Kevin Garnett and the 20 Most Passionate Players in the NBA
Passion isn't easily qualified. What does it take for an NBA player to have passion? Is it the intensity on display after the hoop and the harm? Is it the endless motor that they play with? The minutes that they log? Is it simply the results they get on the court or the respect their teammates have for them?
The truth is that passion is qualified by all of those things. When a player has it, you see it; when they don't, you know it. It's the measure of how bad a player wants it and what they are willing to do to get it.
Today's NBA players have passion. There are plenty of guys out there that have it. So here is a list of the 20 most passionate players. There will be guys left off so if I missed someone, make sure the community knows.
20. Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
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Not only is Blake Griffin one of the best rookies to come into the league in years, but he's also one of the most intense and passionate on the court. Every thing he does is explosive and on every hard foul he's given, you can see that blood pressure rise.
What Griffin lacks in skill—and he lacks a lot—he makes up for in pure effort. From spin moves to leaping dunks that get us up out of our seats, there is a level of passion that should make Clippers fans happy. He's a true testament to what passion can do for your play.
19. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
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It's hard behind the smiles and the affable nature of Dwight Howard's passion, but it's just the thing that could see him leave Orlando.
The game's most dominant big man is also one of its most fierce competitors. From his obvious desire to win to the time he put in this summer at Hakeem Olajuwon's camp to improve his game, there is nothing Howard won't do to win.
While he hasn't seen the results he's wanted, Howard's passion to win could conflict with the Magic roster and it could have him looking for greener pastures next season. Let's just hope his passion for Orlando is stronger.
18. Stephen Jackson, Charlotte Bobcats
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Stephen Jackson won't ever make the list of most even-keeled players. His intensity is as well known as his talent, if not better known. Jackson has made a living off of being passionate.
Even one of his former head coaches, Larry Brown, has had to tell Jackson to be less intense in practice. It's the kind of emotion and commitment that makes him the player he is.
It seems fitting that when Michael Jordan wanted to deal him and Gerald Wallace, Jackson was the one that stuck around. Jordan was known to be one of the most passionate players on his team when he played. He must have seen something in Jackson he liked.
17. Amare Stoudemire, New York Knicks
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This pick might surprise you, because he might not be the first guy you think of when you think of passion.
But consider this: Amare comes to New York hoping that he'd be joined by a big free agent and gets no one. Still committed to turning around an awful franchise, he allows Mike D'Antoni to run his surgically repaired knees into the ground and single-handedly makes the Knicks relevant and exciting again.
If that's not passion, I'm not sure what is.
16. Chris Anderson, Denver Nuggets
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The Birdman is the classic role player. He's never going to be an all-star or the guy that a team will look to to win a game, night in and night out, but Chris Anderson brings an intangible that can't be qualified on the stat sheet.
He bring energy.
When he comes off the bench, the Nuggets raise their level of energy even if they can't manage to raise their level of play. Birdman might not be the most talented at his position, but he's one of the most passionate and intense.
15. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
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Chris Paul isn't just the Hornets' most valuable player, but he might be their most passionate. If you have watched Paul on the court this year, you can see that he's not been the same player he was. As much as Paul insists that his knee is fine, what you watch out there tells a different story.
Paul is playing with a bad knee and yet he's the team's floor leader, and their emotional one as well. He plays his heart out every game and it's scary to think what he'll do when that knee is 100 percent.
14. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers
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If the conversation is about guys playing through pain, then you'd be remiss if you didn't mention Brandon Roy. Playing through pain doesn't always equal passion, but for Roy, playing for pain is all he has left.
The once-promising young guard is now a man with a limited window of time as a top-notch player. With literally no good knees left, what Roy is playing on is sheer will. But watching him out on the court, you might not notice it. He plays with the same intensity he did before he started to have his knee problems.
Roy sacrifices his body on the court and it shows up in his play. He's one of the NBA's most passionate players, and one of its toughest.
13. Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
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Luis Scola plays with a motor that just won't quit. His raw determination to be the best has come from the fact that he's never been able to just dominate his opponent.
Scola has played his whole career as an undersized forward and he's had to use his passion as the great equalizer. It's no wonder that he was one of the hottest names on the trading market this February.
As the Rockets continue to improve, Scola will continue to inspire his teammates with his work ethic on the court.
12. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Ibaka's transformation from bench guy to vital part of the team has happened quickly and it's been due to a combination of talent and his relentless passion to get better.
Though Ibaka is one of the smaller power forwards in the league, he's managed to rebound very effectively for his position. His defensive prowess isn't just on the glass; he's also one of the best shot blockers on the team.
The Thunder are where they are in large part to the fire he brings, and his commitment to be better has been remarkable and an inspiration to his team.
11. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
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The Memphis Grizzlies know just how valuable Rudy Gay is, and it's shown in the minutes he plays. This season, only two other guys in the league have logged more minutes per game than Rudy Gay.
