Van Lier died unexpectedly in 2009 at 61 years old, the same day as former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr. Western Conference Finals MVP. 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%. 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. He played in an age where African-American players were fighting for equal rights on and off the floor and was one of the leaders of that movement. Kemp was unreal during his days in Seattle, and there was a reason that his nickname was Reign Man. He was so intense that he even scared some of his teammates, so just imagine how the opposition felt about lining up against him. Accomplishments: Nine-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA scoring champ. 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. "This is the most passive aggressive relationship I've ever seen in my life," former NFL player Bart Scott said Wednesday on ESPN's "First Take," referring to both Rodgers and Packers management . Jordan Poole scored a game-high 34 points, 22 coming in the third quarter, the most points scored in that quarter in his career (prev. 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. He had a very riled up rivalry against Bill Laimbeer, and neither sought to back down from the other, which only heightened the distaste between them. The 2022 All-Star Game is once again slated to return to Cleveland as a nod to that moment. Famed broadcaster Howard Cosell summed up Americas feelings toward Reed in the winning locker room after the game. Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG in 15 seasons with St. Louis Hawks (1960-61 to 1967-68), Seattle SuperSonics (1968-69 to 1971-72), Cleveland Cavaliers (1972-73 to 1973-74) and Portland Trail Blazers (1974-75). 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. 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%. For anyone who has never seen Cowens on the court, it would be fitting to look up some of his best days while he was still in the league. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. Stats: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 BPG in 18 seasons with Houston Rockets (1984-85 to 2000-01) and Toronto Raptors (2001-02); NBA's career leader in total blocks. Its ironic that Dumars, who has the NBA Sportsmanship Award named after him, was such a key part of Detroits "Bad Boys" teams that won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. In order to play a decade in the NBA like Skiles did, and be that size, it takes some innate toughness. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, four-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, five-time NBA champion. Resume: 15 years; 4 All-Stars; 2X NBA Champion; Career stats: 12.9 PPG 9.7 RPG 0.9 BPG. Stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG in 10 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (2011-12 to 2017-18), Toronto Raptors (2018-19) and LA Clippers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. Free trial Game Time: 10:0 Watch Dwyane Wade. instead of being the 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and an 11-time All-Star. For someone who made a career for himself as a player who was feared on the court, hes pretty much done the opposite as an executive. Chamberlain didnt just find success when he played; he enjoyed sheer and utter dominance. His consolation? 13 Kevin Durant Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, 11 All-Stars NBA rank: 26th. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. Pete Maravich was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. And thats fair, because he almost killed Houstons Rudy Tomjanovich with one punch during a game in December 1977. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, two-time NBA champion. 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. Key stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%. With the season underway, we adjusted our preseason rankings of the best players in league right now. And that's what makes Trae an outlier; he's the smallest, and probably the frailest player on this list, yet he's behind only SGA and Luka in drives per game. Kick a cameraman in the crotch? A ridiculous shot-blocker in his own right, Rollins really knew how to bring it when his opposition tried to challenge him. The Mailman threw elbows like it was his job, and frankly, sometimes thats exactly how he sent a message to the opponent. He had game-changing skills, and thats not something we talk about when discussing point guards very often. He made one of the most dynamic combinations in the game alongside his towering teammate, Shaquille O'Neal. 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. There might not be anyone in NBA history with a sports background quite like Nash, which helps explain why he always seemed to have blood on his jersey. in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Bottom line: Michael Jordans toughness was the stuff of legend, and the five-time NBA Most Valuable Player was legendarily hard on teammates. Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 14 seasons with Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-59 to 1971-72). Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, six-time All-BAA/NBA, 1953 All-Star MVP, three-time scoring champ, 1952-53 rebounding champ, five-time BAA/NBA champion. Are you kidding me? 2002, 2009, 2010). 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. He averaged 28.2 ppg, (third . Havlicek died in April 2019 at 79 years old. Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG in 13 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1981-82 to 1993-94). He also was durable, ranking in the Top 25 in games played. Laimbeer was seen as a leader for the bad boy Pistons, so its not a surprise to see his name on this list. The toughness wasnt just an act. 11. 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. Bottom line: Kevin Garnett is the highest-paid player in NBA history, with $326 million in career earnings. 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. The 1982 NBA Rookie of the Year earned a reputation for toughness and rebounding on the way to three All-Star game selections and four NBA All-Defensive Team nods. 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). Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). The NBA is celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout the 2021-22 season, and part of that celebration includes the unveiling of the list of the greatest players in NBA history. He was truly one of a kind when it came to his on-court performance. He has the most regular-season. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week. Oakleys best seasons were with the Knicks, including two NBA All-Defensive Team selections and his lone All-Star appearance, in 1994. 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. Roundfield died tragically in Aruba in 2012 while swimming with his wife. Olajuwon didnt take anything from anybody when it came to where he felt his proper position in the lane was. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work as a pioneer for civil rights. LeBron may very well be the most physically gifted athlete weve seen come into the league, but that doesnt make him the best, and certainly doesnt make him the most intense. In an era of players jumping teams, hes managed to stay with the Miami Heat for his entire career. He has scored the most points in NBA history. 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. In 2009, the NBA named its Finals MVP award after Russell. He also was routinely voted among the NBAs dirtiest players during his career. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1963-64 MVP, 1960-61 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, six-time assists champ, 1971 NBA champion. 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. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1988 Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1955 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA champ. But that was nothing compared to how he treated opponents. Bottom line: Zach Randolph is perhaps the most durable, underrated and, to be honest, the most intimidating player of his generation. 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. 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. Not only was he one of the greatest players in the history of the game, but his obvious passion for basketball was very obviously on display at all times. 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%. 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. Theres a mental aspect to being tough thats just as important. Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, 1959 All-Star MVP. "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer," Cosell told Reed. 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. Somehow, LeBron James is still No. Anyone who has never seen some of Birds closest encounters on the hardwood should hit the YouTube channel immediately. And he only played one season, his rookie year, with the Baltimore Bullets. Stats: 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG in 20 seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (1969-70 to 1974-75) and Los Angeles Lakers (1975-76 to 1988-89); NBA's career leader in total points. Teammate of the Year. Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. 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. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Bottom line: NBA connoisseurs can appreciate what Michael Cooper brought to the Los Angeles Lakers' "Showtime" dynasty of the 1980s. Hes also the author of one of the single greatest moments in NBA history which revolved around his toughness. 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). Starks bounced between three different junior colleges in Oklahoma before landing in the checkout lane at a supermarket, bagging groceries. Johnsons nickname "Gladiator" is one of the most appropriate in league history. He never, ever thought a call that went against him was the right one, and he sought to rise to the occasion whenever his number was called. McHale is another player who had no fear in tossing around his elbows, and he had no trouble sending a message to anyone going up against him when he deemed it necessary. This was at a time when the 76ers guard acted in a way that stood out from many of the other, more straight-laced, stars such as Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, and Ray Allen. When he played, there werent a lot of players who wanted to challenge him, because it was a battle that they were likely to lose. Teammate of the Year. Stats: 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG in 11 seasons with Milwaukee/St. Rating: 65. Whether a mean stare, a suffocating style of play or a general ability to send electricity into the building, there is no questioning what these currently bring or have brought to the table. 19, 3/16/22 vs. BOS) and the second-most for any quarter . Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 2006 Finals MVP, 2010 All-Star MVP, 2008-09 scoring champ, three-time NBA champion. There was a reason he was the No. 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. Hes also one of just five players, along with LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen and Giannis Antetoukompo, to lead an NBA team in all five top statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season. 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%. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1979-80 to 1991-92).