The NBA has had its fair share of ‘dirty’ players, those who are willing to bend the rules to give themselves an advantage. Dirty players often use their physicality and tricks to try and rattle opposition players to try and gain the upper hand against them while on the court.
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas revealed who was the dirtiest player he ever got to face off against in the NBA. Arenas noted that John Stockton was the dirtiest player he played against, talking about his physicality and aggression on the court. Considering their ages, Arenas probably played against Stockton in the early years of his career.
“Believe it or not, John Stockton (was the dirtiest player). My first two years, I’m like, ‘Yo, this dude is just a dirty player, bro’. He’s just dirty like, he’d pull you, elbow you, knee you, he’d do all of that. He did all of that. I’m glad I didn’t play in the 80s. This is not basketball right here.”
Arenas claiming that Stockton, who was always considered an undersized player during his time in the NBA, was one of the dirtiest players in the league comes as a shock. Stockton was always a smaller player who used his smarts and his passing ability to make himself a success in the NBA.
John Stockton Played In A Very Physical Era Of The NBA
While Stockton’s build and size don’t lend to him being a very dirty player, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Stockton found success in the NBA, playing in one of the most physical periods in the league’s history, where players had to show strength and physicality in order to get by.
Arenas was not the only one to label Stockton as dirty, as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr once called Stockton a ‘dirty b*stard’. During his career, Stockton would be known for his incredible assists, as he eloquently set up the rest of his team. Through the course of his career, Stockton averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Stockton would end up setting the blueprint for other players to come, with Chris Paul being the player who matches his style of play the most in the modern NBA. Much like Stockton, Paul has been accused of playing dirty from time to time, but there is no denying the talent and skill both players have.
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