Many players claim to be “tough guys” in the NBA. However, with league rules in place functioning as a deterrent for physical altercations, players have had to keep their tempers in check and fists to themselves. However, according to Blake Griffin, there are a few players whose reputations precede them as the most intimidating guys on the court.
Griffin, who is also known for his physical presence inside the shaded lane, recently revealed which players he absolutely did not want any part of during his 13-year tenure in the NBA.
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A person you don’t want to mess with
As a 6’9″ power forward who made a living inside the paint, Griffin regularly had to get physical with his matchup on any given night. From the likes of Kevin Garnett to Draymond Green, to Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard, Griffin has had his fair share of battles with some of the toughest players in the league. But when asked who he considered to be the most intimidating, Griffin didn’t hesitate to first name James Johnson.
“He’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I think he has like nine siblings, and they’re all black belts. His parents? Black belts. So for years, he was the guy you just don’t fight,” Griffin disclosed on the “Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams” show.
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With a nickname like “Bloodsport,” Johnson’s reputation as a player nobody to mess with was set in stone. A 6’7″ forward from Cheyenne, Wyoming, the veteran bruiser reportedly has an immaculate 20-0 record in kickboxing and has also dabbled in mixed martial arts. In fact, he has gone on record to say that he believes that he could actually beat MMA legend Jon Jones in a fight.
An unassuming presence
As tough as Johnson’s reputation is in the NBA, Griffin said the latter is actually one of the most pleasant guys he has come across during his time in the league. Griffin and Johnson were teammates on the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 season, where the former All-Star got to know Johnson more.
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“I love JJ. He’s the coolest, nicest, most calm person,” Blake divulged. “And that’s usually how it is. The people who can actually fight — who can really whoop somebody — they’re not walking around trying to prove it all the time. But James Johnson? For years, he was the guy you don’t mess with.”
Another All-Star who saw Johnson’s combat abilities up close was Miami Heat ace Bam Adebayo. As the story goes, a teammate of theirs dared to call Johnson a “b—ch” during a pickup game — something that the latter absolutely didn’t take lightly. And so, the two scrapped in the locker room to settle their differences. Bam said he tried to intervene but backed off after James told him not to.
“That man calls that man a b—ch,'” Bam recalled. “I looked at JJ and said, ‘Don’t do that.’ He said, ‘Man, listen. Stay out of this, Bam’…The funniest part about it, dog, JJ ended up ballin’, beating this man up like he ain’t got no kids.”
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“JJ got done, said ‘You alright?’ and walked out. This man crying, sniffling. They hugged it. This is how I knew I won’t gonna f—k with that man,” he added.
To be fair, Johnson was a damn good basketball player who contended for the Sixth Man of the Year award during the 2016-17 season. Later in his career, he served as a veteran presence inside teams’ locker rooms, tasked with helping mentor young players. Plus, it always helped to have someone on your side that other players respected enough to leave alone during a scrum.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.