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.
10. Kevin Garnett (172)
Kevin Garnett looking mad
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
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 looking mad.
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
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