Throughout NBA history, we have seen authentic gentlemen play, full of good intentions and maximum sportsmanship, respectful of their rivals and focused on enjoying the game and giving the best show. But we have also come across others who, perhaps because of their desire to win, the tension and friction of the game itself, or perhaps attitudes associated with a personal issue of childhood and upbringing, are exactly the opposite of that "fair play."
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Certainly basketball is a very physical game, as nature itself defines it. Physical and mental effort, elbowing, pushing and shoving, up to certain limits of friction, have historically been allowed, but some have crossed the line of what is "legal" and have been in the eye of criticism over the years.
10 Chris Paul
At 6'8" and 175 pounds, 37-year-old point guard Chris Paul doesn't have the look of what might be considered "intimidating," but he's not characterized as a good kid either. Paul has managed in his 1,155 games (all as a starter) to take advantage of his height and quickness to nullify much bigger players. With tricks with grabs, even "low blows," which have earned him the unwanted fame of dirty gamer.
9 Danny Ainge
In his 14 seasons of service with the Celtics, Kings, Trailblazers and Suns, this point guard and shooting guard was always involved in dangerous situations, basically because of his verbal incontinence. Insults, out-of-tone phrases, bad words and offenses to players and their families, which generated reactions from his victims that not infrequently generated physical and technical fouls, always in his favor. He was not the toughest, but he was the dirtiest in terms of trash-talking.
8 Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas was a 12-time All-Star, an extraordinary player of the 1980s and part of the 1990s, when he was the driving force and mastermind of the famous Bad Boys, his beloved Detroit Pistons, one of the most dominant teams from 1984 to 1992 (including two championships). They would not have achieved that status without a conductor for those "rough-and-tumble" players that earned them the nickname they are known for. Thomas, with his good-boy looks and big smile, was nothing more than a brawler of mischief. His absence from the 1992 Dream Team (for which he had more than enough merits) was due to the veto imposed by Michael Jordan himself, his greatest rival.
7 Reggie Evans
Reggie Evans was very intimidating, one of those players you don't want to have problems with. Rough in the paint when taking a rebound, an unscrupulous hitter, you had to take care of your private parts. When you saw his expression, you knew that he was thinking of some dirty trick to beat you or make a fool of you. Despite his attitude, he managed to stay in the league for 13 years with seven different teams.
6 Charles Oakley
Charles Oakley had his best years with the New York Knicks in the 1990s. He was one of those players that even though he wasn't big, he managed to fight one on one with the big guys.
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Of course, being physically inferior, he had to find the formula to match up and be at parity with them. It wasn't an easy task to try to pass him or score on him, you would not get away unscathed if you tried to do so. The most notable thing is that he was never a guy that was said to be hated. In fact, you could say that he "dignified" the hard game.
5 Bill Laimbeer
Between 1982 and 1991 Bill Laimbeer put up incredible numbers of 11.1 rebounds and 14.5 points per game for the Detroit Pistons. But it wasn't just his 6'11", 245-pound frame, it was also his bad intentions that made him virtually immovable on the starting five. Winning at any cost, beating or knocking down opponents, anything went. In this ultra-physical and successful team, without that attitude, you didn't play, it was as simple as that. Bill was and is bad. In fact, he released his own video game called Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, where you could attack opponents without being penalized.
4 Karl Malone
This extremely talented and incombustible player spent 19 years at the highest level and is the third-highest scorer in league history, was as equally intense and effective as he was tough and tricky. Obviously to average 25 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, Karl Malone had to be tough.
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Perhaps, along with his teammate, John Stockton, they were one of the most lethal duos in the game. Corpulent, courageous and also quick, Malone never hesitated to use those advantages. Malone did almost everything, he just couldn't win a championship.
3 Dennis Rodman
Perhaps one of the NBA's most famous tough guys, first with the Pistons and then with the Bulls, the Lakers, the Spurs and the Mavericks. Flashy tattoos, varied piercings, colorful hair and a defiant attitude were some characteristics of Dennis Rodman, who many said had a screw loose in his head. Open elbows grabbing a rebound, or defending a possession, shoving, and grabbing, Rodman was tremendous. He lived a controversial career both on and off the court. Quite a celebrity.
2 Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen had pretty mediocre numbers in his 13-season career, but he is remembered for his abusive, hard-nosed, intense style. Bruce used to defend intensely but with intelligence, capable of "touching" a player in suspension to destabilize him and see him fall down with such subtlety that you couldn't even see the foul. His specialty: putting his foot under the shooters to scare them that they would get hurt when they fell. He made them so nervous that they often didn't even try. Nothing clean, but surely very effective.
1 Ron Artest
Infamous for provoking a hard and ill-intentioned personal foul on then Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace, which led to a big battle on the court, even ending up in the stands with fans. After that episode, Metta World Peace, was sanctioned with 86 games of suspension (the longest in the history of the league) and even ended up in court guilty is in this case. Ron Artest retired in 2017 with decent averages of 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, but will never cease to be remembered for this embarrassing event.
