These here are the bad boys, folks. Every sport has them. These are the ones that put winning so high on their list of priorities, they disregard ethical decency to attain it.
These are the guys that you hate when they are on a different team but absolutely adore when they are on your own. Whether it be constant elbows being thrown or simply a propensity to flop, these players work on the line separating lawful play from illegal venture.
You will find that there are two types of dirty athletes. There are those that are acting out of frustration and those that are trying to get an edge. All the while, these guys have added a huge dose of character to our beloved game.
50. Christian Laettner
It seems that the NBA's top defenders fill out this list. It is fitting. In a league that is geared towards scoring, a defender sometimes has to bend the rules to make it a level playing field.
But I cannot disregard Laettner's ability to hold a grudge as he did in this video:
Laettner admits stomping Timberlake
49. Robert Horry
As you can see, there is an obvious transition in the NBA. What were considered hard fouls a decade ago are now considered cheap shots.
Robert Horry is an older player that knows you sometimes have to deliver a message along with a foul. Is this dirty? Yes. Is it necessary? Extremely.
Horry delivers a cheap shot on David West
48. Gary Payton
You didn't think the greatest thief in the NBA would be here?
Gary Payton was a member of nine All-Defensive first teams. You don't get there without cracking some eggs. Or at the very least grabbing some jerseys and arms.
47. Vlade Divac
Right off the bat, I want you, the reader, to understand that I feel flopping is a dirty tactic. It is a lazy way around the rules. Sure there is contact, but selling it to make it look like there was a foul is deplorable.
I liked Vlade Divac when he was on my Lakers in the '90s. But the one thing I could never stand was that he was constantly on the floor. That is no way to get an advantage.
Vlade was the best at it.
46. Anthony Mason
Anthony Mason was a bit undersized to play power forward in the NBA. His brawn and physical strength made up for that fact. Mason played hard and physical.
When he had to defend the bigger players of the league, he was known to give a little extra. Shoves in the back and tugs of the shirt were a natural occurrence of the day.
Mason is one player that played so physically, it was hard to determine if he was dirty or just extremely active.
45. Latrell Sprewell
Latrell was a tough defender that would not back down from any fight. But I have to include him here for the utter lack of disrespect he showed to the his coach and this fine league, when in 1997, he choked P.J. Carlesimo.
During a Warriors practice, Sprewell felt he was getting criticized too much. Some would call this getting coached. Either way, he choked his coach to the ground.
No, he wasn't kicked out of the NBA. Are you crazy? He went on to make millions.
44. Jeff Ruland
Jeff Ruland was not supposed to be a starting center in the NBA. He was always out there trying to prove his critics wrong. This may be why he played the way he did.
Ruland was a tough burden for opponents to deal with down low. He liked to take chip shots and would elbow or shove defenders to get that shot going.
He was also a beast to handle defensively. He was always a degree or two away from full-on groping
43. Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller was an '80s-type player playing in the '90s. He would throw elbows when the refs were conveniently not looking.
But what I recall him being the best at was creating open space to shoot the ball with his arm. What Kobe Bryant has become very adept at, Miller started.
I would also like to mention that Cheryl's little brother could run his mouth trash-talking as well.
42. Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo is truly one of the nicest and most charitable players in NBA history. But when he was on the low block, players had to
watch for a multitude of elbows.
There was many a nose that went there to die.
41. Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili plays to the beat of his own drum. On defense, he is a complete handful. He has hands everywhere. He reaches and prods, and at some point, the viewer has to ask, wasn't there a foul there?
Sometimes.
But Manu Ginobili really shines in the art of flopping. He is the new dominant flopper. Don't go near him or he will crumble under your presence.