It's his tireless ability to play that has kept Memphis in the playoff hunt in a Western Conference that doesn't leave a mid-level team much room for error. For that reason alone it's evident that Rudy Gay's desire to win outweighs his want to take a breath.
10. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
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The Phoenix Suns have been reluctant to let Steve Nash go and it's no secret why. His character on and off the court have been a shining example to the rest of the Suns in how they should conduct themselves.
In order to combat the effects of an aging body, Nash eliminated sugar from his diet and soon had several members of his team on the same plan too. His ability to take abuse on the court—think broken noses—is just a testament to how bad he wants to play.
9. Manu Ginobli, San Antonio Spurs
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The Spurs go as Manu goes. His stat sheet isn't that of the elite players in the league, but what he brings to the team is as important as anything he could do on the box score.
Manu has been accused, and rightfully so, of flopping. There are times he gives an Oscar-winning performance, but then again he's always willing to draw the contact and take a charge. There are a few things more indicative of passion than giving your body up for a call.
8. Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Clearly when LeBron James bolted for South Beach last summer, he took a big piece of the talent pool with him. However, what he couldn't take with him was the passion that resides on the Cavaliers. That belongs to Anderson Varejao.
He's the igniter on the floor. When he comes in, it's instant energy. The Cavs are not the same when he isn't playing. Win or lose, they need him on the floor. He brings the intangibles that you just can't teach.
7. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
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I know it's cliche to say that your best player is also the most passionate player on the team, but Dirk works as hard as anyone and he never lacks for intensity out on the court.
You can say what you want about Dirk's ability to make it the Finals, but whether it's a big bucket or simply an extra effort that's needed, Dirk is there. He's dedicated to being one of the best shooters in the league. He's willing to go the extra mile and they have to kick him out of the gym.
6. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Meet the heart and soul of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He might be the most expressive guy on the court but consider his recently snapped streak of double-doubles.
There are plenty who make the case that's he's the whole team, so racking up those kind of numbers isn't that hard, but no one has done it with Love's consistency in years. Making that kind of stat line, night in and night out, isn't never easy. To do that, you have to want it.
5. Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana Pacers
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Come on, this was obvious. Remember this list isn't reserved for the best players on the team, but rather the players who are the most passionate. That title belongs to none other than Psycho T.
From his days with the Tar Heels in North Carolina, Hansbrough has been known for his endless energy. His commitment to playing tirelessly has been what has kept him relevant in a league where his skill set doesn't shine.
When you play with the aggressiveness and the dedication that Hansbrough does, you'll have a job in the NBA for a long time.
4. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
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Dwyane Wade wants to win. There is no question of that. It takes a player passionate about success to give up the spotlight to a player that is better than him.
When Wade convinced LeBron James and Chris Bosh to come to South Beach, he was doing so at the sacrifice of his own reputation. It's that kind of sacrifice that sets Wade apart from others.
On the court you can tell that the struggles the Miami Heat have had have been hardest on Wade, who seems to show it on his face every time the Heat lose a close one.
Plus, passion can be exhibited by doing the cabbage patch on the court.
3. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
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Here's a guy who lives and dies on his passion for the game. There were a couple of seasons where Bulls fans weren't sure if Noah would ever amount to more than an overgrown baby.
However, Noah proved his worth by becoming one of the great energy guys in the league and giving every ounce of himself to his team. When Noah was out with a thumb injury in the middle of the season, he attended every game and he was the first guy off the bench during a timeout. You could see how frustrated he was not to be playing.
Noah's energy has been the biggest reason for the Bulls' hot streak. If you believe differently, you just haven't been watching.
2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
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There are those critics who think Kobe's shoot-around after the Miami Heat's win over the Lakers was a show.
I say no one goes out for an hour after a 48-minute basketball game and gets drenched in sweat just for a show.
You don't have to like Bryant, but you have to respect his passion for the game and his will to win. He's never satisfied and he's always looking to get better.
Bryant has played through every injury imaginable and he's one of the hardest workers in the NBA. When the light shines brightest, he wants the moment. When his team has its backs to the wall, he wants to wants to shoulder the load.
Hate Kobe, but don't hate his passion.
1. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
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You can rest assured that almost everyone outside of Boston hates Kevin Garnett. Right or wrong, they hate the antics, the yelling, the trash talking and the pounding of the chest like he's been cast in an R. Kelly video.
Still, you can't find a soul who doubts his work ethic and his unwavering passion for the game. It takes a passionate player to bust his behind, night in and night out, for all those years on a team that was going nowhere like the Minnesota Timberwolves. Still, Garnett did it because he just wanted it.
His reputation has taken a hit in the last few years, but when all is said and done, the only thing Garnett will be remembered for is his passion and excellence on the court.
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