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Who are the greatest NBA players to never win a championship? Jackson dives into the all-time greats who were never able to capture a title in the postseason.
In basketball, greatness is often closely tied to how many championships a player has. Many fans and NBA historians keep track of how many titles greats such as Jordan, James, Russell, and Bird won during their illustrious careers.
A lack of a championship is used to discredit players, especially in basketball since a single player seemingly has a larger effect on the game than in any other team sport, and while that's not always fair -- it's just the way it is. Still, we should appreciate the careers of dominant regular-season players who displayed longevity and often willed their teams to the playoffs, but never quite had the team to cut down the nets.
Without further ado, let's dive into the top ten greatest NBA players to never win a championship.
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10. Reggie Miller, SG, Indiana Pacers
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,389 games, 18.2 PPG, 2,560 three-pointers (fourth all-time), 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, 50-40-90 Club
Miller was a prolific three-point shooter before the shot became a staple among almost all NBA guards. He was the league's all-time leader in three-point field goals when he retired, but more importantly, he willed the Pacers to 15 playoff appearances during his career.
On this day in 1998, Reggie Miller drilled the winner over MJ in the Eastern Conference Finals.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2020
No fear.
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/LAM4TZMkNM
Unfortunately, he only made one finals appearance -- losing in six games to the Lakers' duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. His career spanned the test of time, so he had to go through Michael Jordan, the Bad Boy Pistons, and Kobe Bryant.
9. Carmelo Anthony, SF, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Lakers
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,260 games, 22.5 PPG, 28,289 points (ninth all-time), 1x scoring champion, 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA
Anthony was a superstar at Syracuse, leading the Orange to a National Championship as a freshman. However, he was selected behind LeBron James and Darko Miličić in the 2003 NBA Draft -- a nice consolation prize for the Denver Nuggets.
Rookie Carmelo Anthony🔥pic.twitter.com/NIn3R4gQ8N
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 1, 2020
He scored 21 points per game in his rookie season and never scored fewer than 20.8 points per game through his next seven seasons with the team. He then transitioned to the New York Knicks and won his first scoring title (28.7 PPG) and cemented himself as one of his generation's greatest scorers. Melo never made it further than the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and gets plenty of criticism because of it.
8. Allen Iverson, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies
Key Stats/Accolades: 914 games, 26.7 PPG, 1x MVP, 4x scoring champion, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA
Iverson was a fan favorite for most of his career for being his unapologetic self, but make no mistake -- he was a dominant player in the league -- mostly in his time with the 76ers. The Virginia native averaged 23.5 points in his rookie season and didn't fall under 20 points per game until his 12th year in the league.
48 points
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 9, 2016
The step-over
A win in the 2001 NBA Finals
A performance for the ages by Allen Iverson #16HoopClass pic.twitter.com/JLcJpKbFCS
Iverson battled the 2001 Lakers as hard as he could, but the Sixers ultimately lost the series in six games. Iverson was a human highlight real, a dominant scorer, and had a legendary unique personality.
7. Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,217 games, 14.3 PPG, 10,335 assists (fifth all-time), 6-time assist champion, 2x MVP, 8x All-Star, 7x All-NBA
Nash has two regular season MVPs, so he could arguably be higher on this list, but the No. 7 spot feels appropriate for the South African-born point guard. Nash seemingly took over for John Stockton as the game's most prolific passer in the middle part of his career and was one of the league's best three-point shooters percentage-wise.
Let’s start this day off with some Steve Nash Suns highlights. pic.twitter.com/h4nxhBLWPE
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) October 24, 2020
His Suns' teams couldn't get over the hump against Dirk's Dallas Mavericks or Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs when the postseason rolled around, but his greatest should not be questioned among all-time points guards.
6. Patrick Ewing, C, New York Knicks, Seattle Supersonics, Orlando Magic
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,183 games, 21.0 PPG, 11,607 rebounds (25th all-time), 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 3x All-Defense
Ewing can get lost in the shuffle in the all-time great big ben discussion, but he lived up to his No. 1 overall pick status from 1985. Ewing squared off with Michael Jordan in 27 playoff games and only came away with eight total victories. Needless to say, the GOAT stood in his way for the majority of his prime.
