Instead, he broke them. 1 player on his top-50 draft board to be drafted well, No. 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%. PHN can confirm the deal. Bottom line: For the entirety of his career, Scott Skiles was listed at 6-foot-1. 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%. 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%. NBA players Boris Diaw, Nicolas Batum, and Dominique Wilkins were all born in which country? Bottom line: Patrick Beverley is truly a case study in determination. 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. You can make a solid argument that his injury in Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers he tore his PCL and MCL turned the tide for the Lakers in their Game 7 win with Perkins sitting out. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound Robertson was simply too strong and athletic for any other guards of his era to handle, which is a big part of the reason he finished his career in 11th place on the NBA scoring list with 26,710 points. He averaged better than 30 points-per-game for his career, a number made even more amazing by his two forgettable seasons in Washington just before he turned 40. The 6-foot-10 post player started his career in the ABA before transitioning to the NBA in 1976, and went on to score more than 27,000 points with a career average of 20.3 points-per-game. Test your NBA player knowledge in this challenging trivia! Michael Jordan worked very hard, and there is no doubt about it. MyStakeSports in Telegram. Hes not even 30 years old yet and hes already poured in more than 23,000 points, and despite people knocking his jump shot, hes a career 34.1% shooter from long distance. Teams: Detroit Pistons (1962-1968), New York Knicks (1968-1974), Key stats: 875 G, 16.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 43.2 FG%. Never has such a small player impacted the game of basketball the way Iverson did, finishing his long career with a scoring average of 26.7 points. 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. If Wilt could have made free throws, theres no telling how many points he would have scored in his career (Ditto for Shaq). Randolph toiled away for a lot of his career in obscurity. 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. Wilt Chamberlain was about as dominant a physical specimen as the NBA has ever seen, having been a track and field star despite his seven foot frame. 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: 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%. 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%. 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. 1 overall and started off his career as a player who made his name by living above the rim. The simple fact is theres only one other player in NBA history who had the combination of size, power, and athleticism that LeBron James possesses, and thats the guy were about to talk about. He played for the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors. We saw it happen to MJ and Lebron. Bottom line: One of 18 children, Steven Adams had a rough childhood in New Zealand after his father died in 2006, but basketball took him off the streets of his hometown and put him in a gym. 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. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. Havlicek died in April 2019 at 79 years old. "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer," Cosell told Reed. We caught up with QB Kurt Benkert to discuss his current plans, the Scouting Combine, his Twitch career, a controversial Mount Rushmore and his predictions for Aaron Rodgers. Being tough on the basketball court isn't only a physical thing. Are you a real NBA fan? 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. However, he played equally hard (I mean, recreationally, not on the court). It's that easy! Where Love is toughest has been in his approach to the mental aspects of the game, where hes been open about his struggles with anxiety, rage and depression bringing widespread awareness to an issue that still is considered taboo in some corners. Starks made an All-Star team in 1994 and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. 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. 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. 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. Which of the following players is not among the NBA's top five regular season scoring leaders of all time? Its not just defined by how much punishment you can sustain. He quickly earned a reputation for being the "protector" of young Bulls star Michael Jordan and was a ferocious rebounder and defender. Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the Heat in the 2010s. !Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsportsguy5/TikTok: https:/. Kobe has always been a divisive player, but its hard to argue against the incredible scoring prowess of a guy who once pumped in 35.4 points-per-game in the modern era of professional basketball. Guess the most average players - The average NBA height is 6'6" and the average age is 26 years old. INDIANAPOLIS At first, the comparison checks out. Originally Answered: Was Michael Jordan the hardest working NBA player in the NBA's history? Facebook Logo Twitter Logo If Kobe is ever able to get healthy again, hell be able to surpass Jordan for third place on the career scoring list, and is currently one of just five players to ever surpass 30,000 points. They dont call you Legend for nothing, and were it not for serious back problems later in his career, Larry Bird may well have gone on to become one of the most prolific scorers in league history. The mystery player will play in the Standard NBA leagues. Stocktons style of play was physical and attacking. So whether it's now or in . McDaniel combined toughness with intimidation to a maximum degree. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar poured in more than 38,000 points in his 20 year career, dipping below 1,000 points in a season only once, and averaging 24.6 points-per-game for his career while shooting a sizzling 55.9% from the field. Today's Top Quizzes in NBA Browse NBA Top Contributed Quizzes in Sports 1 , 2 World Soccer Rivalries 3 MLB Logic Puzzle 4 NBA Chain Quiz (Medium Difficulty) 5 NBA Logic Puzzle 2.0 6 Sorting Squares: Sports Teams by League 7 Name Just One - 10 to 1: Sports 8 2022 World Cup Stars 9 Then you have our " Hardest NBA Logo Quiz". Teams: Indiana Pacers (1975-78), Atlanta Hawks (1978-84), Detroit Pistons (1984-85), Washington Bullets (1985-87), Key stats: 813 G, 14.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 48.2 FG%. Bottom line: Dan Roundfield "Dr. Rounds" could be the next name you drop in a conversation with fellow NBA heads when youre talking about the most underrated, underappreciated players of all time. How did he do it? You grab your gear and you're like, 'All right guys, I guess I'll see you throughout the year.'" He made second-team the other season. The best way to sum up Allen Iverson is to describe him as a little man with a very big game. Eric Gordon 4. Martins innate toughness came from a pretty awful place. 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. 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. Whats not a mystery is the impact Billups made on almost every team he played on. On the flip side of that, fans across the country got a chance to see what made Jackson such a special player as he took starring turns for the Clippers and Pacers over the next decade. 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. A big part of that came from Paytons father, Al, who famously had "Mr. Who Is The HARDEST NBA Player To Guard? Since he doesnt rely on pure athleticism to get his buckets, he could very well be the first NBA player to ever reach 40,000 points in a career. Most of us know plenty about our favorite players in the NBA, especially the lore-laden rosters of the Boston Celtics. Over the course of one season, Haslem lost 50 pounds, returned home and aced his tryout with the Heat. Bottom line: Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the greatest dynasty in NBA history, winning 11 NBA championships in his 13 seasons. The deadliness of Kareems sky hook cannot be overstated, particularly because in all of basketball history, he remains the only player to have ever perfected this truly unblockable shot. Early on he relied on being vastly superior athletically, but over the course of his career he developed an incredible post game, including the most beautiful turn-around, fade away baseline jumper youre likely to ever see. 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. The game of basketball had meager beginnings, with a bunch of athletically awkward guys trying to toss a ball into a peach basket. Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1976-80), Phoenix Suns (198-83), Boston Celtics (1983-90), Key stats: 1,100 G, 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 44.5 FG%. Because 16.2 rebounds per game is just insane. 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