Within a sports league like the NBA, talent is often not enough to win and, to realize this, just think of the amount of talented players who have never brought home the ring.
In many cases, with the same talent, I am there competitiveness and the desire to win to make a difference, The Last Dance teaches.
In the history of basketball we have seen many players with a winning mentality, always looking for dominance over the opponent, whether it was any of the 82 regular season games or, even more so, a Playoff match.
Today we are going to see who, in our opinion, i 10 most competitive players ever!
10 Most Competitive Players Ever
10. Russell Westbrook
In all likelihood the player who currently puts more intensity on the pitch than everyone else.
Although many see them as pure and simple statpadding (the desire to “inflate” the statistics without really contributing much to the team), the 3 consecutive seasons with triple double average are a clear example of killer mentality in Westbrook.
The fact that the number 0 he has not yet managed to win despite the immense talent he demonstrates, however, how often he has not been able to channel all his energy in the correct way: nevertheless, he cannot but deserve a place in this ranking.
9. Gary Payton
The Glove, a player adamant that if he defended him over Michael Jordan during the entire final series against the Bulls, his Seattle SuperSonics they would become champions.
Speaking bluntly, it’s highly unlikely he was right, but his words are enough to put him on this list. One of the best defenders that they have ever seen, without any awe.
As his comments on MJ reveal, he was certain he could stop anyone and there competitive malice he played with often resulted in intimidating opponents.
8. Kevin Garnett
A leader in the strictest sense of the word, from a technical and emotional point of view. L’intensity playing in every single match was almost scary if, unfortunately for you, you were a fan of the opposing team.
That’s probably why the Boston Celtics won the ring in 2008, thanks not only to his talent, but also (and perhaps above all) to his ability to play the charge for his teammates, as if they were really going to war.
The Big Ticket, Ladies and gentlemen.
7. Allen Iverson
Iverson’s nomination for this ranking comes as early as his rookie year, at the expense of none other than Michael Jordan. The first time MJ saw the little boy she whispered the sweet words “What’s up, you little bitch?”, in puro stile Jordan.
The boy with the number 3 waited, until, in another match between the 76ers and the Bulls, the strongest player in the world was found to mark him: the rest is history, with The Answer who gets rid of Michael with a declaration of war in the form of a crossover and then puts 2 points on the scoresheet.
6. Kawhi Leonard
If you want an example of silent leader, look no further, on the other hand he learned from Duncan and Popovich, the best in the field.
2 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVP titles, of which the first at 22 won thanks to a stellar defense on LeBron James that allowed his Spurs to defeat the Miami Heat of the Big Three in 5 races.
And then the conquest of the title in 2019 watch Toronto Raptors, almost “Jordanian” for the features. If we talk about complete players on both sides of the pitch, he is one of the best ever, undoubtedly the best in business, as demonstrated by the defense with which he stopped Giannis in that year’s Eastern Conference finals.
5. Isiah Thomas
Man-cover of Bad Boys from Detroit, the team ready to do anything to win.
The emblem of the Jordan Rules, the “commandments”Aims to stop the number 23 in any way possible, sometimes with fouls that, nowadays, would probably lead to suspension.
One of the best point guards ever, according to MJ even the second, behind only Magic Johnson. Thomas was a controversial character, but always with one goal in mind, victory.
4. Larry Bird
Not only one of the best players, but also one of the best trash–talker of every era, even the best according to Michael Jordan, who will certainly have ripped a few pages from the manual of number 33 on how to make opponents lose their temper.
3-time NBA champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 3-time MVP and 3-time consecutive 3-time shooting champion, one machine programmed for success capable of winning practically everything a professional basketball player can win.
3. Bill Russell
11 NBA champion titles, none like him in history. Many Celtics fans consider him the best of all time, and the reality is that this is not a sacrilege.
The first great example of clutch player, as a decisive player, having won across the board, at least at the level of team titles, the comparison with another of the best ever, Wilt Chamberlain, moreover a direct rival, as they played in the same role.
In race 7 of the 1962 Finals, Russell led his team to victory with a film library performance, 30 points and 40 rebounds: more competitive than that!
2. Kobe Bryant
“The eyes, chico. They never lie ”: the eyes never lie. The famous line from the movie Scarface is the best description of Kobe because, when you looked into his eyes, you saw them flames of competitiveness.
5 NBA titles, 81 points in a single game, 60 points in the retirement game, are just some of the magic performed by the greatest Laker of all time.
In the cursed 2020 he left us, in a way as tragic as it is premature, but his legacy will never leave us, there Mamba Mentality will never leave us.
1. Michael Jordan
No surprise at number one, it is Michael Jeffrey Jordan, the greatest sports icon of all time. What amazes, in addition to the science fiction plays, are not so much the 6 NBA titles, but how these titles arrived.
Every time he showed up in the Finals he won and, more importantly, he never needed to make it to Game 7 to win. The amount of sacred monsters that MJ has left without a ring is something sensational: Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller are just the most famous names on a long list packed with talent.
Michael Jordan at number 1, as usual.
Honorable Mention: Dennis Rodman
Not the most classic of the players on this list, he certainly had his own way of living life as a professional athlete. But when she tied her shoes, she didn’t discount anyone.
He has never been the most talented player, not even remotely, but he has always been one of the most tenacious, which is why he was a fundamental pawn first for the Detroit Pistons and then for the Chicago Bulls.
Our honorable mention goes to The Worm.
