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Dirtest NBA players of all time

 
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Danny Ainge

Danny Ainge
Dick Raphael/Getty Images

Perhaps taking a cue from Larry Bird, Danny Ainge was a relentless trash talker who also was known to cause a ruckus on the court. Whether it was throwing elbows or agitating opponents with sneaky tricks, Ainge helped give his teams a tough edge. He even threw the ball in Houston Rockets guard Mario Elie’s face in the 1994 NBA Finals and took on Atlanta Hawks center Tree Rollins in 1983.

 
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Metta World Peace/Ron Artest

Metta World Peace/Ron Artest
D. Lippitt/Einstein/Getty Images

The basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest, Metta World Peace has stirred up about as much controversy as an NBA player possibly can. In 2004, Artest was at the center of the “Malice at the Palace” in which he climbed up into the stands and punched a fan, causing a small riot on the Pistons' home court. World Peace also had a notable moment in the 2011 season when he nearly decapitated then Thunder guard James Harden with an elbow to the side of the head.

 
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Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes
Harry How/Getty Images

Beyond having a reputation for an agitator on the court, journeyman forward Matt Barnes has made headlines recently for an off-the-court dispute with former teammate Derek Fisher. Fisher, who is dating Barnes' ex-wife, was in the same vicinity as Barnes' children, and that didn’t make Matt a happy man. Although it’s not clear what exactly happened, it would probably be wise for Fisher to avoid contact with Barnes at all costs.

 
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Raja Bell

Raja Bell
Noah Graham/Getty Images

A workhorse defender, Raja Bell gained notoriety in the 2006 NBA Playoffs with the Phoenix Suns when he was tasked to defend Kobe Bryant. Bell nearly took Bryant’s head off with clothesline in Game 5 and was suspended one game for the incident.

 
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Larry Bird

Larry Bird
Focus On Sport/Getty Images

While Larry Bird is best known as the sharpshooting Hall of Famer for the 1980s Celtics, he was also never afraid to stir the pot. Bird used whatever mental edge he could, including sneaky elbows, screens and shoves. He also wasn't shy about throwing a haymaker when needed, infamously even getting into it with the normally calm Dr. J.

 
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Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Warriors center Andrew Bogut was recently voted the third most dirty active player in the NBA by his peers. It likely has to do with the fact that the Aussie is constantly pushing, shoving and pulling on the jerseys of opposing players.

 
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Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Most NBA fans believe Bruce Bowen made a career out of standing in the corner and making three-pointers. But he also played defense and played it dirty. It was commonplace for Bowen to stick his foot under the foot of an opposing jump shooter when he landed, leading to a number of sprained and twisted ankles that took opponents off of the court. Bowen is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN.

 
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Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

He might be one of the greatest players ever to grace a basketball court, but don’t be fooled: Kobe Bryant has a dirty side to him as well. Kobe has been known to do whatever it takes to initiate contact on the offensive side of the floor and constantly chews out the refs for obvious non-calls. Throw in the occasional push when the zebras aren’t looking, and it’s easy to see why the “Black Mamba” has been one the NBA’s dirtier players.

 
Matthew Dellavedova
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Recently voted the NBA’s dirtiest active player, Cavs guard Matthew Dellavedova made a name for himself during the NBA Playoffs last season, partly for the wrong reasons. He injured several players, including Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver when he dove onto the forward’s leg trying to snag a loose ball. No one is criticizing Dellavedova for his hustle, just the fact that it seems to come at the expense of other players’ health.

 
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Reggie Evans

Reggie Evans
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Reggie Evans has played 13 seasons in the NBA simply because he can rebound. Oh, and he also pisses off opposing players with borderline bush-league play. Evans' most infamous incident in the league came in 2006, when he committed a foul on former Clippers center Chris Kaman by grabbing him in the groin area.

 
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Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett
Boston Globe/Getty Images

A future Hall of Fame player in his own right, Timberwolves power forward Kevin Garnett has had a colorful career to say the least. Nothing is off limits when it comes to Garnett and his trash talking. Your family, friends, childhood, whatever Garnett has needed to exploit to gain an edge on his opponents psychologically, he’s done. One of Garnett’s finest moments came in Joakim Noah’s rookie year. The Bulls center went to tell KG before a game that he was one of his favorite players growing up. Garnett told Noah to go “F” himself.

 
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Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Few point guards embody “dirty” play the way Mark Jackson did. The former Knicks and Pacers star expected his teammates to foul opponents as hard as possible when they attacked the basket and is also the reason why the NBA created the five-second back-down rule. Jackson believed basketball was a physical game, and it showed when he was on the court.

 
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Bill Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer
Rick Stewart/Getty Images

During the peak of his career with the Detroit Pistons, there was no player in the NBA more hated than Bill Laimbeer. Laimbeer’s idea of protecting the rim was to commit a foul that, by today’s standards, would be a flagrant two anytime an opposing player drove to the basket. His most infamous moment came in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics, when he just about assaulted Larry Bird after biting on a pump fake.

 
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Rick Mahorn

Rick Mahorn
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

One of the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons, forward Rick Mahorn had a strict “no ticky-tack” foul policy. If Mahorn was going to foul an opposing player, committing bodily harm was never out of the question. Never afraid of fouling out, he made a career out of roughing up his opponents.

