Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the Heat in the 2010s. The Celtics won the title in seven games. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. Bottom line: John Havlicek is one of just four players in NBA history to win eight NBA titles. McDaniel combined toughness with intimidation to a maximum degree. 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. His Pistons' teams of the late 1980s were made up of some of the toughest players in NBA history, and Mahorn was the undisputed "baddest" of the "Bad Boys.". Take another Quiz by MyStakeSports and MyStake. I guess what bothers me more is the fact that the 12th guy on the bench sits there for 46 mins and MAY get to play that night or not. 10) In 2007, which kicker broke the record for the most field goals in a single game, with 8? The 7-foot-4 center who appeared in 875 games for the Utah Jazz from 1982 through 1993 twice won Defensive Player of the Year during the 1980s, and, as Aaron Falk of NBA.com expla And thats fair, because he almost killed Houstons Rudy Tomjanovich with one punch during a game in December 1977. Test your NBA player knowledge in this challenging trivia! That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. 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. After all, theres a reason people called him Mailman: he always delivered. Created by SUJI102010 (User . Key stats: 1,346 G, 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 44.7 FG%, NBA titles: 5 (2000, 2001. Shaquille O'Neal The morning after you played Shaq, it always felt like you were in a fight. Former 76ers general manager Pat Williams probably described Jones the best: "He gives you two hours of his blood, showers and goes home.". Teams: Sacramento Kings (2011-14), Phoenix Suns (2014-15). Pettit only played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a first-team All-NBA pick 10 times. Kobe has been working his whole life to both emulate and try to surpass Jordan, much like how Tiger Woods has mapped out his entire career as a comparison to Jack Nicklaus. His biggest claim to fame came on the New York Knicks teams that won NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, where he cemented his reputation as one of the most physical players of all time. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. Use all the clues to your advantage - You get a lot of information when you enter a guess, so make sure to guess unique players that will fill out as many of the hints as possible. NBA players Boris Diaw, Nicolas Batum, and Dominique Wilkins were all born in which country? Being tough on the basketball court isn't only a physical thing. 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%. Top 20 Hardest Players to Guard in NBA History, 10 Feel-Good WCW Stories That Made Fans Emotional, 5 Best WWE Tag Team Champions Of The Golden Era (& 5 Worst). In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work as a pioneer for civil rights. 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%. First with his play and then with his legendary trash talk. 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. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. Key stats: 525 G, 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 58.9 FG%. He continued to play, leading his team to the 2017 Eastern Conference finals before being sidelined with a debilitating hip injury. What they found: DRF Sports released new research that . 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. 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. In addition to starting lineups, this tool will also display Vegas odds, positions and salaries for that day's games on FantasyDraft. Why is Oakley so beloved? "I taught the kid the look, the intimidation, yeah, the meanness. "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. Because 16.2 rebounds per game is just insane. The 6-foot-6 product of UMass spent the first five years of his career in the ABA before becoming arguably the most legendary player in Philadelphia 76ers franchise history, pouring in more than 18,000 points in 11 NBA seasons and over 30,000 points when you include his five seasons in the ABA. Bottom line: Kendrick Perkins was basketballs version of a hockey enforcer on some truly great teams the Celtics in the late 2000s that included an NBA title in 2008 and several almost-great Oklahoma City Thunder teams with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the early 2010s. 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. Kobe Bean Bryant (/ k o b i / KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. 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. 2 / 60. It's the decisions that can make a contender a winner or leave a long-suffering franchise stuck in a first-round abyss. Two more years at $6.5 million. 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. Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). Bottom line: NBA fans who got to know Dennis Rodman in the 1980s, when he first joined the league, were able to appreciate his innate toughness before his life off the court overshadowed his game. 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. It seems hard to be one without people thinking youre not also the other. Despite going undrafted, Wallace won an NBA-record four Defensive Player of the Year awards (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and helped lead the Pistons to the 2004 NBA title and back into the finals in 2005. A really hard and long quiz for a NBA fan. Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2018. Besides Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, who has the highest-scoring game in NBA history? 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. Speaking of which, Garnett played at an elite level for a decade after coming straight to the NBA from high school, which might require a little intestinal fortitude. 