Playing defense in basketball is harder than it seems and it involves a great deal of hard work. When played correctly, a good defense player is more valuable than a good offense player and can help to lead his or her team to victory. Defense strategies involve a large amount of running, blocking, stripping the ball, and guarding against opponents. In professional basketball, the general public idolizes offensive players such as Kobe Bryant for his spectacular shooting skills. Defense positions such as guards are equally as valuable. Guards can play the passing lanes, shut down strong opponents and even assist on the boards. Defensive players can help assist down low, block shots, and many more. Furthermore, opponents usually take some time to assess the defense of the opposing team. Smart defensive players rely on their intelligence, while others rely on their agility, strength, techniques and so on. In a nutshell, don’t underestimate a defense player, especially in professional competitions such as the NBA. The NBA has had many amazing defensive players over the years, and in this article, we will explore the 5 well known defensive players of all time.
Gary Payton
Gary Payton was tremendously successful in defending the perimeter and was even given the title of "The Glove” due to his fantastic skills. Payton possessed outstanding fundamental skills such as footwork, agility, endurance, and persistence which made him stood out. His defensive efforts were acknowledged as he managed to hold back some of the greatest players of all time such as Michael Jordan. In fact, during his match against Michael Jordan, Payton was responsible for one of Jordan’s worst Finals performances by slowing him down to 27.3 points and stopping him five times under 30 points. Furthermore, he was the only Point Guard to be awarded the Defensive Player of the Year.
Bill Russell
Bill Russell was a phenomenal defensive player who had outstanding defense strategies that allowed him to dominate his matches on the defensive end. It will not be appropriate to talk about good defense players while talking about Bill Russell as he was the one that revolutionized the concepts of defense in the NBA. Russell excelled at converting blocks into rebounding opportunities. He was a lock-down defender who could stop his opponents using his high level of basketball IQ, talents, and athleticism. Similar to Payton, Russell has held off many prominent offense players in his entire career.
Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier is an American football player who plays in the National Football League and is one of the greatest ‘thieves’. Frazier was a menace throughout his career as the best pickpocket in NBA history using his swift hands. He excelled in stealing the ball while maintaining a distance from the opponents, not allowing anyone to evade him or score a jump shot. His pickpocketing techniques were so advanced and sophisticated that he was able to revolutionize thievery on the court into an art.
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman, unlike his notorious reputation, was an outstanding rebounder and defender that was hard to come by in NBA history. Now, a player like him has the ability to transform a team into a championship contender. Nicknamed “The Worm”, Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame back in 2011. Rodman had the ability and skills to defend against agile point guard players like Gary Payton. His versatility and defensive skills earned him a spot on the All-NBA Defensive Teams several times, a five-time championship, and two ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ awards.
Hakeem Olajuwon
To assess the performance of a defense player, one way is to take a look at their skills in Off-Ball Defense. A popular NBA player, LeBron James, has been one of the top off-ball defenders for several years. Another player that has been termed as one of the best Off-ball defenders is Hakeem Olajuwon. Nicknamed "The Dream", Olajuwon was even said to have surpassed LeBron James in Off-Ball Defense. Olajuwon is the all-time leader in blocked shots in the NBA and was awarded two-time ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ throughout his career. He also holds one of the best defensive records in NBA history.
The aforementioned NBA players are in another league on their own. One thing in common between all of them is the amount of hard work they put in to achieve where they are today. Do you aspire to be like them? Join our classes now and become one step closer to your goals.