50 Most Intimidating NBA Players of All Time (2024)

One of my favorite types of player in the NBA is the guy that will absolutely punish his opponent when he goes into the lane—the Kendrick Perkins or Emeka Okafor-type player that owns the paint and gets offended when another player comes into it.

That is one of the most intimidating guys on the floor, the one who isn't necessarily unpredictable; instead, the guy driving the lane knows exactly what's going to happen: He's going to drive, and he's going to get a body put on him.

Usually, it is the defensive monsters that are the intimidating players, and it's quite hard to be an intimidating player using only an offensive game, but it is possible.

Some qualities that make a player intimidating include that physical presence that we've already talked about, unpredictability, size, shot-blocking, confidence, meanness, ability to take over a game, utter dominance and, most importantly, insanity. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to be ugly.

You could be a decent player, but if you're legitimately insane, then it gives you another dimension.

Intimidation plays a big role in basketball, and it's a very overlooked quality in the NBA, so I took a look and found the most intimidating players in league history.

Intimidating Quality: Defense, meanness

Early in his career, Kenyon Martin relied on his athleticism to be one of the best defenders in the league, and he was intimidating then. He could block almost anyone in the league, and he had hands to steal almost any pass.

Then, when he started to break down from age and the various bumps and bruises that a player eventually experiences, he started to get mean and physical. He routinely knocks players down and roughs them up as much as possible within the rules.

Intimidating Quality: Dominance, size

A man this powerful and fast is already intimidating, and I don't think I have to explain to you why he is on this list, but I may have to explain why I have him so low.

It seems that LeBron James is too much into his own head, meaning he is his own worst enemy at this point. He seems unsure of himself in the clutch, shown by his performance in the NBA Finals near the end of games.

It's hard to get intimidated by a guy who is intimidated by himself.

Intimidating Quality: Confidence, dominance

If there is one thing that scared me about the Miami Heat in the finals, it's that they had Dwyane Wade. I was completely convinced that, in a pinch, he would not hesitate to knock LeBron out of the way, look at him and say, "I got this."

When he didn't, I was shocked. If they make it to the finals again and the Heat are showing the same signs of collapsing, I would go as far as to place a bet in Vegas that Miami would come back and win, and Wade would win the finals MVP.

Intimidating Quality: Craziness, physicality

Chances are if it weren't for one instance, nobody would even talk about Kermit Washington anymore, but a single punch made him one of the most intimidating men in the league (at least in the homes of all the NBA fans out there).

He was a legitimately intimidating player in his own right, with good physicality and an enforcer mentality, but when he nearly killed Rudy Tomjanovic with a single punch, he jumped right onto this list.

Intimidating Quality: Intensity

Most people today would say that Kevin Garnett is the most intense player in the game. Well, take Garnett and multiply that by about 200, and you have Dave Cowens.

Cowens cared a little too much about the game and completely bypassed giving 110 percent. He went ahead and gave 248 percent, and even then, he wanted to go harder.

It's almost scary how much he cared about the game, and that is enough to make him an intimidating man and basketball player.

Intimidating Quality: Clutch, confidence, dominance, intensity

One of the two most dominant players since Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's skills are second to none at shooting guard since he came into the league.

Kobe is better than most in the clutch, and he is never afraid of taking the game-winning shot. It's that mentality, plus his newly developed caveman-like underbite, that shows his intensity and his "in-the-zoneness."

Intimidating Quality: Dominance, confidence, defense

Tim Duncan doesn't seem like a very intimidating player on the surface, but when you look at how dominant he has been over the past decade, and when you factor in the fact that he is the best power forward of all time, you have one intimidating player.

He may not scare players in the manner that they fear bodily harm when he walks on the court, but his ability to consistently dominate since his rookie season is a frightening thing.

Intimidating Quality: Size, confidence, physicality

Coming into the league out of Navy, David Robinson was already a presence without even playing a single game. He has a swagger about him without attempting to have a swagger.

Along with his presence, which has really been unrivaled by anyone but Michael Jordan since he came into the league, Robinson was a big, physical man, which made him one of the most intimidating players in the league at the time.

Intimidating Quality: Craziness, physicality

There are two things about Darryl Dawkins: First, he was a crazy man-child who was hard to put a leash on, and second, he was a big, strong, backboard-breaking man.

Dawkins broke many backboards in his day, and that alone was enough to scare some younger players, but he was also physical and thought that he was from another planet...literally.

Intimidating Quality: Unpredictability, defense, dominance

When Michael Jordan left the league for baseball, Hakeem Olajuwon was the best player in the league, and it showed when his teams won back-to-back titles.

Olajuwon was a presence on each end of the floor, and what made him intimidating was that you knew what he was going to do on defense and had no clue on offense. He was going to stop you from scoring in any way possible, and then he was going to get the ball and do God knows what with it on the other end.

Intimidating Quality: Complete insanity

I don't know what Ron Artest is doing right now, and you don't know what Ron Artest is doing right now, but I would assure you that whatever he is doing, he is doing it like a crazy man.

He could just be eating a bowl of cereal, but he probably has a crazy look in his eyes.

This may not be true, but the way he carries himself on the court makes me think this is at least a possibility.

Intimidating Quality: Size, intensity

This is one of the few players in league history that is more intimidating because he is shorter. Barkley seemed to take it as a challenge that he was shorter than anyone else, and he surpassed every expectation.

Barkley was a dirty, mean guy on and off the court, and while he may not have always had his head completely in basketball, when he was on the court, his head was always completely into doling out punishment.

Intimidating Quality: Dominance, ability to take over a game, unpredictability

Larry Bird was a special player. He wasn't athletic, and he was white, but he was the best in the league for a period of time. He could shoot from a distance, or he could go down low and bang around like a big man, all while playing immaculate defense.

If you were to tell a defender that he would die if he didn't keep Bird from scoring 25, he would be shaking in his boots.

Intimidating Quality: Defense, intensity, size, strength, Afro, meanness

Another guy who was made more intimidating by his size, Ben Wallace is easily the best defender since Dennis Rodman was shaking down players for the ball in the mid '90s.

He was a big, strong, mean dude who was made meaner by that intimidating Afro sitting on top of his head waiting for you to laugh at it.

Intimidating Quality: Defense, physicality, insanity

The players that we call crazy today seem like cute little bunny rabbits compared to the insanity that is Dennis Rodman.

We are talking about the guy that kicked a cameraman, colored his hair every color imaginable, married himself and just had that insane look in his eye. It was intimidating.

I mean, wouldn't you be intimidated by a guy if you thought he could give you gonorrhea if you defended him too closely?

Intimidating Quality: Size, dominance, defense, strength

Shaq could have been much better, which is scary considering how good he really was. He really only showed off how good he could have been from 1999-2001, where he absolutely obliterated the league.

The dude shook off other centers like they were flies, and if he didn't have an obvious weakness (free-throw shooting) that could easily be exploited, he would be No. 1 on this list.

Intimidating Quality: Dominance, intensity, confidence, meanness, GOAT factor

Imagine you're Todd Day in 1995. It's your second year in the league, and you're starting for the Bucks. You're feeling pretty good about yourself, but you're not overconfident; I mean, it is the Bucks.

Then you get on a plane for a road trip—first stop Chicago. You walk out onto the floor for warm-ups, and you start missing shots; you're a bit shaky. Then come the introductions, culminating with, "Frrrom North...Carolina, at guard, six foot six...Michaellllll Joooordaaan!"

Did you get chills? Yeah, me too. Now, I just need you to go do one thing.

Go guard that guy.

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