Ice Hockey is as violent as a sport can be. Kicking, pushing, bleeding noses, broken teeth, there’s nothing these players haven’t seen. Angry huddles on the ice happen every game, something that hockey fans can’t get enough of. One better have a strong stomach if one’s planning to go watch live hockey. Due to their daily encounters with violence, it’s difficult to convince hockey players other sports are tougher than theirs.

This is probably why NHL players once mocked LeBron James to no end when he milked his leg cramp a little too much during a game back in 2012. What ensued was some harsh mockery that clearly showcased the disparity between the NHL and NBA.

NHL Community Pokes Fun at LeBron James

When LeBron James was playing with the Miami Heat, during a game that took place in 2012, James got some severe leg cramps due to which he walked off the court. When the news reached some NHL players, they were taken aback. What followed was some relentless mocking, and some of the comments are as follows.

According to an article by Bleacher Report, Ryan Potulny, the then Forward of the Washington Capitals, commented on the situation saying, “Lebron James is embarrassing himself and the NBA or actually all athletes.” Blake Wheeler, who played for the Winnipeg Jets, also added, “I wonder what kind of face LeBron would make if he took a slapper off the laces?”

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Nick Bonino, the then Center of the Anaheim Ducks, implied that James was doing it all for the cameras and he said, “We get it Lebron, it doesn’t hurt when you’re running around but it looks unbearable when the cameras are close up during the timeouts.” Taylor Hall also threw shade at the NBA icon and commented, “So much flopping going on.. Wondering what these bball players would do if they got a skate in the face haha.” Apparently, all NHL players dissed on NBA because they thought the entire Association was made of weak players.

However, that’s certainly not true. And only one name is enough to make people reconsider. Wilt Chamberlain.

Wilt Chamberlain’s Immortal Hardiness

The present-day NBA players might be getting mocked by the NHL players, but they certainly wouldn’t mock Chamberlain. He was one of the strongest players in NBA history. In addition to being strong, he is one of the most underrated basketball players in the history of the sport.

When Chamberlain was playing for the Lakers in a game against the Knicks in the 1972 finals, he got a sprain in his wrist, and guess what was Chamberlain’s reaction to his injury? He put on some spray, wrapped his hand in padded gear for protection, and right back he went. In that game, he scored 24 points and had 29 rebounds. That day, the Lakers won their first title in L.A., and Chamberlain was named the MVP. He only got injured enough to leave the game once, and that, was Chamberlain’s last game.

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