Let’s check which top 5 NBA superstars have the most number of technical fouls in NBA history
The game of basketball is full of highs and lows. One day you are a hero and on the next day, you can be the greatest villain.
The NBA undoubtedly is a league full of surprises. Along with elite gameplay of basketball, the NBA is stacked with entertainment. And this entertainment is not just about winning games and scoring massive points.
The platform of NBA can make any player an overnight hero. If one plays their cards right, then they are set to become a guaranteed superstar. If one scores consistently and wins games on a daily basis, then they are guaranteed to be their fan favorites.
However, fame sometimes can be costly for many NBA superstars. No player wants to make headlines for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, they end up doing just that.
Over the years, plenty of players have committed a significant amount of technical fouls during their NBA careers. Mostly, these technical fouls are simply the result of a player’s frustration. Also, sometimes, technical fouls are the need of the game. In the rarest of the cases, a technical foul can also be an honest mistake from the players’ side.
Nevertheless, whatever be the case, technical fouls tend to leave a bad stain on a player’s career and image. Let us know the most technical fouls in NBA history.
Total Career fouls: 212
Total Ejections: 5
The legend of Dennis Rodman is not something unheard of. However, it is surprising to know that the certified bad boy of NBA is not higher in this mentioned list!
Known as ‘The Worm’, Rodman was known for his short temper and aggressiveness. Moreover, he belonged to the famous “Bad Boys” team of Detroit Pistons. Needless to say, Rodman’s behavior and attitude have landed him in trouble quite a few times. As a result, Rodman has been suspended numerous times and has also paid hefty fines for his behavior.
Rodman, in NBA his career, has picked up 212 technical fouls and has been ejected from games 5 times.
His most infamous incidents included kicking a cameraman on the sideline, and head-butting referee Ted Bernhardt twice following a second technical foul.
Total Career fouls: 250
Total ejections: 11
Nicknamed as ‘The Glove’, Gary Payton is famous for his rock-solid defensive abilities. Payton’s defending skills even made him the only point guard to win the NBA defensive player of the year award.
However, along with his defending skills, Payton is overtly famous for his ‘trash talks’ on the basketball court. Payton’s legendary trash talks have earned him quite a toxic reputation, and a lot of technical fouls.
Payton was constantly talking to his opponents, trying to get under their skin, but he was also vocal towards officials and had a tendency for reacting very angrily towards them when calls didn’t go his way.
In this list, Payton ranks fourth, by committing 250 technical fouls. Payton was also ejected from games 11 times.
Total Career fouls: 317
Total ejections: 29
Rasheed Wallace will be forever remembered for his extraordinary talent to pick up technical fouls and silly ejections. Basketball fans remember Wallace more from his fouls rather than his playing skills. In fact, Wallace has several records in committing fouls.
Wallace holds the record for most technical fouls committed in a season. Wallace famously committed 41 technical fouls in the 2000-01 season.
Moreover, Wallace and the NBA referees weren’t exactly on good terms. Wallace was quite the enemy of the NBA referees. Back in the days, in a drop of a hat, the referees used to eject Wallace from the games. It’s pretty natural that Wallace didn’t like that. Talk about sworn enemies.
In this list, Wallace ranks third, by committing 317 technical fouls. Additionally, Wallace has been ejected from games a record 29 times.
Total Career fouls: 329
Total ejections: 6
If you today see Charles Barkley, you will see one of the most entertaining persons on television. But the reality was different for Barkley when he was an active NBA player. In short, while playing, Chuck was a menace.
Barkley’s antics and his mouth often got him into trouble on the court. Barkley was an expert at trash-talking, and he was very aggressive towards both opposing players and the officials.
Yelling at the officials, poking the noses of them, putting fingers in their face, blowing up with hands was the daily routine of Barkley. He even had numerous situations where he cussed out referees on national television!
In one incident, Barkley cut the nose of referee Jack Nies with his fingernail, earning himself a technical foul.
In this list, Barkley ranks second, by committing 329 technical fouls. Also, Chuck has been ejected from games 6 times.
Total Career fouls: 332
Total ejections: 5
It is honestly surprising to see Karl Malone at the top of this list. But he can’t be blamed in all its entirety. Malone had a long NBA career of 19-seasons! He was bound to pick up some technical fouls in this long time. Moreover, Malone played in a very tough NBA era. In his time, most of the games featured a fight between players. So, picking technical was not that uncommon.
While playing, Malone was a combination of complaining and trash-talking. He also used to recklessly elbow players. ‘The Mailman’ in the 1991-92 season, elbowed Isiah Thomas horribly. Isiah Thomas had to take 40 stitches! Needless to say, Malone was a very physical player.
Malone’s physical style of play saw him pick up more technical fouls than anybody else, and the second most personal fouls of all time as well.
In this list, Malone ranks first, by committing 332 technical fouls. Malone has also been ejected from games 5 times.
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