Chicago Bulls: 15 toughest players in franchise history
player. 24. . C. (1988-94). Bill Cartwright. 8
If there was an award for the sharpest elbows in NBA history, the winner would undoubtedly be former Bulls center, Bill Cartwright. He may also be in the running for the most unconventional jump shot/foul shot release, but that’s not why he comes in at No. 10 on our list.
Rather, it was his presence as the man patrolling the paint for the Bulls for six years that lands him a spot on our coveted list. As their “enforcer” he made sure anyone who dared drive through the paint “paid the toll” in the form of hard foul just so they knew things wouldn’t be easy.
And if you were unfortunate enough to get one of those razor-sharp elbows, it could very well have been the end of your night.
Cartwright was the basketball equivalent of a pitcher coming in high and tight on a batter to get him uncomfortable in the batter’s box. He was not one to mess around with, that’s for sure.
Remember in 1989 when Isaiah Thomas tried just that and Cartwright nearly committed homicide on the Chicago Stadium court? What about earlier that year when he was fined $1,000 for “excessive elbows” after he broke the jaw of Fred Roberts of the Milwaukee Bucks?
If not, you certainly must remember the night Cartwright TKO’s Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, after which he had to be carried off the floor on a stretcher. They don’t make those types of centers anymore.
Today’s big men resemble small forwards from the 1980s with how graceful and nimble they are. It makes you wonder how Cartwright would fare in today’s NBA. While I don’t know the answer, it would be fun to watch.