"I just sweat a little, you are tired and paralyzed"! Take a look at the top 5 "physical weirdness" in NBA history

In the NBA arena, talent has never been a single dimension. Some people dominate the basket with their stunning height, some rely on accurate shooting to become scoring machines, and some rely on keen insight to control the overall situation. Among all talents, physical fitness is often the most easily overlooked but the key link that can best determine the direction of the game - it is like an athlete's "energy reserve library", supporting players to maintain their state in 48 minutes of high-intensity confrontation, especially when the decisive moment, abundant physical strength can often become the last straw that crushes the opponent.

Even if many stars have top-notch skills and basketball IQ, they end up losing out of physical strength. Yao Ming, who we are familiar with, is the most successful Chinese player in NBA history, has a soft shooting feel and excellent basket footsteps. However, due to his size and physique, his physical strength is difficult to support long-term high-intensity combat, and he is often trapped in the later stage of his career by fatigue. Durant became the top scorer in the league with his unsolved "death" shooting and super long arm span, but his physical strength distribution has always been a shortcoming, and his efficiency often fluctuates due to physical decline at critical moments. As a representative of the new generation of stars, although his ball quotient and offensive skills far exceed his peers, his physical reserve is not top-notch. Every high-intensity series, he can always see his state decline due to fatigue in the second half.

In contrast, there are always some "anomies" in NBA history. Their physical strength seems to be endless, just like a "perpetual motion machine". As long as they are willing, playing for a full 48 minutes is just a routine operation for them. Even at the end of the game, they were just sweating slightly, but their opponents were already exhausted and panting, and were even on the verge of "exhausting". It is not easy to have such physical talent. Looking at the 79-year history of the NBA, only 5 people can be called real "physical weirdness". They have written legends after legend on the field with a steady stream of energy.

1, Kobe Bryant

When talking about Kobe, the first thing people think of is his "Mamba spirit", unsolved back jump shots and countless classic winning moments, but few people realize that what supports all this is his almost perverted physical reserve. Kobe's high-scoring game is essentially a "dual support of physical strength and will" - a miracle of 81 points in a single game. He made 46 shots in the whole game. Not only did he have to break through and jump shots on the offensive end, but he also had to face the opponent's core players on the defensive end, maintaining high-intensity offense and defense throughout the whole process; in four consecutive games, he had to undertake nearly half of the team's offensive tasks in every game, and there was almost no rest time; in the performance of 62 points in three quarters, he exhausted his opponent's physical strength in just three quarters, making his opponent completely lose his desire to resist in the fourth quarter; even in the retirement battle, the 38-year-old Kobe can still score 60 points with 50 shots. You should know that such a number of shots and scoring efficiency is unbearable for even a star at his peak, let alone a veteran who is about to retire. In the 2010 Finals, facing the Celtics' "meat grinder"-like defense, Kobe averaged 41.8 minutes per game. Not only did he have to carry the team on the offensive end, but he also had to limit Ray Allen's running position and Pierce's breakthrough on the defensive end. Especially in the 7th game, the score between the two sides was in a stalemate until the last moment. Kobe was able to complete key steals and jump shots at the end of the fourth quarter. It was with the ultimate physical support that he helped the Lakers win the championship and complete the dominance of two consecutive championships. If Kobe had even a little less physical strength at that time, the championship trophy might have fallen into the hands of the Celtics.

2. Allen Iverson

In NBA history, Iverson is a "anomal" - 1.83 meters tall, and looks particularly petite in the league with a forest of people, but he used his "small" body to burst out with "giant" physical strength and energy. Iverson's scoring method is itself a "physical attrition war": he is good at breaking through with lightning speed, entering the inside line again and again to fight against centers above 2 meters tall, creating killing. This kind of playing style consumes much more physical strength than outside jump shots. But even so, Iverson still relied on this style of play at his peak, winning the scoring champion four times, becoming the most terrifying scoring machine in the league.

How exaggerated is Iverson's physical strength? You can tell by looking at his playing time - he averaged 41.1 minutes per game in his regular season, which is a top-level level in any era; in the playoffs, his playing time soared to 45 minutes. You should know that the intensity of the playoffs is much higher than that of the regular season. Many stars will lose their efficiency in the playoffs due to lack of physical strength, but Iverson can maintain his form in high-intensity confrontation. In the 2001 Finals, Iverson led the 76ers to the Lakers led by the "OK combination". Although he lost 1-4, he averaged 46.2 minutes in the series, and played 48 minutes in the first game, scoring 48 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the team to defeat the Lakers, breaking the Lakers' unbeaten record that year.

Iverson's physical strength not only supports his score, but also becomes a weapon to "torture" his opponent. His breakthrough speed is extremely fast, and the defender needs to remain highly nervous throughout the whole process. If he relaxes a little, he will break through and score. Many players who have defended Iverson have said: "Defending Iverson is like running a marathon. You need to follow him to run the whole game. In the end, he can score easily, but you are so tired that you doubt your life." Although Iverson has not won the championship in his career, he won the title of "King of Uncrowned" with his continuous physical strength and unyielding fighting spirit, and became a legend in the hearts of countless fans.

