Van Lier died unexpectedly in 2009 at 61 years old, the same day as former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr. The retired NBA player-turned-TNT analyst spoke with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's 'First Take' to discuss the issue that has increasingly become a hot topic among league execs and players. Mahorns toughness seemed to flow directly from his inability to jump very well and what he had to do to make up for that. In Moncriefs 10 seasons with the Bucks, his teams lost in the conference finals or conference semifinals eight times. Then you have our " Hardest NBA Logo Quiz". Show answer Considered one of the greatest rebounders of all time, this player was known for his bad boy image and for being the All-Star MVP in 1991. 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. The Big German, Dirk Nowitzki, has always sort of flown under the radar when talking about the all-time NBA greats. 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. Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1965-66), Chicago Bulls (1966-76). Teams: Washington Bullets (1980-85), Detroit Pistons (1985-89, 1996-98), Philadelphia 76ers (1989-91, 1999), New Jersey Nets (1992-96), Key stats: 1,117 G, 6.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 49.3 FG%. Amazingly, the man who virtually everyone agrees is one of the top 10 players in NBA history scored just 21,791 points as limped to the finish line in his injury plagued career, but youd be hard pressed to find a more deadly clutch shooter and competitor than Bird. FEATURES: More than 300 players to guess and a small size of the application! Approximately $200 million in career earnings. Teams: New York Knicks (1987-92, 2001-02), Los Angeles Clippers (1992-94), Indiana Pacers (1994-96, 1997-2000), Denver Nuggets (1996-97), Toronto Raptors (2000-01), Utah Jazz (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2003-04), Key stats: 1,296 G, 9.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 8.0 APG, 44.7 FG%. MyStakeSports indeed has its' partner in Telegram as well. Hes not in the biggest or flashiest market down in Dallas, but theres no denying what an unstoppable offensive player he has been for most of his career. 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%. One of the most dangerous scorers the league has ever seen, Durant is a fearless shooter whose range pretty much consists of in the gym. In his first seven seasons, hes already topped 30 points-per-game twice in an era where no one averages 30 anymore, and like Bird, hes entered the rarified territory of having shot 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the line in a season. 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. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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. 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. Take another Quiz by MyStakeSports and MyStake. 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. 3 min read. The mystery player will play in the Standard NBA leagues. Later in his career, this was a definite disadvantage. But as his skills declined, he extended his career by turning into a tough-minded enforcer for the teams he played on. Over the course of one season, Haslem lost 50 pounds, returned home and aced his tryout with the Heat. As mentioned above, it won't be easy to answer the questions about NBA teams and players. Bottom line: At just 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the most dominant, under 6-foot players in NBA history. Here's how it works: You have eight guesses to nail a current NBA player based on their silhouette.You're given their team, conference, division, position, height, age and jersey number. 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%. 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. 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. Being tough is more than just being physical. Bottom line: Kenyon Martin was the last college senior to be picked No. DPM favors Curry over both Luka and Dame by a large margin. Bottom line: There wasnt a better role player to put on your roster in the 1970s than Paul Silas, who won two titles with the Celtics and one with the SuperSonics over the last six years of the decade. On that same night who was the next . He shaved his head and eyebrows because he knew what a disconcerting effect the look would have on opponents. But what really set Jordan apart was, after his brief stint in baseball, with his body stronger and less explosive, he developed one of the most lethal midrange jumpers the game has ever seen. Tough: Oracle Arena (Golden State Warriors) Photo: Facebook Capacity: 19,596 Average Regular Season Attendance:. 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. instead of being the 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and an 11-time All-Star. Bottom line: In 12 NBA seasons, Bobby Jones earned a reputation as one of the classiest players of all time. Perhaps thats why he was such a valuable commodity. Wilkins was a 6-foot-8 dunking machine and one of the most unfairly athletic wing players to ever step on an NBA court. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah projects the No. 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. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work as a pioneer for civil rights. 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. 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 had his number retired by two of the three places he played in his college and pro career, the University of Evansville and Chicago Bulls. Show answer I mean, sure, the NFL still reigns supreme in terms of . Bottom line: Buck Williams was the definition of an NBA player bringing his lunch pail to work. In any other era he would be a dominant power forward, yet he possesses the skill set of a point guard with a 6-foot-8, 250 pound frame. 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. He was teased and bullied mercilessly as a child and through high school because he stuttered, and it got so bad he had to leave several schools. And he only played one season, his rookie year, with the Baltimore Bullets. Or how much you can dole out. If Iverson had been 6-foot-5, we may have been talking about him as arguably the toughest scorer the game has ever seen. Its easy to think of Julius Erving as just a dunking machine, but ask anyone who saw the man play and they will tell you quickly and emphatically the man was a tremendous all-around talent. Over and over, we saw the 6-foot, 165-pound guard take it to opponents who towered over him, and the sight of Iverson dunking over NBA power forwards was unlike almost anything wed ever seen. The game of basketball had meager beginnings, with a bunch of athletically awkward guys trying to toss a ball into a peach basket. 