Eduardo Najera named Kevin Garnett and Yao Ming as the easiest players to defend: "I was very successful"

Former Dallas Mavericks forward Eduardo Najera was often tasked to defend big and dominant guys. As a pesky defender and team player, Najera did his job diligently all throughout his 12-year NBA career.

Looking back at his playing years, the Mexican-born NBA veteran recalled the stars who weren't that much of a problem on the court—in simpler terms, the easiest to defend during match-ups. Shockingly, Najera mentioned the legendary Kevin Garnett and the 7'6" Yao Ming .

"The easiest were guys like Kevin Garnett," Najera told ESPN in 2017. "I could get under his skin. He would get mad at me. That's the way I would guard him, and I was very successful. His temperament was very different from everybody else's. He was passionate, just like me. He would get [distracted] with me messing with him -- not in a bad way, just playing hard defense."

"Another easy one was Yao Ming. I remember the first time when Nellie told me, 'You got him.' I'm like, 'What?! Are you kidding me?' 'Yeah, you got him. Do what you do best. Mess with him.' I was like, 'OK, I'll try.' I ended up with a good game against Yao. I got Yao really, really frustrated. The most important thing is that we won the game," he continued.

KG and Yao fans would disagree

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Najera's bold claim would surely raise a couple of eyebrows for obvious reasons. Any average NBA fan is well aware that KG and Yao were two of the most unstoppable big men in NBA history, and there's a great chance that they have never heard of Najera's name.

However, NBA fans who grew up watching the game in the early to mid-2000s would somehow acknowledge this take. Indeed, Garnett and Ming were far greater than Edi, but those who witnessed his game appreciated how tenacious he was as a defender.

How good Najera really was?

Unlike with KG and Yao, not much has been written or heard about Najera's career. However, that didn't mean he was a journeyman from start to finish. In fact, he was a key player for the University of Oklahoma in college and helped the school make four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

In the NBA, Eduardo played the best basketball of his professional career with the Mavs and the Denver Nuggets. Stats-wise, Najera didn't always log impressive numbers but his coaches were often pleased with his remarkable defensive prowess and intangible contributions on the floor.

Apart from defense, the Mexican-born player could also score as needed. In fact, YouTube immortalized his clutch three-pointer against the Boston Celtics in which he got Charlotte Bobcats owner and NBA icon Michael Jordan hyped up from the sidelines.

Related: Kendrick Perkins talks about KG's intensity: "He is the definition of locked in"