List of NBA career personal fouls leaders

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has committed the most personal fouls of any NBA player.

This article provides a list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season leaders in personal fouls committed.[1][2]

List

Statistics accurate as of the 2023–24 NBA season.
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
Rank Player Pos Team(s) played for (years)[b] Total fouls Games
played 		Fouls
per game[c]
1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* C Milwaukee Bucks (1969–1975)
Los Angeles Lakers (1975–1989) 		4,657 1,560 2.99
2 Karl Malone* PF Utah Jazz (1985–2003)
Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004) 		4,578 1,476 3.10
3 Robert Parish* C Golden State Warriors (1976–1980)
Boston Celtics (1980–1994)
Charlotte Hornets (1994–1996)
Chicago Bulls (1996–1997) 		4,443 1,611 2.76
4 Charles Oakley PF Chicago Bulls (1985–1988, 2001–2002)
New York Knicks (1988–1998)
Toronto Raptors (1998–2001)
Washington Wizards (2002–2003)
Houston Rockets (2004) 		4,421 1,282 3.45
5 Hakeem Olajuwon* C Houston Rockets (1984–2001)
Toronto Raptors (2001–2002) 		4,383 1,238 3.54
6 Buck Williams PF New Jersey Nets (1981–1989)
Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1996)
New York Knicks (1996–1998) 		4,267 1,307 3.26
7 Elvin Hayes* PF/C San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968–1972, 1981–1984)
Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972–1981) 		4,193 1,303 3.22
8 Clifford Robinson PF/SF Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1997)
Phoenix Suns (1997–2001)
Detroit Pistons (2001–2003)
Golden State Warriors (2003–2005)
New Jersey Nets (2005–2007) 		4,175 1,380 3.03
9 Kevin Willis PF/C Atlanta Hawks (1984–1994, 2004–2005)
Miami Heat (1994–1996)
Golden State Warriors (1996)
Houston Rockets (1996–1998, 2001–2002)
Toronto Raptors (1999–2001)
Denver Nuggets (2001)
San Antonio Spurs (2002–2004)
Dallas Mavericks (2007) 		4,172 1,424 2.93
10 Shaquille O'Neal* C Orlando Magic (1992–1996)
Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004)
Miami Heat (2004–2008)
Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2009–2010)
Boston Celtics (2010–2011) 		4,146 1,207 3.43
Otis Thorpe PF Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (1984–1988, 1998)
Houston Rockets (1988–1995)
Portland Trail Blazers (1995)
Detroit Pistons (1995–1997)
Vancouver Grizzlies (1997–1998)
Washington Wizards (1998–1999)
Miami Heat (1999–2000)
Charlotte Hornets (2000–2001) 		1,257 3.30
12 James Edwards C Los Angeles Lakers (1977, 1992–1994)
Indiana Pacers (1977–1981)
Cleveland Cavaliers (1981–1983)
Phoenix Suns (1983–1988)
Detroit Pistons (1988–1991)
Los Angeles Clippers (1991–1992)
Portland Trail Blazers (1994–1995)
Chicago Bulls (1995–1996)}} 		4,042 1,168 3.46
13 Patrick Ewing* C New York Knicks (1985–2000)
Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2001)
Orlando Magic (2001–2002) 		4,034 1,183 3.41
14 Vince Carter* SG/SF Toronto Raptors (1998–2004)
New Jersey Nets (2004–2009)
Orlando Magic (2009–2010)
Phoenix Suns (2010–2011)
Dallas Mavericks (2011–2014)
Memphis Grizzlies (2014–2017)
Sacramento Kings (2017–2018)
Atlanta Hawks (2018–2020) 		3,995 1,541 2.59
15 John Stockton* PG Utah Jazz (1984–2003) 3,942 1,504 2.62
16 Dwight Howard† C Orlando Magic (2004–2012)
Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2013, 2019–2020, 2021–2022)
Houston Rockets (2013–2016)
Atlanta Hawks (2016–2017)
Charlotte Hornets (2017–2018)
Washington Wizards (2018–2019)
Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2021) 		3,912 1,242 3.15
17 Jack Sikma* C Seattle SuperSonics (1977–1986)
Milwaukee Bucks (1986–1991) 		3,879 1,107 3.50
18 Hal Greer* SG/PG Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1958–1973) 3,855 1,122 3.44
19 Terry Cummings PF San Diego Clippers (1982–1984)
Milwaukee Bucks (1984–1989, 1995–1996)