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. Trae Young Story continues 2m ago JSC "Latvijas Gze" statement regarding the article ""Latvijas gze" committed to selling. 1 overall and started off his career as a player who made his name by living above the rim. 2002, 2009, 2010). Green is one of the more outspoken players in the game today, and its tough to see his legacy as not having his Game 6 suspension from the 2016 NBA Finals front and center alongside his titles. The image will become slightly less blurred after each guess. Russells mental toughness was on another level. Oakley squared up with a whos who of NBA tough guys and had an epic series of throwdowns with Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. Toughness ran in Stocktons family. Key stats: 971 G, 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 55.4 FG%. Teams: San Antonio Spurs (1984-1989), Milwaukee Bucks (1989-1993), Detroit Pistons (1993), Toronto Raptors (1995-1996), Key stats: 779 G, 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 42.7 FG%. After an excellent debut in last season's playoffs, Edwards . He made second-team the other season. 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. 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. 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. Martins innate toughness came from a pretty awful place. A really hard and long quiz for a NBA fan. Mason suffered a massive heart attack and died in 2015 at age 48. If you. Simply enter the name of the player, and the app will reveal their team, conference, division, position, height, age, and jersey number. They got there because they were tough, and that's something that fans have appreciated since the league first began play. 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: 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. Over two decades after his retirement, Abdul-Jabbars 1,797 career games (including the playoffs) is more than anyone in NBA history. Shoot for our NBA Quiz. Bottom line: Patrick Beverley is truly a case study in determination. Each. Two more years at $6.5 million. And thats fair, because he almost killed Houstons Rudy Tomjanovich with one punch during a game in December 1977. Teams: Golden State Warriors (1988-89, 1999-2000), New York Knicks (1990-98), Chicago Bulls (2000), Utah Jazz (2000-02), Key stats: 866 G, 12.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 41.2 FG%. Ultimate NBA Jersey Trivia. 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. Here are the toughest, and easiest, places to play in this year's NBA Playoffs. McDaniel combined toughness with intimidation to a maximum degree. 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. Hardest NBA Logo Quiz. Weddle - NFL Wordle - Guess the NFL player in as few tries as possible. Most points in a single game Record : 100 Held by: Wilt Chamberlain Kelly Oubre Jr. for instance, fits both criteria exactly . Johnson was 6-foot-2 and built more like an NFL defensive back than an NBA guard, but even on the Bad Boys, he was intimidating. Guess the Nation with a Nickname. 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. 18 amazing levels! 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. Weve already watched it a half-dozen times today, in fact. The Charlotte Hornets are 20-43 this season, placing them in the second-last position in the Eastern Conference. In order to play a decade in the NBA like Skiles did, and be that size, it takes some innate toughness. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. 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. Dirk Nowitski has long been one of the league's toughest players to match up against, but it has become time for him to pass the torch to Kevin Durant, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili can still break down defenders with the dribble, but their explosiveness no longer rivals Chris Paul's and their strength doesn't measure up to that of James Harden. Are You The Ultimate Boston Celtics Fan? France. He will always be tougher than we give him credit for. 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%. Many players could stay in front of Bird, but his fade away . 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%. 4. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL. 1. Key stats: 1,018 G, 16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 46.0 FG%. You were sore from head to toe. He ended his career averaging a little less than 24 points-per-game, but thats primarily because his body started breaking down and he hung around the game for too long. Unseld wasted little time putting the league on notice, and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to win Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Along with Detroits Joe Dumars, NBA legend Michael Jordan said Moncrief was one of the two toughest defensive players he ever faced. The physically dominant power forward was one of the biggest, strongest, and most intimidating figures to ever play the game at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, and his superior fitness and athleticism allowed him to run past defenders and finish with authority. That Silas did it with aplomb and earned a reputation for never losing his cool speaks to more than just being tough. Bottom line: Its unfortunate that Allen Iversons career became known for him being an enigma and an unfortunate soundbite ("Practice?") But even among some fairly die-hard Celtics fans, we have gaps in our. 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%. 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. Seventeen years and three NBA titles later, hes a legend in Miami. He was at his best on the Nuggets when he partnered with a young Carmelo Anthony, whom he also played with on the Knicks. Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the Heat in the 2010s. 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