Australasian trio Matthew Dellavedova, Steven Adams and Andrew Bogut have been named the NBA’s three dirtiest players. Dellavedova, who earned the nickname “Dirty Delly” after aggravating opponents during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff run last year, has topped a Los Angeles Times poll.

The newspaper asked 24 NBA coaches, assistants and players to list their five dirtiest players. Dellavedova scored 13 votes, the Oklahoma City Thunder ’s Kiwi centre Adams finished second with seven and Golden State Warriors’ Australian big man Andrew Bogut was third with five votes. “He’s as dirty as they come,” a Western Conference coach, discussing Dellavedova, told the LA Times. “When you’re hurting people, that is not OK.”

Dellavedova ended Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver’s season last year when he dived on a ball and took Korver’s legs out. He also infuriated Korver’s teammate Al Horford when the Australian became tangled and fell on his legs.

In the playoff series against the Chicago Bulls Dellavedova pulled off a wrestling type maneuver by wrapping his legs around forward Taj Gibson. When Gibson lashed out he was hit with a flagrant foul and ejected and in the finals Dellavedova also battled with Warriors forward Draymond Green. “He ain’t dirty,” one old school Eastern Conference coach said in defending Dellavedova. “He just plays hard.”

Adams is renowned for tossing his 213cm-frame around the floor. “He throws elbows, extra hitting dudes away from the ball, hitting them with the chicken wing (elbow) and trying to get a rise out of them,” a Western Conference coach said.

Bogut is also known for using his 213cm-body for hard fouls and setting screens to free up the Warriors’ sharpshooters, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. “What Bogut does is very calculating,” one Western Conference player said. “He knows what he’s doing. His elbows, the way he sets screens, grabbing and holding guys.” Memphis forward Matt Barnes and Oklahoma forward Serge Ibaka finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Dellavedova, meanwhile, says that the upcoming Olympics can help his countryman and college prodigy Ben Simmons translate his game to the pros. Widely expected to be the No.1 pick in the next NBA draft in June, Simmons’ status for the Rio Olympics is uncertain as he prepares to move into the association.

But Dellavedova, who went to the London Games in 2012 as a college player, said the experience would only be beneficial to both Simmons and his new team. “International basketball is different to the NBA in style of play and some of the rules. For most people though, just playing international basketball where every possession matters, is a good experience,” he said.