San Antonio Spurs (1989–1995)
Seattle SuperSonics (1996–1997)
Philadelphia 76ers (1997–1998)
New York Knicks (1998)
Golden State Warriors (1999–2000) 		3,836 1,183 3.24
20 Shawn Kemp PF/C Seattle SuperSonics (1989–1997)
Cleveland Cavaliers (1997–2000)
Portland Trail Blazers (2000–2002)
Orlando Magic (2002–2003) 		3,826 1,051 3.64
21 Tom Chambers PF San Diego Clippers (1981–1983)
Seattle SuperSonics (1983–1988)
Phoenix Suns (1988–1993)
Utah Jazz (1993–1995)
Charlotte Hornets (1997)
Philadelphia 76ers (1997) 		3,742 1,107 3.38
22 Paul Pierce* SF/SG Boston Celtics (1998–2013)
Brooklyn Nets (2013–2014)
Washington Wizards (2014–2015)
Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2017) 		3,643 1,343 2.71
23 Bill Laimbeer C Cleveland Cavaliers (1980–1982)
Detroit Pistons (1982–1993) 		3,633 1,068 3.40
24 Vlade Divac* C Los Angeles Lakers (1989–1996, 2004–2005)
Charlotte Hornets (1996–1998)
Sacramento Kings (1999–2004) 		3,609 1,134 3.18
25 Dirk Nowitzki* PF Dallas Mavericks (1998–2019) 3,601 1,522 2.37
26 Kurt Thomas PF/C Miami Heat (1995–1997)
Dallas Mavericks (1997–1998)
New York Knicks (1999–2005, 2012–2013)
Phoenix Suns (2005–2007)
Seattle SuperSonics (2007–2008)
San Antonio Spurs (2008–2009)
Milwaukee Bucks (2009–2010)
Chicago Bulls (2010–2011)
Portland Trail Blazers (2011–2012) 		3,579 1,110 3.22
27 Kevin Garnett* PF Minnesota Timberwolves (1995–2007, 2015–2016)
Boston Celtics (2007–2013)
Brooklyn Nets (2013–2015) 		3,561 1,462 2.44
28 Carmelo Anthony† SF Denver Nuggets (2003–2011)
New York Knicks (2011–2017)
Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2018)
Houston Rockets (2018–2019)
Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2021)
Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022) 		3,543 1,260 2.81
29 Walt Bellamy* C Chicago Packers/Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets (1961–1965)
New York Knicks (1965–1968)
Detroit Pistons (1968–1970)
Atlanta Hawks (1970–1974)
New Orleans Jazz (1974) 		3,536 1,043 3.39
30 Caldwell Jones C/PF Philadelphia 76ers (1976–1982)
Houston Rockets (1982–1984)
Chicago Bulls (1984–1985)
Portland Trail Blazers (1985–1989)
San Antonio Spurs (1989–1990) 		3,527 1,068 3.37
31 Rick Mahorn PF/C Washington Bullets (1980–1985)
Detroit Pistons (1985–1989, 1996–1998)
Philadelphia 76ers (1989–1991, 1999)
New Jersey Nets (1992–1996)
 3,499 1,117 3.13
32 Bailey Howell* SF Detroit Pistons (1959–1964)
Baltimore Bullets (1964–1966)
Boston Celtics (1966–1970)
Philadelphia 76ers (1970–1971) 		3,498 950 3.68
33 Danny Schayes C Utah Jazz (1981–1983)
Denver Nuggets (1983–1990)
Milwaukee Bucks (1990–1994)
Los Angeles Lakers (1994)
Phoenix Suns (1994–1995)
Miami Heat (1995–1996)
Orlando Magic (1996–1999) 		3,494 1,138 3.07
34 Juwan Howard PF Washington Bullets/Wizards (1994–2001)
Dallas Mavericks (2001–2002, 2007–2008)
Denver Nuggets (2002–2003, 2008)
Orlando Magic (2003–2004)
Houston Rockets (2004–2007)
Charlotte Bobcats (2008–2009)
Portland Trail Blazers (2009–2010)
Miami Heat (2010–2013) 		3,493 1,208 2.89
35 Sam Lacey C Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City(-Omaha) Kings (1970–1981)
New Jersey Nets (1981–1982)
Cleveland Cavaliers (1982–1983) 		3,473 1,002 3.47

Notes

  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ American Basketball Association (ABA) teams other than those admitted into the NBA in 1976 are not included; each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season.
  3. ^ Rounded to the nearest hundredth.

References

  1. ^ Bitar, Eddie (October 29, 2022). "20 NBA Players With The Most Personal Fouls In NBA History". fadeawayworld.net. Fadeaway World. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Personal Fouls". basketball-reference.com. Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  • v
  • t
  • e
NBA statistical leaders
Players
Career
Regular season
Playoffs
Annual
Season
Game
Misc
CoachesTeamsMisc