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Dirtiest NBA players have been involved in a lot of controversies. Most of them don't shy away from verbal or physical altercations, and a lot of them have had many ejections and technical or flagrant fouls.
The professional basketball league used to be more physical a few decades ago, which is why many players were rough against their opponents. Even then, some of them took it way too far.
This article lists 15 of the dirtiest NBA players of all time. Players are listed in random order, and the list includes players from multiple eras of the league.
Some of the dirtiest NBA players set records
1) Rasheed Wallace
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Rasheed Wallace spent 16 years in the NBA and played for six different teams. He achieved a lot of success with the Detroit Pistons, where he ended up winning the championship in 2004.
The 6-foot-10 forward was very physical and did not mind causing trouble on the floor. He holds the record for the most technical fouls in a season with 41. The big man set the record in the 2000-01 season, and it's unlikely that it will be broken due to the new NBA rules.
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Despite being one of the dirtiest NBA players, Rasheed Wallace tried to calm things down during the brawl against the Detroit Pistons. Malice at the Palace is the biggest fight in the history of the league, yet Wallace tried to prevent it.
2) Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen is a 6-7 forward who helped the San Antonio Spurs win three championships. He averaged only 6.1 points per game throughout his career, but his physicality made him one of the most valuable players on the team.
Bowen was an exceptional defender, but many of his actions on the court were malicious. He's one of the dirtiest NBA players of all time since his moves injured several amazing players, including Steve Francis and Vince Carter.
The former Spurs forward even admitted that he was a dirty player, but he played like that because he wanted to do whatever was necessary to win.
3) Draymond Green
Similar to Bowen, Draymond Green is not exactly a monster when it comes to stats. However, his defense and intangibles make the Golden State Warriors one of the toughest teams in the league.
The Warriors forward is exceptional, but he's also one of the dirtiest NBA players of all time. Green is reckless and malicious, which is why he's been suspended from several games during his career.
It's unlikely that the 4-time NBA champion will ever change, so we can expect a few more suspensions in the future.
4) Ron Artest / Metta World Peace
Metta may have liked world peace, but he certainly wasn't about peace on the court. The 6-7 defensive-minded forward was well known for his tough physical defense. His amazing skills helped him win it all with the LA Lakers in 2010.
However, the former NBA star was very problematic, both as Ron Artest and as Metta World Peace. Artest took part in Malice at the Palace and was suspended for an entire season due to it. He also faced legal consequences for punching a fan.
The forward changed his name in 2011, but did not change his behavior. Another instance that proves he is one of the dirtiest NBA players is his elbow hit on James Harden. This was completely uncalled for, but World Peace did it simply because he was dirty.
5) Bill Laimbeer
Bill Laimbeer was a big part of the Bad Boys Pistons, so it's not surprising that he's one of the dirtiest NBA players of all time. His physical play paid off, however, as he helped the Pistons win two championships.
The 6-11 center was very aggressive on the floor and did not mind committing hard fouls. He was also involved in several scuffles and altercations on the floor, which didn't help his case.
He was so dirty that he was featured in Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, a 1991 video game for the SNES. The game takes place in the future with Laimbeer as an NBA commissioner. The commissioner threw away all the old rules, fired referees, and allowed players to be as physical as they wanted.
6) Zaza Pachulia
Many NBA fans realized that Zaza Pachulia was one of the dirtiest NBA players when he injured Kawhi Leonard. Bruce Bowen even spoke about the incident and said that Pachulia was dirty.
But the truth is that the big man was dirty long before that. The only difference was that Kawhi's injury was put in the spotlight and happened in the playoffs.
Pachulia's physicality helped the Warriors win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
7) Chris Paul
Chris Paul is one of the most successful players on this list. He's earned numerous accolades in his 18-year NBA career and could finally win his first championship with the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
While Paul is a fantastic floor general, he's also one of the dirtiest NBA players. However, he's a sneaky dirty player who gets away with a lot of inappropriate plays, which is why he easily avoids suspensions and ejections.
8) Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade is another all-time great player. He was the heart and soul of the Miami Heat for more than a decade and won three championships in South Beach. Wade was exceptional on the floor, but also quite dirty.
D-Wade's on-court actions injured several players, from Kobe Bryant to Rajon Rondo. The Heat shooting guard was very competitive, but he sometimes took it too far, which is what earned him a spot on the list of the dirtiest NBA players.
9) Charles Oakley
Charles Oakley loves physical basketball and is well known for committing hard fouls. The 6-8 forward played for five teams during his 19-year career, including the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.
With 4,421 personal fouls in the regular season, Oakley ranks fourth in NBA history. Despite playing in an era that was more physical, the Knicks legend was still criticized for some of his moves on the court.
10) Karl Malone
Karl Malone is one of the greatest NBA players of all time and the third-best scorer in the league's history. However, the Utah Jazz legend has dealt with a lot of controversy, both on and off the floor.
During his impressive 19-year career, Malone had many cheap shots against his opponents. He is well known for throwing his elbows and getting away with a lot of fouls. Malone and John Stockton, his teammate, are arguably the dirtiest duo the league has ever had.
11) John Stockton
John Stockton is one of the greatest floor generals in the league's history. Despite never winning a championship ring, the Utah Jazz legend was exceptional at running the floor and is the all-time leader in assists and steals.
Similar to Chris Paul, Stockton was quite sneaky. He encouraged physical play and was even named one of the dirtiest NBA players by his peers in 1997. Additionally, the point guard was a well-known flopper.
12) Dennis Rodman
John Stockton was named the second dirtiest player in the league in 1997, but only Dennis Rodman was ahead of him. The Worm was a hard worker whose exceptional skills won him five championship rings.
Rodman's physical style of play is the reason why he was so successful. However, he often did not choose the means of beating his opponents, which is why he's one of the dirtiest NBA players.
Like Laimbeer, Rodman was part of the Bad Boys Pistons. Later on, he helped Michael Jordan win three more championships.
13) Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is one of the most competitive players to ever play in the NBA. His fantastic performances earned him multiple accolades during his 21-year career, including a championship, an MVP award, and 15 All-Star selections.
What makes him one of the dirtiest NBA players is his competitive nature. The Big Ticket was willing to get dirty if it meant something positive for his team. Due to this, he had many hard fouls and physical altercations during his career.
Garnett's superstar status saved him from harsher penalties, but he wasn't exactly the nicest player on the court.
14) Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk has played on five different teams during his career, but he received the most hate during his tenure with the Boston Celtics. The forward had many dirty plays, including inappropriate actions against LeBron James and Kevin Love.
Olynyk injured Love's shoulder during the 2015 playoffs, earning the reputation as one of the dirtiest NBA players. Due to the injury, Love was unable to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the remainder of the postseason, which was a huge blow.
15) Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen has been in the NBA for only five years, yet he's already known as a dirty player. The 6-4 guard had this reputation even before he became a professional as many opponents disliked his behavior at Duke University.
You may be interested in reading: "One of the dirtiest players in the league" - Fans criticize Grayson Allen amid Derrick White ear injury
The Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard has had many physical altercations so far during his professional career and was even accused of injuring several players.
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