The 15 Most Intriguing Basketball Players of All Time

Being an intriguing basketball player doesn't mean you have to be the best. It doesn't mean you have the greatest skill or will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Basketball players have long been more intriguing than other sport athletes because without helmets, gear, padding, or long uniforms to hide behind, basketball players are stripped bare to shorts and jerseys. Nothing hides them or their personalities from view.
Purists argue that basketball is a metaphor for life: the hard work, the tenacity, the miracle shots, the poetry and grace of movement, the required discipline, and the timely decisions of whether to go one-on-one or rely on your teammates. This is why individuals from all walks of life fall in love with the game. It isn't about where you're from, what you've been through or where you trained, it is about the burgeoning desire to play that grows inside a child from the mean streets of Brooklyn, New York or the wheat fields of Indiana.
Here then is a list of the 15 most intriguing basketball players of all time, whether trained to play through the most elite schooling systems or driven by determination to walk into an open tryout and ferment their love for the game. What makes them different is who they are. What brings them together is the art of basketball.

Allen Iverson

Long considered the "thug extraordinaire" of the NBA, Iverson never received the type of media favoritism lauded to other, more clean-cut players. To the untrained eye, he is a hood who found escape through the NBA. To the observant fan, he is more. He is misunderstood. Though he may not come from a place familiar to most NBA fans, it is clear through his history of play that the only true thing about Iverson relevant to the fan is his passion for the game. The only thing more amazing than his ability to knife through defenders two or three times his size, is his ability to finish around them at the hoop. You can question Iverson's morals, you can question his marketability, but one thing you can never question about Allen Iverson is his determination to play ball. There has never been anything more true.

Kobe Bryant

Heralded out of high school as the next "heir apparent," Bryant did more than he could to live up to that prediction. While always remaining classy and respectful towards a one Michale Jordan, the only Bryant really seemed to take from him was his determination to win. After his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant returned the next season bigger and more muscular. After becoming an offensive spectacle to witness, Bryant focused on his defense and became a perennial All-NBA defender. After winning three championships in L.A., Bryant remained and adjusted his game to nurture a new, younger team into championship material. After being chided for not being the player he once was, Bryant dropped 81 points against Toronto. Not to mention 60 points before that game against Dallas in only three-quarters of play. There is nothing more evident than the look in Bryant's eyes that tells you he is NOT going to let his team lose.

Dennis Rodman

Whether loved or hated, Rodman has long been, and may always continue to be the sore thumb of the NBA. With tattoos and hair as colorful as his off-the-court antics, Dennis Rodman's name became synonomous with strange behavior. But don't let appearances fool you, Rodman was as intrinsic to many Chicago Bulls' championships as any other role-player on their roster. A Hall of Fame rebounder with a Hall of Fame personality, Rodman's physique and tough-nosed play for the ball were as real as the photos of him walking around in women's dresses.

Michael Jordan

Despite being heralded as the greatest player who ever played the game, Michael Jordan should also be credited as the first man to walk on the moon. Without making reference to Space Jam, Jordan went where no player had ever gone before, in terms of marketing, shoe deals, movies, and of course-- basketball. Jordan's legacy of six rings in Chicago should only come secondary to the lesson in determination he left for the generations of athletes to come. The original glare, the original tongue, and the original look of I-got-this-ness all came from Jordan, and from this point on will always be related back to him in some way, shape, or form.

Bison Dele (a.k.a. Scott Williams)

When Scott Williams played for the Chicago Bulls, he was nothing special. A big man who could shoot, push players inside, and grab boards. But off the court, Scott Williams was nothing ordinary. Williams changed his name to Bison Dele, after going through an internal search for something spiritual. This search led Dele to turn his back to basketball and travel the seas by boat, where he ultimately met an untimely and mysterious death. Details of Dele's death are unclear and many speculate he was killed by his brother in an attempt to inherit his finances. The only thing certain was that basketball was no longer enough for Dele. He wanted something more and set off to find it, walking away from a multi-million dollar contract with the Detroit Pistons in the prime of his career. Whether he found it or came close is unknown to everyone but Dele.

Rasheed Wallace

The only thing louder than Rasheed Wallace's mouth is his game. Long known for his temper as well as his game, Wallace will always be known as the player who is as talented as he is angry. Though somewhat subdued since his arrival to Detroit and his subsequent championship, Wallace will forever be known as the NBA's all time technical foul leader. Despite years of coaches' inability to calm him down, they, like the fans, began to realize that maybe the reason Wallace was so good was because of his tempermental flairs.

Larry Bird

The great, white, hope or the savior of Boston. Bird not only carried his team throughout their years of championship battles with the Lakers, but he also carried the hopes of all white men vicariously living basketball through his money jumpshot. Despite being the most recognizable white player in a sport dominated by blacks, Bird was recognized more among players for his game, thusly demanding the hatred and respect a quality opponent would, regardless of skin color. What Bird single-handedly did prove to the world, though, was that although white men couldn't jump, they sure as hell could shoot.

