Super Intense Sports Stars Who Don't Care What You Think
Russell Westbrook is probably the most intense player in today's NBA. His intensity is so dense, in fact, it's scary. From a ferocious playing mentality to an off-the-wall fashion sense, he doesn't appear to care what anyone thinks of him either, on or off the court.
The following athletes, coaches and sports figures share those traits with the Oklahoma City Thunder guard. They are passionate and intense. They are unafraid to display their emotions in any situation, regardless of the potential media backlash.
As is often the case with such fiercely authentic people, the actions of these 10 sometimes rub people the wrong way, but they don't seem to mind. They ooze the "sorry not sorry" mentality.
These are the Russell Westbrook All-Stars of today's sporting world, with a few alternates tossed in for good measure.
Honorable Mentions
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The combination of intensity and authenticity is not limited to just 10 sports figures. The following is simply a list of the purest embodiments in the current sports climate. Here are a few who just barely missed the cut.
Kevin Garnett: KG is widely regarded as one of the most intense NBA players of all time. He is only relegated to an honorable mention here because of his age and removal from the sports spotlight over in Minnesota.
Tom Brady: The New England Patriots quarterback is certainly intense, but does he care what people think? Unclear. This haircut simultaneously says "yes" and "obviously not."
Ray Lewis: The former Baltimore Ravens linebacker is also known as one of the most intense players in his sports history. Yet that reputation came from his on-field play, which obviously doesn't apply in retirement.
Cam Newton
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Cam Newton definitely has the "doesn't care what you think" part of this down. The Carolina Panthers quarterback has put his authenticity on display many times, particularly during the 2015 NFL season.
Newton continued to dab to his heart's desire after each score despite growing criticism. He wore whatever he wanted to press conferences. He acted very un-Russell Wilson-like at the Super Bowl 50 postgame presser, and he didn't apologize for it.
In fact, he said, "I don't have to conform to anybody else's wants for me. I'm not that guy. And I'm happy to say that," per Tadd Haislop of the Sporting News.
And while Newton might not boast the intensity of, say, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison (running away from that fumble didn't help his cause there), he has demonstrated true boss-man swagger.
Take his game-winning drive against the New York Giants in December, for instance. Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. scored a late game-tying touchdown, at which point Newton's face looked like the picture of intensity.
Will Brinson of CBS Sports gave it the Stu Scott treatment, calling it "cool as the other side of the pillow." He also wrote it was the "ultimate 'I got this' moment." (Spoiler: He did have it.)
Bryce Harper
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In the ongoing old-school-versus-new-school debate currently raging through baseball, one voice clearly trumpets the "new school" mentality.
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper defies traditional views and the campaign to uphold baseball's unwritten rules. He wears what he wants, flips his hair if he wants and is unafraid to express his opinions on the "tired" state of baseball.
In a March piece for ESPN the Magazine by Tim Keown, Harper said, "It's a tired sport, because you can't express yourself. You can't do what people in other sports do. I'm not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it's the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair."
Old-timers like Goose Gossage and Johnny Bench were vocal about their opposition to Harper's take, but Harper didn't seem to care. On Opening Day, he wore a hat that read "Make Baseball Fun Again" during postgame media availability.
On the field, Harper exploded in 2015, hitting .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs en route to the National League MVP. He has been accused of not hustling in the past, even by Nats bench coach Randy Knorr, per MLB.com's Chad Schad, but instances like the Jonathan Papelbon fight and this ejection prove the man can get heated.
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Kobe Bryant
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The great farewell tour has appeared to soften Kobe Bryant's image a bit, but the Los Angeles Lakers star still brings intensity, even as his team casually chills at the bottom of the NBA food chain.
During a March game, the Lakers let Rodney Hood of the Utah Jazz score 30 first-half points before Bryant stepped in to shut him down in the second.
Per Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Lakers coach Byron Scott said, "It's a damn shame our oldest player has to take the challenge. It says a lot about him obviously and what he's done all his life."
In terms of his career overall, Bryant has long been regarded as a fierce competitor who hates to lose, a workaholic whose training regiments border on obsessive.
As far as what people think of him, Bryant may be shaking hands and kissing babies on the retirement tour, but he knows what the legacy of his persona will be, and he's just fine with it.
In February, Andrea Kremer of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel rattled off a few adjectives used to describe Bryant over the years. They included "loner, selfish, single-minded, arrogant, aloof, relentless, obsessed and ruthless."
Per Bryan Kalbrosky of FoxSports.com, the five-time NBA champion laughed and responded, "Because they're all true. Of course. They're all true. Every single one of them."
Jim Harbaugh
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Anyone who has watched a Michigan football game recently knows head coach Jim Harbaugh is intense, particularly when it comes to officiating.
Harbaugh is also unafraid to try new things in terms of his off-field practices. He fought to hold spring practices in Florida and turned Michigan's national signing day event into a Hollywood-like spectacle. He slept over at the homes of recruits to cram in as much allowed time as possible.
