Technical fouls are an interesting concept. They come in a variety of ways- aggressive behavior, sometimes there is a “magic” word said, and of course- straight up physicality.

Accruing technical fouls is sometimes an art form. Coaches use them to make referees aware of a set of bad calls. They can also be used to motivate teammates. But some players are just prone to get into the faces of referees, get into altercations, or push boundaries.

In the modern NBA Draymond Green comes to mind as a player who racks up technical fouls. But even his career total of 131 isn’t enough to crack the top ten.

For that, you have to reach back.

If you grew up during the heyday of Tim Duncan’s career, most of these names will be familiar.

10- Kevin Garnett (172): A nemesis to Duncan, KG was known for attempting to get into the craw of the Spurs legend, only to be blinded by silence. His tactics worked on many others and he spent a decade as high-strung superstar trapped on a team that always came up short. Must be frustrating.

9- Dwight Howard (178): There’s a minor theme throughout this list. Many of these top ten tech accumulators were defensive stalwarts. Howard was the Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons. When you shut down that many guys, you’re bound to attract some negative attention.

8- Russell Westbrook (183): Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where Westbrook was happy with the calls. His patented sneer and quick turn on referees paired with the longevity of his career leaves room for him to move up in the list before his laces up his sneakers for the last time.

7- Anthony Mason (192): You have to go back a bit further for Mason, as he was drafted in 1988 when the draft still went more than two rounds. He had a shorter career than some of the others on this list, leading me to believe he probably averaged more techs per season than most.

6- Dirk Nowitzki (199): This one surprised me. I don’t often think of Nowotzki as combative, but then again, I saw him predominantly play against the Spurs, and since then time has passed. Either way, I’m glad I got to see him duke it out against Big Fun back in the day, one of the best rivalries for a Spurs fan.

5- Dennis Rodman (212): This one comes as no surprise. I seem to remember a series of games where he took off his jersey and handed it to a fan as he exited. Did he get ejected that often, or just walk off when he was done? Anyway, he’s the only former member of the Spurs on this list, which might help explain why Pop never thought The Worm fit in with San Antonio’s culture.

4- Gary Payton (250): Another DPOY winner as well as a former steals leader. You don’t get into people’s personal space without ruffling some feathers.

3-Rasheed Wallace (317): Wallace comes as no surprise. I have more memories of him walking behind a referee aggressively pleading his case than I do him making baskets. And he made many, many baskets.

2- Charles Barkley (329): If King Charles received technical fouls on Inside The NBA, he’s be in first place by a long shot. Physical, verbal, and never wrong (in his mind), the perfect combination for getting t-ed up. He and Shaq should consider an updated version of Grumpy Old Men.

1- Karl Malone (332): One of the greatest power forwards of all time (and that’s coming from a devout Spurs fan), Malone spent his entire career chasing a ring that never came. Part of the frustration of peaking for a decade at the same time as Michael Jordan. His stature and the era in which he played make him one of the physically menacing players of all time. Definitely couldn’t play his game now with all the rules protecting shooters.

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