3, Wilt Chamberlain

If Iverson's physical strength is a "miracle", then Chamberlain's physical strength is a "myth". As the most famous "talent monster" in NBA history, Chamberlain's physical condition is far superior to that of his contemporaries, and his physical strength has reached the level of "dimensionality reduction strike". In Chamberlain's era, although the pace of the NBA was not as fast as it is now, the intensity of the confrontation was not inferior at all. Chamberlain was able to create an incredible physical record in such an environment - he averaged 45.8 minutes per game in his career, of which in 1961-62, he averaged 48.5 minutes per game. You know, an NBA game had only 48 minutes in total, which means that he played almost every game that season, and even had to play overtime. According to statistics, his average rest time per game in each game was only 6 seconds, and even modern players could not achieve such physical reserves.

Chamberlain's physical strength is not only reflected in his playing time, but also in his "all-round play". He is not only a "scoring machine" on the offensive end (50.4 points per game per season), but also a "rebound monster" on the defensive end (22.9 rebounds per game per career), and even can undertake organizational tasks (8.6 assists per game in 1967-68). Imagine a giant who is 2.16 meters tall, who has to grab rebounds, score points, defend the opponent's core players on the court, and organize attacks, and almost never rest throughout the whole process. How terrifying is this physical energy consumption? But Chamberlain could handle it easily. Even after the game, he could go to parties and spend time, and still "harvest" the game the next day. To this day, people cannot imagine where Chamberlain's physical strength limit is. He is like a tireless "basketball machine", crushing all opponents of his contemporaries with his physical strength.

4, Michael Jordan

When talking about Jordan, people always think of his "Airman" dunk, unsolved back jump shot and the glory of 6 championships, but few people noticed that the physical strength of the "God of Basketball" is also the ceiling level of NBA history. Jordan has always maintained the top level of "offense and defense" in his career - the 10 scoring champion proves his offensive ability, and the 9 selections to the best defensive team proves his defensive strength, and being able to maintain a top-level state on both offense and defense at the same time depends on his abundant physical strength.

How strong is Jordan? He achieved the feat of "single-season MVP+DPOY (Best Defensive Player)+Scoring King" in the 1987-88 season, and no one can replicate this achievement. You should know that DPOY requires players to remain focused and have high-intensity confrontation throughout the defensive end, while the scoring champion needs to consume a lot of physical strength on the offensive end, while the MVP requires players to lead the team to win both offense and defense. Taking into account both of the three, the requirements for physical strength can be called "perverted".

In addition, Jordan's physical performance at critical moments was even more amazing - in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals, Jordan had a 40-degree fever and was so weak that he almost couldn't stand firm, but he still insisted on playing for 44 minutes, scoring 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, leading the Bulls to defeat the Jazz. This battle is also known as the "Flu Battle" and has become one of the most classic moments in NBA history.

Jordan's physical strength is also reflected in his "control" of the game. At his peak, he was treated with a defensive intensity that was unique to the league. His opponents often used two or even three to limit him, but Jordan was able to score efficiently under such defense, and at the last moment of the game, when his opponent was exhausted and panting, he could easily complete the final kill. Many opponents have said: "When you play with Jordan, you will feel that his physical strength will never be used up. When you are so tired that you can't move, he can still be as energetic as the starter." If Jordan is willing to put all his physical strength into the offensive end, averaging 40 points per game may not be difficult for him.

5. LeBron James: The physical inheritance of "active ceiling"

Among the active players, James' physical strength is definitely an "ceiling" level. Unlike the previous legends, James's style of playing is "a big core with the ball" - he needs to undertake multiple tasks of organization, breakthrough, and shooting on the offensive end, and also faces the core players of his opponents on the defensive end. This style of playing consumes much more physical strength than traditional scorers, but James can maintain a long-term peak state under such a style of playing.

James' physical strength is the most intuitive reflection of his playing time and "durability". He has played for 20 seasons so far in his career, but he can still play 48 minutes in the playoffs and even the finals. In the 2018 Finals, James led the Cavaliers against the Warriors. Although he lost 0-4, he averaged 41.9 minutes in the series, and in the first game he played 48 minutes, scoring 51 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Such a performance is difficult for even the stars at their peak. At the age of 38, James can still complete fast break dunks, rushing and stealing in the game, and even at the end of the fourth quarter, when his opponent has already declined in defensive efficiency due to fatigue, he can easily complete key scores.

James' physical strength also supports his "all-round performance". He won MVP four times in his career, championship and finals MVP four times, and was the first player in NBA history to achieve "40,000 points + 10,000 rebounds + 10,000 assists". Behind these achievements is his continuous physical strength. Many active players have said: "Defending James is a very painful thing. You need to follow him to run the whole game. He can both break through, shoot and pass the ball. You never know what he will do next, and his physical strength seems to be endless. In the end, you are so tired that he can still score easily.. "In terms of physical strength, James is not only the ceiling of the current service, but also the excellent inheritor of "physical monsters" in NBA history. The stories of these "physical monsters" also tell us: in the world of basketball, talent is important, but what can support talent to go further is often the physical strength and persistence that ordinary people cannot reach.