Throughout the history of the NBA, there have been a lot of hotheads. You need tough players who are going to stand up for themselves and keep the referees in check, and sometimes, a technical foul can even motivate your team. However, a number of players have taken it way too far and have been called for an absurd amount of techs. In the NBA, a technical foul leads to two free throws and the opposing team getting the ball back, which are pretty serious repercussions.
Technical fouls are even more costly in the modern era as a hefty fine and the risk for suspension come attached with technical fouls for repeat offenders. As of recent, Draymond Green is perhaps most known for getting chippy and accumulating technical fouls.
Most recently, he was ejected during the Nov. 14 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves when he dragged Rudy Gobert out of a scuffle with a chokehold. Surpassingly, though, Green doesn't rank in the top 10 in all-time technical fouls. He has 170 techs, three of which have already come in the early parts of this season.
Green is just on the outside looking in when it comes to the 10 players with the most technical fouls of all time, and he is sure to join that list in no time. With that said, we found out which 10 NBA players have committed the most technical fouls ever. That list is below.
Draymond Green should be suspended. This is the type behavior the NBA should be punishing. Not players flexing after a poster dunk. pic.twitter.com/RzeALrNj55
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 15, 2023
10. Kevin Garnett (172)
Kevin Garnett was arguably the most high-intensity basketball player of all time. It led to a lot of confrontations, trash talk, and excessive celebrations. Those things led to the 2004 MVP receiving 172 technicals in his career.
9. Dwight Howard (178)
Dwight Howard was known as a bit of a prima donna in his days with the Orlando Magic, and that rubbed referees the wrong way. Howard's longevity also contributed to him stockpiling 178 technical fouls, as his career lasted 18 years.
8. Russell Westbrook (185)
Russell Westbrook has 185 technical fouls between five different teams. He received his first as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 10, 2023. Russell Westbrook plays the game of basketball with unmatched passion and energy, and it often times results in him getting called for a technical foul.
7. Anthony Mason (192)
Anthony Mason was an enforcer during the '90s. His role was never to be a primary scorer but instead to be an instigator and irritant. This often worked to bug opponents, but it also led to him being called for nearly 200 technicals.
6. Dirk Nowitzki (199)
Dirk Nowitzki may come as a surprise on this list for many, but he played the game with a European fire, and he wasn't afraid to stand up for himself or his teammates. The Dallas Mavericks' forward had no problem telling the referees exactly how he felt. Although he's widely known as a great guy, especially off the court, he had that ferociousness in him that helped him become one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA.
5. Dennis Rodman (212)
Nicknamed “The Worm,” Dennis Rodman was the poster boy for wearing his heart on his sleeve. He would do whatever it took to help his team win, and that was rarely in the glamorous parts of the game of basketball. As a hustle player and instigator, it came naturally that Rodman was handed a bunch of technical fouls during his career, 212, to be exact.
4. Gary Payton (250)
Gary “The Glove” Payton was an in-your-face player towards his opponents, but he also acted that way towards the referees. It led to 250 technicals during his career, but many of those helped light a fire under his teammates.
3. Rasheed Wallace (317)
Referees were not the biggest fans of Rasheed Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace was not the biggest fan of referees. During his career, he had tons of warranted technical foul calls, but his reputation led to a few that were unwarranted as well. Wallace also holds the record for most techs in a season with 41 during the 2000-01 season.
Rasheed Wallace gets ejected for looking at a ref #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/AVEFL8Niar
— Full Court Prez (@fullcourtprez) April 25, 2015
2. Charles Barkley (329)
Basketball fans now know Charles Barkley as the happy-go-lucky and charming broadcaster, but he wasn't always that way. During his playing career, Barkley was somewhat of a hothead. He finished his career just three technical fouls shy of the all-time record.
1. Karl Malone (332)
On the court, Karl Malone was a mean dude and a fierce competitor. He was also better than most of his peers, so he wasn't a huge fan of when things didn't go his way. Malone may only be third on the all-time scoring list, but he has the most technical fouls ever, and that record is unlikely to ever be broken.
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