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Athlete Trash Talkers: 20 of the Biggest in Sports Today

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By @Connormuldowney

Biggest Trash Talkers in Sports

Marshall Henderson
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With athletes today receiving more attention than they ever have before, there's no question as to why the trash talkers are coming out of nowhere to the spotlight.

When you get a ton of attention, sometimes making yourself out to be a loud-mouth trash talker can just get you more popularity. Let's take a look at 20 of the biggest trash talkers in sports today.

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett
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Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett
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Garnett is known to infuriate opponents so much and get under their skin that they sometimes lash out and get physical with the big man. When you're a trash talker like him, that's exactly the type of reaction you're looking for.

Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon
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Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon
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Papelbon has called out his own fans for being terrible and even gets rowdy on the field after recording a save. Both of which don't help him get more fans.

Mike Wallace

Mike Wallace
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Mike Wallace

Mike Wallace
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Mike Wallace is more of a sly trash talker. You would never guess it, but he talks way more than meets the eye -- even when it's not about football. In fact, he posted to his Twitter last year that he doesn't understand why people like others of the same sex when there are "so many beautiful women in the world." Better to keep those ignorant thoughts to yourself, Mike.

Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson
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Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson
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Stephenson just comes off as the type of guy that tries to get under your skin. Just ask LeBron James after Stephenson tried to pester him during the entire 2014 Eastern Conference Finals series.

Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig
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Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig
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Puig doesn't really "talk" trash, but he does so with his cocky and immature attitude on the field. Whether it's with a bat flip after a home run or improper baseball etiquette, Puig still has a lot to learn.

Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens
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Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens
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T.O. loved to talk in third person and get in opponents faces when he was still playing football. Don't forget the time when he completely disrespected the Dallas Cowboys by making a scene at the 50-yard line on the star after a touchdown. He paid for that trash-talking incident, though.

J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith
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J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith
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I don't know if untying an opponent's shoelaces during free throws counts as talking trash but telling Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings that he's going to put him on blast next time he's in Detroit might qualify.

Marshall Henderson

Marshall Henderson
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Marshall Henderson

Marshall Henderson
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Marshall Henderson irritates opponents with his non-stop talking more than anyone in college basketball -- maybe even the history of college basketball. Henderson took pride in his trash talking and even got the fans involved.

Hope Solo

Hope Solo
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Hope Solo

Hope Solo
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Solo is another athlete who takes to social media to trash talk, even saying afterwards that she doesn't care what people think of her.

Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman
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Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman
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Just ask Michael Crabtree what he thinks of Sherman. The star cornerback loves to get in opponents' faces and make them realize that they will never be as good as he is. He's a trash talker on and off the field. Skip Bayless knows this all too well, too.

Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel
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Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel
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His "money" celebration and just the way he disrespected opponents during his college career -- especially during the Rice game -- has earned him a spot on this list. He's way too smart to act the same way in the NFL, however. Or so we hope.

Cam Newton

Cam Newton
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Cam Newton

Cam Newton
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Cam Newton is a very, very confident person and it shows in the way he plays his game. However, fellow players have taken a dislike to him because of his arrogant attitude and his trash talking. Such was the case during his Pro Bowl appearance a couple years ago when other guys were getting sick of his attitude on and off the field.

Grant Balfour

Grant Balfour
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Grant Balfour

Grant Balfour
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His run-in with Victor Martinez is the most infamous incident that involved Balfour's trash talking, but he seems to always be running his mouth when he does something well. Closers have a tendency to do that these days.

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen
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Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen
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Chael Sonnen makes trash talking into an art form. I have never seen, or heard, a guy take so much pride in his trash talking that he has to make it rhyme as well. Bravo, Chael.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith
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Steve Smith

Steve Smith
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Just like Cam Newton, Steve Smith is known for his arrogant attitude. I guess that's what made them such great friends in Carolina.

Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson
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Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson
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Steph Curry recently called Nate Robinson the dirtiest player in the NBA and he always seems to be trying to make up for his lack of height with an in-your-face attitude.

A.J. Pierzynski

A.J. Pierzynski
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A.J. Pierzynski

A.J. Pierzynski
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Pierzynski has a history of being hated in MLB. He was voted the most hated player in the league by his opponents, according to a Sports Illustrated poll, and it's because he has a hard time of keeping his mouth shut. He's no longer a problem as the Red Sox sent him down to the minors -- his days as a players are soon to be over.

LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy
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LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy
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McCoy is a great running back in the NFL today, but he just doesn't know when enough is enough. This year alone, old that the big-mouth star RB said that Knowshon Moreno "sucks" as well as going on a radio show to proclaim himself as the best running back in the league -- Adrian Peterson will hold that distinction until he retires.

Chad Johnson

Chad Johnson
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Chad Johnson

Chad Johnson
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Chad Johnson was so full of himself that he legally changed his last name to the number on his jersey -- Chad Ochocinco. Yeah, he was a trash talker, but he's no longer in the NFL, just trying to make it in the CFL.

DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson
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DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson
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Jackson is the epitome of a trash talker and many would argue that his immature attitude got him booted from the Philadelphia Eagles. I doubt that will stop him from talking trash with a different jersey on, however.

Connor Muldowney is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].

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