The Dirtiest Defenders in the NBA
Around the League yesterday, we saw a number of guys doing whatever it takes to stop their man.
* At the Knick game at MSG, with Andrei Kirilenko posting him on the block, Chris Duhon looked like he was doing a high-knees exercise video, smashing AK-47 in the leg repeatedly to try to drive him off the block.
* We saw Zach Randolph and Carlos Boozer literally fighting for boards. On one occasion, Boozer swam around Z-Bo for an offensive board, and Randolph gave him the ol’ lodge the knuckle in your man’s rib army trick to push him out of bounds.
* Some supremely physical play lasted for virtually the entire Rockets/Lakers game, with Ron Artest and Kobe trying to punish each other at every possible opportunity. On one end, Ron was hanging all over Mamba when he tried to open up for the ball on the block. Artest even took some cheap shots: after Kobe got in the lane and made a beautiful dish to Pau Gasol in the 4th quarter, Artest basically chest-bumped Kobe’s back.
* But Kobe wasn’t the cleanest defender either. When Artest turned and faced the basket, Kobe locked him up and got whistled for two straight fouls in about 12 seconds. Wherever Ron wanted to go, Kobe had an elbow waiting for him there.
* We haven’t heard much from Bruce Bowen as of late, but this list would be incomplete without him. When he guarded Dwyane Wade on Friday night, he bothered him at times but didn’t hit him with anything obviously out of line.
* Though the Suns didn’t play last night, Raja Bell can’t be left off either. Like Artest, his best stuff comes out against Kobe.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:28 am
QQ says:
RON ARTESSSSSSSSSSST!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 10th, 2008 at 8:30 am
QQ says:
Wow, the most obvious photo caption ever printed.
How about ‘FUCK YES, HE IS’?
November 10th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Dagomar says:
What about KG?
November 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Smitty313 says:
You have to play dirty against Kobe or you are done. Make Kobe use as much energy as possible.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:40 am
TO says:
*cue the Bruce Bowen fan club
November 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Kudabeen says:
Worst/Dirtiest Defender move outside of grabbing nuts is when defenders purposely slide their feet under a jumpshooter or rebounder…That is an instant ankle sprain/twist…Hate that, but NBA has been paying more attention to this thanks to Bruce Bowen getting called out by Kobe, Ray Allen, and all…
Dirtiest Player right now is Reggie Evans. He gets away with alot, because he keeps it moving…
November 10th, 2008 at 9:06 am
ERIC says:
the list begins with #1 - bruce bowen
November 10th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Ian says:
i like bowen
November 10th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Al says:
Reggie Evans was a damn good choice , he’s always looking for somebody to start with
November 10th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Amar says:
carlos boozer is the cleanest defender. why? because he doesn’t play any. if he played in the NFL on defense, after games they’d never have to wash his jersey. it would be spotless.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:40 am
flegman says:
Master Bruce of the Dark Side
November 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Ansonious says:
Bruce Bowen hands down and what cracks me up is he’ll never admit to his style of playing, it’s like farting and blaming it on someone else, but I will say last years scuffle with chris paul was bogus.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:04 am
rangerjohn says:
kudabeen, i have to ask you, since you brought it up about sliding your feet under players, count HOW MANY PLAYERS HAS BRUCE BOWEN ACTUALY SENT OUT OF A GAME FOR THIS? now there is the “its dangerous” croud, and i dont argue that, but i ask how many have ACTUALLY gotten hurt by him doing this?
i cant even think of ONE.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:46 am
BxBaller says:
@ rangerjohn. What about Steve Francis & Vince Carter? And maybe Jamal Crawford too?
November 10th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Damon says:
Yes, he fouled out francis and crawford.
and rangerjohn: i respect bowen for his defense, but you have to agree he is a dirty player.
just look when he kicked ray allen in the back. just a dirty play. and there are other examples…
but i understand you defending him, i would too if he was on my team.
but he is still dirrrrty…
November 10th, 2008 at 11:14 am
YOUNGFED says:
Player’s Choice Award Goes to………BRUCE BOWEN (aHHHHHHH!!!!! The Crowd Goes Wild!!!!)
Micheal Jordan gets the Life Time Achievement award for dirtiest player alltime.
HONORABLE MENTION: Thee Bad Boys.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
bamba says:
we should have a “what tricks (dirty or not) have you pulled off in a game” feature
November 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
MissChick says:
Ron Artest is not a dirty defender. He’s just physical and doesn’t play b!tch defense like most of the guys in the NBA.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
rangerjohn says:
BXballer
neither of those plyers where injured by him. both maybe took offense but neither was ever injured.
hell how about steve nash?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scmx1z94WAI
or speaking of kicking someone how about nash kicking yao?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhzVTB8ryQM
November 10th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
nola says:
joel pryzbilia or howevery ou spell it