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. Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (2001-07), New York Knicks (2007-08), Los Angeles Clippers (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009-17), Sacramento Kings (2017-19). Mean" on his customized license plates when Gary was growing up. Sloans toughness came from his hardscrabble background. 3 min read. 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. Mason suffered a massive heart attack and died in 2015 at age 48. Bottom line: For the entirety of his career, Scott Skiles was listed at 6-foot-1. The right answers 1. 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. And even 40 years after one of the most infamous incidents in pro sports, his name still invokes a certain feeling of uneasiness. INDIANAPOLIS At first, the comparison checks out. 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. Johnsons nickname "Gladiator" is one of the most appropriate in league history. Bottom line: If you want to know about toughness and making something out of nothing, just look at what John Starks went through just to make it to the NBA. Bottom line: Sidney Moncrief was the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1986, then won it again in 1987. Guess the most average players - The average NBA height is 6'6" and the average age is 26 years old. Have a crack at this quiz and see. 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. He brought immediate toughness and stability to the roster. 1 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1991 out of UNLV. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and scorers of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All . 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%. Roundfield earned a reputation for being a physical, tough player, but he had a kind nature that opponents and teammates alike were drawn to. Although he never won an NBA title in 14 seasons. Bottom line: Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011, but no matter what his name was during his 18-year pro career, opponents were in for a dogfight when he stepped on a court. Johnson won three NBA titles in his career, which is almost entirely associated with his time with the Boston Celtics, but that was his third team after he was run off in Seattle and Phoenix because of clashes with coaches. He made the All-NBA Defensive Team nine times, including eight first-team picks, and was known as a player who would never resort to "dirty" tactics. Mason was known for the wild designs he would have shaved into his head, sure, but he was more known for a bruising, physical style of play that used every square inch of his 6-foot-7, 250-pound frame. Bottom line: At just 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history. Wilkins was a 6-foot-8 dunking machine and one of the most unfairly athletic wing players to ever step on an NBA court. 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. Most points in a single game Record : 100 Held by: Wilt Chamberlain Iverson grew up in abject poverty and was sentenced to five years in prison as a senior in high school for a bowling alley assault, serving four months before he was granted clemency by the governor of Virginia. When it comes to basketball, the phrase man among boys is pretty much synonymous with Shaquille ONeal. The moment Thomas toughness was no longer in doubt was at the end of his tenure with the Celtics, when he was on the verge of getting close to a max contract in free agency in the offseason. His size, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, was more NFL defensive end than power forward but also may have been the cause of back problems that ended his career. The Diesel was one of the biggest, strongest, and perhaps the most powerful presence in NBA history. Chuck Hayes is the quintessential lunch-pail NBA player. The Ultimate Space Jam Trivia! "I am mean," said Payton's father, who died in 2015. 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). The mystery player will play in the Standard NBA leagues. Hes also on track to break the NBA career minutes played record in that same span. Will the Warriors be able to reboot and make another run at a title? 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. Whats unique about his career was that style of play, at that time, was ahead of its time feed the ball to one player and let the game hinge on that. After spending his first two years in the NBA as a sixth man, Love's hard work paid off during the 2010-11 season, when he led the league in . 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. Robert Horry Randy Smith A.C. Green John Salley A. C. Green played in more consecutive games (1192) than any other player in NBA history. 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. 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. Name All These NBA Players (Hard Edition)! And he only played one season, his rookie year, with the Baltimore Bullets. People these days tend to remember him more for his battle with HIV and his work as an analyst, but the fact of the matter is he was an absolute basketball anomaly: a 6-foot-8 point guard whose unselfishness is pretty much the sole reason he didnt become a 30 points-per-game scorer. Only a True Fan Can Be the MVP of This NBA Quiz! 3. Instead, he broke them. 2. We have truly enjoyed crafting this quiz for you lucky quizmasters. Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the Bulls in the 1990s. You were sore from head to toe. Oakleys best seasons were with the Knicks, including two NBA All-Defensive Team selections and his lone All-Star appearance, in 1994. 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