Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen On The One NBA Big Man He Doesn't Mess With

Jarrett Allen is used to banging around down low in the NBA, but there's one NBA big man the Cleveland Cavaliers center won't get on the wrong side of.

Feb 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) loses the ball beside Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been around for quite some time. He's battled with the best that the NBA has had to offer since he was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets.

Allen has been with the Cavs since January of 2021 and he's been a big part of their front court ever since Cleveland acquired him from the Nets. That's literal, as well, because Allen checks in at 6-foot-9, 243 pounds and though he may not be a physical giant, he's known as one of the best defenders in the NBA.

Allen can go toe-to-toe with any big man in the league, but recently speaking on the "The Young Man and The Three" podcast — which was founded by current Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Reddick but now hosted by Tommy Alter — the Cleveland big man did reveal that there's one NBA big man he doesn't like to tangle up with.

"Somebody I always respected, Steven Adams. He’s a workhorse. Obviously he’s been in the league a long time, slowing down, but when he is told to do a job, he does it perfectly," Allen told Alter.

Allen relayed that he and Steven Adams aren't friends, but he does have much respect for the long-time NBA center and he thinks he's a good guy. He is a big guy, though, checking in at 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, so Allen doesn't try to tussle with him much.

“He’s somebody that I respect and I try and not get on the wrong side of," Allen said with a laugh.

Adams has been doing the big man thing in the NBA at a high level since we was selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013. He's averaged 8.9 points per game in his career, but he's there for his presence and not his scoring.

Adams has averaged eight rebounds (including 3.6 offensive rebounds) per game in 11 seasons and he's currently a veteran bench player for the Houston Rockets. Per Allen's point, Adams isn't the player he once was, but he can still get after it down low.