42.8 FG3%, 90.4 FT% The . The all time official leaders for the NBA. Honorary Enforcer Bill Laimbeer. Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009), Key stats: 914 G, 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 47.5 FG%. 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. Kick a cameraman in the crotch? Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, 2016-17 Most Improved Player, 2021 Finals MVP, 2021 NBA champion. Unseld was never one to back down from anything, and he crafted his attack around the idea that he was fearless. Accomplishments: Two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1977-78 MVP, 1977 Finals MVP, 1985-86 Sixth Man of the Year, 1976-77 rebounding champ, 1976-77 blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: Nine-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA scoring champ. Mean" on his customized license plates when Gary was growing up. Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG in 19 NBA seasons with Buffalo Braves (1976-77), Houston Rockets (1976-77 to 1981-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-83 to 1985-86; 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-87 to 1987-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-89 to 1990-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-92 to 1992-93) and San Antonio Spurs (1994-95); also played two ABA seasons with Utah Stars (1974-75) and Spirits of St. Louis (1975-76). Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 15-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, 2000 All-Star MVP, 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA champion. Why is Oakley so beloved? Throughout his NBA career, Bill Lambier drilled over 200 Three-pointers. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG in 18 seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (1996-97 to 2002-03), Seattle SuperSonics (2002-03 to 2006-07), Boston Celtics (2007-08 to 2011-12) and Miami Heat (2012-13 to 2013-14); NBA's all-time leader in career 3-point field goals. Teams: Detroit Pistons (1970-1980), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-1984), Key stats: 959 G, 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 51.4 FG%. The complete list of players is in alphabetical order below. Jordan, coming off a gold medal performance at the 1984 Olympics, prospered in the pro game with a fabulous first season, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. 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. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, two-time All-Star MVP. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 10-time All-Defensive team, 1994 All-Star MVP, 1994-95 steals champ, six-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1985-86 scoring champ. Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996 out of high school. Rookie of the Year. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. If any other player had dressed up like grandmamma, they probably wouldnt have been able to live it down, but nobody dare challenged Johnson like that. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.5 APG in 11 seasons with Golden State Warriors (2009-10 to 2020-21)*. That was just the break he needed. He also was durable, ranking in the Top 25 in games played. Teams: Boston Celtics (2003-11), Oklahoma City Thunder (2011-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2015, 2018), New Orleans Pelicans (2015-16). Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. He became tough growing up in Dallas and playing basketball on the playgrounds. 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. He is an American basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2019. Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG in 18 seasons with Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 1997-98; 2004-05 to 2011-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2003-04) and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13 to 2013-14). instead of being the 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and an 11-time All-Star. Can you keep it together when there are tens of thousands of people who want you to fail? Accomplishments: Six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1972-73 scoring and assists champ, 1981 All-Star MVP, 1981 NBA champion. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, 1966-67 Rookie of the Year, 1976 All-Star MVP, 1967-68 scoring champ. Perhaps thats why he was such a valuable commodity. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. Rookie of the Year. Pete Maravich was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. An absolute force in the lane, he had very little trouble positioning himself to provide a competitive advantage. Two of the top teams in the Western Conference will go head-to-head in a rematch from last Saturday as an epic matchup . Johnson died of a massive heart attack in 2007 at the age of 52 and was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. The NBA standings in the Western Conference are extremely tight. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. Bottom line: Dave DeBusschere was one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, making the All-NBA Defensive Team six times in his career. 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: 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. The toughness wasnt just an act. Key stats: 1,270 G, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 43.9 FG%, NBA titles: 8 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976). 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%. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG in 14 seasons with Buffalo Braves. A legitimate presence in the middle, Robinson embodied all of the characteristics that make up an ideal center. Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG in 14 seasons with Cincinnati Royals (1960-61 to 1969-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (1970-71 to 1973-74). Stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG in nine seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (2012-13 to 2020-21)*. It was the third anniversary team in the league. Theyre still the only players to pull off the feat. His consolation? The NBA had little luck doing anything close to that over the next 20 years. After missing Game 6 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers with a torn thigh muscle, Reed was almost certainly a scratch for Game 7. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, 2013-14 MVP, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year, two-time All-Star MVP, two-time Finals MVP, four-time scoring champ, two-time NBA champion. This season, he's averaging 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 26.5 DraftKings points per game. Unseld, known for bone-rattling picks, played for a decade before helping lead the Bullets to the NBA title in 1978, when he was named Finals MVP. 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. 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%. Hes certainly not short on that trait, as hes well known for being anything but candid with the officials. James Worthy with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. Teams: Boston Celtics (1997-98), Toronto Raptors (1998-99), Denver Nuggets (1999-2000, 2008-11), Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-02), Detroit Pistons (2002-08, 2013-14), New York Knicks (2011), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-13), Key stats: 1,043 G, 15.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 41.5 FG%. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1992-95), Miami Heat (1995-2002, 2005-08), New Jersey Nets (2003-04), Key stats: 838 G, 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 52.7 FG%. A ridiculous shot-blocker in his own right, Rollins really knew how to bring it when his opposition tried to challenge him. Stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.0 APG in 11 seasons with Washington Capitols (1950-51) and Boston Celtics (1951-52 to 1960-61). Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, nine-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, 1993 All-Star MVP. Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the Bulls in the 1990s. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1974 Finals MVP, eight-time NBA champion. 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. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? 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%. English's nightly offensive assaults made him an exciting player to watch. 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%. Famed broadcaster Howard Cosell summed up Americas feelings toward Reed in the winning locker room after the game. He quickly earned a reputation for being the "protector" of young Bulls star Michael Jordan and was a ferocious rebounder and defender. 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. His career has been yeoman-like, with six teams over 11 seasons, but hes been steady and his toughness is unmatched for some pretty incredible reasons. 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. Games. Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest player that the NBA has seen and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. Western Conference Finals MVP. Although he never won an NBA title in 14 seasons. Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-81), Key stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%. The most intense players to ever play in the NBA brought a 110 percent effort on every single night. But here are the 20 most hated NBA players of all time, in no particular order: Kevin Durant. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. Dumars showed no fear when it came to his play on the defensive end, and he wasnt afraid to go hard against anyone who he was lined up against on any given night. Stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG in 12 seasons with Boston Celtics (1957-58 to 1968-69). Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). Are you kidding me? 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%. Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG in 15 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1982-83 to 1993-94), LA Clippers (1993-94), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97) and Orlando Magic (1998-99). The five-time NBA Most Valuable Player needed to define toughness to succeed in his era, with his direct counterpart none other than Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player besides Russell to grab 50 rebounds in a single game. 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. Old-school NBA fans might remember McDaniels signature move on opponents who tried him his gigantic hands around their throats. A great rebounder, a fantastic shot-blocker and a solid player, Thurmonds intensity isnt one to be looked past. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Weve already watched it a half-dozen times today, in fact. Bottom line: Nate Thurmond was as ferocious of a rebounder as anyone in NBA history, and just as good at blocking shots and defense. While Barkleys attitude and off-the-court antics had their detractors, one thing no one ever questioned was his toughness. To put it in perspective, Foust scored the winning basket for the Fort Wayne Pistons in the lowest-scoring NBA game of all-time, a 19-18 win over the Minneapolis Lakers, a year in which he averaged 13.5 points. He has the most regular-season. Free trial Game Time: 10:0 Parish might not get the love that he deserves for being intense, but theres no questioning his commitment. He also was routinely voted among the NBAs dirtiest players during his career. 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. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I'll never understand the hate that Trae . 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. Although hes turned around his reputation and now does heralded work within the community, Washingtons intensity will never be forgotten. Anyone who has never seen some of Birds closest encounters on the hardwood should hit the YouTube channel immediately.