Bill Walton

When Bill Walton walked into UCLA, he walked in a big, tall, red, scruffy hippie. He had an attitude all his own and a perspective unshared by most. When he left, he left for the NBA, crediting UCLA coach John Wooden for honing his skill and making him a man. But his attitude and perspective remained, and Walton became one of the greatest and most entertaining NBA centers to quote in the papers. A self-proclaimed Grateful Dead "dead-head," Walton continues to shoot off his own perspective now as one of the NBA's most colorful color commentators, interjecting his motto, "throw it down, big man, throw it down," when lauding fellow centers to take it to the rim. Perenially dry, sarcastic, brash, and humorous, Walton remains that quotable big man, even if not with the long hair and sideburns.

Charles Barkley

Sir Charles

Magic Johnson

Being an amazing set-up man, scorer, and playmaker was one thing, but Earvin Magic Johnson's ability to became the ambassador for basketball was something else entirely. His magician-like play dazzled the crowd, but his smile and kind voice off the court kept them enamoured. Johnson not only parlayed his basketball career into a successful business entrepreneurship, but also cemented his name and image into being the second-most recognized logo for the NBA. After being forced to retire when contracting HIV, Magic put it upon his shoulders to educate the world about sustaining health and living a life unhindered by the disease. With the same smile and flair he displayed when playing with the Lakers, Magic once again pulled out his wand and made the impossible possible. After all but sweeping the disease in his own personal championship series, Magic continues to be the elder spokesman and saged advisor to many of the younger players coming in to the NBA who may lack both the on-court and off-court vision that propelled him to become the charismatic leader that he is.

Shaquille O'neal

Many players fail to live up to their hype, but in Shaquille O'neal's case, he's lived up to the scouting reports done on him since grade school. Long predicted to be an NBA great because of his gargantuan size and ability, O'neal's foray into the NBA didn't prove challenging enough for him to fall short of his predicted marks. In essence, he surpassed them, becoming one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time and arguably the most dominant center ever. But it is how O'neal maintained himself off the court that amazes. Forever a boy at heart, O'neal was more famous for his media soundbytes than his awe-inspiring dunks. Calling himself everything from Superman to "the big Aristotle," O'neal's playfulness always seemed to be the reason he kept himself so grounded while soaring through the air. Despite having the constant pressure of being a blue chip player during college, a perennial All-Star and MVP during his professional career, and the unrelenting responsibility to lead his teams to the NBA finals, O'neal always found the time and energy to smile, crack a joke, and entertain.

Karl Malone

Malone will always be remembered as one-half of the Stockton-Malone tandem, but others will remember him as the only true "black redneck" to grace a hardwood floor. Often times bitter, Malone shyed away from all the media hoopla other players sought, escaping to the solitude of his farm of home grown crops and roosters. Malone was a black cowboy with a killer fadeaway. He was a master mechanic of the pick and roll, and he and fellow Utah Jazz compatriate John Stockton ran it to near perfection. After the games, though, Malone was nothing less than a man's man, a real westerner at heart, and when his time in the NBA saddle was up-- Malone ended his career just as one would've expected: by riding off into the sunset without much hoopla or celebration.

Dikembe Mutombo

With a defensive mindset as tough as nails, the only irony behind Dikembe Mutombo is the softness of his heart. Never intending to play basketball, Mutombo came to Georgetown University to study to become a doctor. His homeland of The Democratic Republic of Congo always remained his one true love, and after discovering his defensive skill as a Hoya, Mutombo realized he could do much more than medically treat his people one at a time. After making his way into the NBA, Mutombo set out to and has raised $29 million to build a hospital in his homeland, and his reputation as a humanitarian has always been as solid as his ability to stuff a player near the rim.

Amare Stoudemire

No one knows how tough Amare Stoudemire is unless you know his story: a father who died when he was twelve, a mother in and out of jail, being transferred through six high schools, friends and family wrought by gang violence, and never picking up a basketball until the age of fourteen. When Stoudemire was asked by a Phoenix newspaper how he kept his NBA focus despite his environmental challenges, he said that when you have a goal, nothing can stop you. Nothing did stop him. Stoudemire went straight from high school into the pro's, knowing that his family needed his financial support.

Vin Baker

The great fall. Once heralded as an All-Star caliber player, Vin Baker's rise to excellence came nearly as quickly as his fall. After being "outed" by his Boston coaching staff for reeking of alcohol during practice, Baker's story of addiction and depression always superceded his stats. That is, until they started to go hand-in-hand. Baker's numbers fell as often and as hard as he did, becoming one of the great NBA-whatever-happened-to stories. Even the potential he brought to the Seattle Supersonics with Gary Payton and Sean Kemp couldn't stop the big man from plummeting. Baker's story remains one of the great tragedies of the NBA.

, as he was known during his endorsement heyday, was probably the biggest, toughest s.o.b. to back a 4-guard down when he played for the Phoenix Suns. Forcing the NBA to alter its shot-clock regulations because of his elongated post-up moves, Barkley was equally as outspoken as he was bullying. "I am not a role model," he beckoned during on of his infamous television spots, before later proving it late in his career when going head-to-head with Shaquille O'neal. Undaunted by the 7-foot behemoth staring him down, Barkley didn't skip a beat before lunging towards O'neal and taking him down by his legs. Later, the two would remain friends, and Barkley would remain the outspoken, brash personality even moreso in retirement than during his entertaining tenure as a player.