GOAT SKILLS (comedy version): Enforcer

[penbeast0]

Two choices to make here/

First, all-time version. Who would you most trust to make sure that opposing teams don't get away with cheap shots and dirty tactics?

Examples:
Maurice Lucas
Charles Oakley

Second, in the current league. I separate this out because unlike most other skills, proactive thuggery seems to be a disappearing skill set, like having the best hook shot in the league.

[EmpireFalls]

Anthony Mason.

[trex_8063]

Maurice Lucas came immediately to mind for me, too.

Oakley's a good call.

Willis Reed should perhaps be mentioned.
And would you call Bill Laimbeer an enforcer? He sure was dirty (maybe the dirtiest player ever); but he perhaps falls more into an "irritant" category?
Maybe that should be your next category: GOAT irritant (best at getting under the skin of others).


Although small, Al Attles had a reputation for being somewhat a fiery enforcer, didn't he? Maybe Samurai or penbeast0 may better remember and can chime in on this.

I think I once read a little something about Zelmo Beaty being a little bit of a ruffian, fwiw. I believe both Clyde Lovellette and Red Kerr had reputations for being rough, too.

[trex_8063]

There's maybe a small element of this in guys like Wes Unseld and Bill Cartwright, too.

And let's not forget the time Robert Parish pummelled Bill Laimbeer into the ground in retaliation.

[AEnigma]

Strong second to Bill Cartwright and Willis Reed.

Rick Mahorn would be my pick for those Pistons teams, although Pen not mentioning him makes me pause a bit (was Ruland more the guy in Washington?).

Al Attles and Calvin Murphy for guards.

Metta Artest and Kermit Washington somewhat notoriously.

[penbeast0]

Strong second to Bill Cartwright and Willis Reed.

Rick Mahorn would be my pick for those Pistons teams, although Pen not mentioning him makes me pause a bit (was Ruland more the guy in Washington?).

Al Attles and Calvin Murphy for guards.

Metta Artest and Kermit Washington somewhat notoriously.

Well the Boston announcer used to call Ruland and Mahorn "McFilthy and McNasty" and they called themselves "the Bruise Brothers" so yeah, both of them.

And Attles was a ferocious little enforcer type; so Wilt wouldn't get those fouls, lol.

One guy we are currently talking about in the top 100 project was Cliff Hagan. They tried to use him as a player-coach in the ABA but eventually got rid of the player part despite him playing really well in limited minutes because he kept punching out opposing players.

[penbeast0]

Strong second to Bill Cartwright and Willis Reed.

Rick Mahorn would be my pick for those Pistons teams, although Pen not mentioning him makes me pause a bit (was Ruland more the guy in Washington?).

Al Attles and Calvin Murphy for guards.

Metta Artest and Kermit Washington somewhat notoriously.

Kermit really wasn't one of the tough guy types, but he had the one incident where he broke Rudy Tomjanovich's jaw with a blind punch and his rep was gone for good.

[70sFan]

Willis Reed or Maurice Lucas would be my choice as well.

He didn't have the reputation, but Bob Lanier had a few insane moments on the court and he was very intimidating player.

[penbeast0]

I never got that impression from Lanier at all. More like Artis Gilmore who was just so much bigger and stronger than everyone else that while he was normally mild mannered and not aggressive, no one wanted to make him mad.

[70sFan]

I never got that impression from Lanier at all. More like Artis Gilmore who was just so much bigger and stronger than everyone else that while he was normally mild mannered and not aggressive, no one wanted to make him mad.

I know, but Lanier did have some heated moments on the floor:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[Dr Positivity]

I believe both Clyde Lovellette and Red Kerr had reputations for being rough, too.

I think Lovellette may have been the Laimbeer camp as dirty

[SHAQ32]

Kenyon Martin was a goon especially for his era

Horace Grant didn't take much either

[Buckets22]

I think the ABA is taking the W here. Mel Daniels, John Brisker, Wendell Ladner...