Then there is his social media activity. The coach is slowly becoming famous for his out-there, sometimes controversial, sometimes adversarial tweets.
He has ribbed Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, not-so-subtly subtweeted his rivals and provided delightful nuggets such as this: "'They said' artificial sweeteners were safe, WMDs were in Iraq and Anna Nicole married for love ... 'They said.'"
Despite incessant Internet commentary on his antics, the coach persists. Also the khakis. There's no way he can possibly care what people think, right?
P.K. Subban
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Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban has a reputation for physical toughness and trash-talking. Some even think he qualifies as one of the league's dirtiest players.
In regard to the trash-talking, Ben McGrath of the New Yorker told Bill Littlefield on the NPR podcast Only A Game, "The word that hockey guys like to use is that he 'chirps.' ... So, he has been perceived from the beginning as a controversial or polarizing player who is both talented but also a bit of a loudmouth."
Subban has been criticized for his perceived cockiness, about which he gave Shannon Proudfoot of Sportsnet a very Cam Newton-like response.
He said, "If you don't want me to celebrate, don't let me score," and, "I don't think people know the meaning of cocky. If I asked somebody to give me the meanings of cocky and confident, they might give me the same definition."
Subban, at age 26, has six full NHL seasons under his belt, two first-team All-Star selections and a Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.
Conor McGregor
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UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor brings intensity at every juncture of a fight—from the training to the weigh-in and obviously in the cage itself. He once issued this self-proclamation on Instagram: "Nobody can match the intensity I bring to the table."
Though he lost to Nate Diaz in March, McGregor's willingness to fight at 170—significantly higher than his normal 145—certainly illustrated a caution-to-the-wind mentality.
Leading up to the bout, McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, said, "And if you train the way he does against the type of people he does, you know what you can do. And that's why there was no hesitation in accepting the fight at another weight class," per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
The rematch is scheduled for July at UFC 200. It will happen again at 170 pounds.
Amid reports McGregor wanted the bout fought at 155 pounds, his manager, Audie Attar, said, "And so, in Conor's defense, he really didn't give two s--ts," per Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting.
Prior to the loss at UFC 196, McGregor was undefeated in UFC competition.
Draymond Green
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Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has made his reputation on authenticity. Whether it's through a Stephen Curry-soaking postgame ritual or outrageous fur collar on All-Star Weekend, Green is always himself.
On the court, Green's play is scrappy and passionate. Whatever position he is in, whatever role he plays on any given night, he is not a man prone to backing down.
Back in December 2014, Green actually called a game against the Los Angeles Clippers "too nice" after the fact, per Gabrielle McMillen of Sporting News.
In late February, reporters overheard an outburst from Green in the locker room at halftime of a close game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Green later apologized to his teammates, one of whom, Curry, said, "He's invested in what we're doing. Obviously he's an emotional guy, a fiery guy, that's what we love about him, what he brings to the court. It spilled over to the locker room," per Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com.
Mark Cuban
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Mark Cuban is one of the few sports owners who transcends the star power of many of his players. And anyone who has seen him at a game knows the man is an intense supporter of his team.
When Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan reneged on his promise to join the Mavs in July, Cuban said, "If you f--k with me, I f--k with you back. That's just my nature," per Tim Cato of SB Nation (warning: article contains NSFW language).
Cuban is also a strong social media personality. He once engaged in a heated Twitter beef with Donald Trump over Trump's hair and their respective reality television shows. As recently as March, he took to the Interwebs to call out the officials after a loss against the Golden State Warriors.
The opinions of others seem to be pretty low on Cuban's priority list.
James Harrison
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One look at James Harrison's Instagram workout videos, and it's easy to see the man is intense. His Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, safety Robert Golden, found out the hard way that challenging Harrison's abilities is not a great idea.
Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire wrote, "Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is a bad man. Even at 37 years old, Harrison is one of the most physically imposing players in the NFL. And the reason for that is he trains like with a level of intensity all players should strive to achieve."
Harrison has been punishing opposing offenses for 13 seasons. His career includes two first-team All-Pro selections, two Super Bowl titles and an AP Defensive Player of the Year nod.
Harrison's intensity has made its way off the field as well. In August, he had his children return a couple of sports participation trophies, stating in an Instagram post, "While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy."
Russell Westbrook
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook plays with a ferocity that makes him simultaneously dangerous to opponents and impossibly fun to watch.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, aka Mr. Intensity, once compared Westbrook to himself, telling Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com, "He just plays with a rage that's not very common."
In early April, Westbrook notched his 17th triple-double of the year, tying Magic Johnson's record for most in a season in 30 years.
Off the court, Westbrook is considered one of the most fashionable players in the NBA, often sporting odd new trends with an immunity to criticism.
In April 2015, Westbrook took 43 shots in a game and was suspended after committing his 16th technical foul of the season.
Per Royce Young of ESPN.com, he said, "I don't really give a damn what nobody thinks, to tell you the truth, man. I really don't care. Every night I go out and compete harder than anybody else in this league, and I'm proud of coming out and my teammates don't have problem with it."
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