 
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Karl Malone

Karl Malone
George Frey/Getty Images

He may be the second leading scorer in NBA history, but Karl Malone did not play nice on the court. For close to 20 years, Malone used his elbows as weapons the post. If they just so happened to connect with the head of an opposing defender, well, that was just poor luck for him. The Jazz legend made very few friends during his playing days.

 
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Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

After knee injuries limited his abilities on the floor, former Nets, Nuggets, Knicks and Clippers forward Kenyon Martin essentially turned into an enforcer. Most famously, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took issue with Martin's style of play in 2009, calling Martin a “thug” after a playoff game.

 
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Xavier McDaniel

Xavier McDaniel
Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Former Seattle SuperSonics and New York Knicks forward Xavier McDaniel was both a trash talker and a brawler. McDaniel was never afraid of a fight, both on and off the court, evident by the fact that he had to be confined in his own locker room after being ejected from a game for fighting with Charles Barkley.

 
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Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller
Elsa/Getty Images

One of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, former Pacers shooting guard Reggie Miller also happens to be one of basketball’s most infamous trash talkers. Not that the constant leg kick-out on his jump shot should be forgotten, but Miller was known to mix it up with players and fans alike — Spike Lee being his most notable rival in the stands.

 
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Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo
Matt Campbell/Getty Images

Former All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo is probably one of the most kindhearted men you could ever meet off of the court. On the court, however, was a different story. The former defensive stalwart injured a number of players with his physical play. In fact, his former teammate with the Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, once quipped that Mutombo should be held out of the team’s own practices because of his playing style.

 
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Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Easily one of the most disliked players in the NBA today, Bulls center Joakim Noah is a constant thorn in the side of his opponents. The 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year, part of Noah’s defense entails pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding whomever he is guarding as much as humanly possible without fouling out.

 
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Charles Oakley

Charles Oakley
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Charles Oakley was the type of player who if he was on your team you loved him, but if he wasn’t, you absolutely hated him. Playing his best years with the Knicks, Oakley’s main job on the court was essentially to make sure no one messed with Patrick Ewing, and at that, Oakley typically succeeded. He averaged nearly four fouls per game during his time with the Knicks and was never afraid to throw a punch or elbow when needed.

 
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Chris Paul

Chris Paul
Lucas Oleniuk/Getty Images

Chris Paul is the ringleader of a team considered by many to be dirty. Known to take an extra shot or grab a player he's guarding, Paul has ever trick in the book. Of course, his most infamous dirty incident was during his college days, when he threw a low blow to N.C. State star Julius Hodge, and Paul has carried that aggression to the NBA.

 
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Gary Payton

Gary Payton
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Gary Payton’s nickname was “The Glove,” and for good reason. Beyond sticking to whomever he was guarding like a madman, Payton was a veracious trash talker as well. Combine that with the fact that Payton would always try to get away with as much possible that the refs couldn’t see, and you have one of the dirtiest players in NBA history.

 
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Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins
Boston Globe/Getty Images

Watching Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins play basketball is a rough experience for both players and fans alike. Extremely limited on the offensive side the ball, Perkins' job is simply to rough up opposing big men and look intimidating on the floor.

 
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Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman
Getty Images

Was Dennis Rodman dirty or just plain crazy? Probably both. Then again, you don’t average 18.7 rebounds in a single season by playing nice. Rodman was shaped by the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons early in his career and continued his rough-and-tumble style of play all throughout his career before he retired in 2000.

 
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John Stockton

John Stockton
Kent Horner/Getty Images

Although he’s not remembered as being dirty, no NBA player got away with more illegal screens during his playing days than former Jazz point guard John Stockton. Stockton was also known to get away with an occasional elbow to the midsection, largely because of his diminutive size. Also, playing alongside Karl Malone would make any player look pretty clean.

 
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Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Another “Bad Boy” Pistons player to make the list, Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas was the main beneficiary of Detroit’s physical style of play. Thomas could essentially hide behind his enforcers and have his way with smaller opponents, as they feared retribution. That being said, Thomas was no choirboy, as he was known to get in the face of both opponents and teammates alike.

 
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Kurt Thomas

Kurt Thomas
The Sporting News/Getty Images

A career 8.1 points per game scorer, Kurt Thomas didn’t play into his 40s by being nice on the court. He made his impact on the court by playing physical defense that racked up fouls and injuries to opposing players. The center out of Texas Christian University somehow averaged more than four fouls per game multiple times in his career.

 
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Rasheed Wallace

Rasheed Wallace
Doug Benc/Getty Images

Although he was a great player, former Blazers, Knicks, Hawks, Pistons, Celtics and Knicks power forward Rasheed Wallace was also one of the NBA’s most entertaining players. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reasons. Wallace picked up an NBA record 317 technical fouls over the course of his career. Let’s just say he and David Stern were on a first-name basis.

 
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Kermit Washington

Kermit Washington
Focus On Sport/Getty Images

In a 1977 game against the Rockets, Lakers forward Kermit Washington punched Houston forward Rudy Tomjanovich, causing Tomjanovich to hit the floor where he laid unconscious with a broken jaw and nose. Tomjanovich then began to leak spinal fluid onto the floor. The incident nearly killed “Rudy T.” Washington might not have been a truly dirty player in his playing days, but that incident alone earns him a spot on this list.

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