[The Explorer]

PJ Brown
Udonis Haslem when he played 20 years ago

[SNPA]

I think the ABA is taking the W here. Mel Daniels, John Brisker, Wendell Ladner...

I was curious when/if he’d come up.


“I always wondered what happened,” says former teammate Spencer Haywood, “and then people put the rumors out that he was caught up in that coup in Uganda.”

“He went to Uganda and it was as a mercenary and he was fighting over there,” says former teammate Tom Burleson. “His wife went with him, and he was captured by Idi Amin’s men. And Idi Amin had him prepared and they served him and his wife banquet style.”

“They said he was sitting at a table with one of those kings over there, and they had an argument, and Brisker wouldn’t relate to the argument or agree with it,” Watts says. “In that country, you don’t dishonor the king. And Brisker had one of those grrrrr moments, and they said the guy had his gun covered up like a turkey was in it. He moved it and pew. Shot him. That’s the legend anyway.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-john-brisker-the-sonics-legend-who-never-was/

[Gregoire]

Oakley
Artest
Perkins
Lambeer

HM: Shaq

[penbeast0]

I don't know if Brisker (or the similar but less volatile Warren Jabali) count as enforcers. They were fighters who would fight anyone for any reason, including teammates, etc. But not really out there protecting teammates so much as having a huge chip on their shoulder. Another one like that is John Starks.

[AdagioPace]

maybe he didn't play a lot compared to the legends listed in this thread but he needs a mention:
ზაზა ფაჩულია

you can still guess the name w/o googling

[70sFan]

maybe he didn't play a lot compared to the legends listed in this thread but he needs a mention:
ზაზა ფაჩულია

you can still guess the name w/o googling

Zaza?

[Samurai]

Maurice Lucas came immediately to mind for me, too.

Oakley's a good call.

Willis Reed should perhaps be mentioned.
And would you call Bill Laimbeer an enforcer? He sure was dirty (maybe the dirtiest player ever); but he perhaps falls more into an "irritant" category?
Maybe that should be your next category: GOAT irritant (best at getting under the skin of others).


Although small, Al Attles had a reputation for being somewhat a fiery enforcer, didn't he? Maybe Samurai or penbeast0 may better remember and can chime in on this.

I think I once read a little something about Zelmo Beaty being a little bit of a ruffian, fwiw. I believe both Clyde Lovellette and Red Kerr had reputations for being rough, too.

Al Attles, to me was the ultimate enforcer among guards. Rick Barry once said that if he found himself in a dark alley, Attles would be the one guy he would most want as a wingman and the last person he would want to face off against. Fans today have to understand that conditions were far different in Attles' day. Johnny Egan recalled that the sport was similar to hockey in that it was not uncommon for players to grab a chair and brandish them (the NBA eventually banned movable chairs). Teammate Tom Meschery said that Attles was the toughest single fighter he's ever seen in the league. And Meschery pointed out that Attles had extricated him from many fights, which is what an enforcer should do.

One oft-told story is that a rookie illegally hooked Attles and Al got called for the foul. Attles glared at the rookie and ominously said "don't do it again." The rookie didn't listen and the next time he did it, Attles flattened him with one punch. The ref jumped on top of the rookie and said "kid, stay down. Or it may be the last time you get up." In 65, Zelmo Beaty (another tough customer) punched Meschery under the basket. As the enforcer, Attles sprinted from the free throw line and slammed his shoulder into Beaty, knocking him several rows into the crowd. As Attles and Beaty rolled around in the stands, Beaty managed to grab and rip one of Attles' nostrils but all observers reported that Beaty clearly came out worse for wear.

While it is true that Attles earned his nickname of The Destroyer, there is one story about him that has been embellished. It has been reported that once when Attles fought 6-8 Bob Ferry, Attles' mother came out of the stands to make him stop pummelling Ferry. Unfortunately for Ferry's face, Attles said that story was not true and that his mother actually waited until after the game to discipline her son.