26Karl Malone
In the 1997 NBA Finals, Karl Malone got fouled with 9.2 seconds left in a tied game and went to shoot 2 free throws. Before he got to the line Scottie Pippen told him “The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays”. Karl’s nickname was “The Mailman”. He missed both free throws and the Bulls won.
27. Basketball Hall of Famer "Pistol Pete" Maravich died of a heart condition where he was born without a left coronary artery, a vessel that supplies blood to the muscle fibers of the heart. His right coronary artery was grossly enlarged and had been compensating for the defect.
28. Wilt Chamberlain played his epic 100-point game on no sleep and on a hangover.
29. The Dream Team of 1992 received death threats in Barcelona. Charles Barkley walked around the city alone despite the threats, and when asked where his bodyguards were, he held up his fists and answered, "This is my security."
30. James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder grew his famous beard because he was too lazy to shave it in college.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://factrepublic.com/30-sporty-facts-about-top-nba-players-you-never-knew/&media=https://factrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/30-Facts-About-Top-NBA-Players-.jpg&description=01. Before a game, Larry Bird told Chuck Person that he had Christmas present waiting for him. While Person was on the bench Bird shot a three-pointer right in front of him. Immediately after releasing the ball, Bird said to Person, "Merry f*%#ing Christmas!", and then the shot went in.){kind=link}