Prime Patrick Ewing Threw It Down 😤
— Ｓａｕｃｙ Ｈｏｏｐｓ™ (@SaucyHoops) February 27, 2019
pic.twitter.com/ZNOzY219MM
During Jordan's two-year break from basketball, Ewing led the Knicks to the 1994 NBA Finals, where they fell to the Houston Rockets led by Hakeem Olajuwon in seven games. If New York had won that game seven, Ewing's career would be viewed in an entirely different light.
5. Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,214 games, 17.9 PPG, 11,501 assists (third all-time), 5x assist champion, 6x steals champion, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 9x All-Defense
Technically, Paul could still win a championship, but at age 38, it's becoming increasingly unlikely. Paul is right up there with John Stockton, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and Magic Johnson as one of the great passers in the history of the game. The "Point God" has led the league in assists with three different franchises and has reached the playoffs in 15 of his 18 seasons.
Last time Chris Paul played a playoff game in LA it was Game 6 vs the Clippers in 2021 where he dropped 41 and sent the Suns to the Finals. pic.twitter.com/ldPyH2dzpC
— LEEZUS (@AndrewLeezus) April 20, 2023
Paul came close to a title in 2021, but his Suns' squad lost in the Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, there's a real argument Paul could be the greatest all-around point guard of all time. If he had even one championship ring, he might be the consensus GOAT among point guards.
4. Elgin Baylor, SF Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
Key Stats/Accolades: 846 games, 27.4 PPG, 11x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 7x NBA Finals Appearances
Baylor lost in the finals a whopping seven times, but that many appearances have to count for something, right? Despite averaging as high as 38.2 points per game in a single season, he never won a scoring title. He can thank Wilt Chamberlain for that.
RIP to Lakers legend Elgin Baylor 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/lXrHvZI9Pa
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 22, 2021
Either way, Baylor was easily one of the best scorers of his generation -- in an era where it was mostly big men who dominated the game. Baylor's legacy will live on forever among the greats who played for the Lakers organization -- even without securing a title.
3. John Stockton, PG, Utah Jazz
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,504 games, 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 15,806 assists (most all-time), 3,265 steals (most all-time), 9x assist champion, 2x steals champion 10x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 5x All-Defense
Stockton is hands-down the most prolific passer the NBA has ever seen, leading the league in assists an incredible nine seasons in a row. He also has seemingly unbreakable career records for assists and steals. He formed a legendary duo with fellow Hall-of-Famer Karl Malone, but the Jazz were never able to secure a championship.
28 years ago today, John Stockton passed Magic Johnson & became the NBA’s all-time assist leader. His AST & STL records will NEVER be broken.
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 1, 2023
ASSISTS
Stockton: 15,806
Kidd: 12,091
CP3: 11,246
LeBron: 10,338
STEALS
Stockton: 3,265
Kidd: 2,684
MJ: 2,514 pic.twitter.com/Vvw5zEu5yY
The all-time great duo squared off with Michael Jordan's Bulls in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals, losing both series in six games. A ring would've helped Stockton secure his status as a top player of all time, but even without the title, he should be right in the mix of the discussion with Magic Johnson for the greatest point guard ever.
2. Charles Barkley, PF, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,073 games, 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1x rebound champion, 1x MVP, 11x All-Star, 11x All-NBA
The Round Mound of Rebound grabbed an average of at least 10.5 boards and as high as 14.6 boards every season except his rookie campaign, despite standing just 6'6". In an era with monstrous big men throughout the league, Barkley held his own on the offensive and defensive glass down low. He was also a prolific scorer before the significant rise of the three-point shot.
Charles’ MVP season had some major highlights 👀
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 4, 2020
High Tops: Charles Barkley’s Best Plays - 8:30pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/asDDAZWz3U
As with most people on this list, Barkley ran into players like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan come playoff time, so he lost his only finals appearance against the Bulls in 1993.
1. Karl Malone, PF, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers
Key Stats/Accolades: 1,476 games, 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 36,298 points (third all-time), 14,968 rebounds (seventh all-time), 2x MVP, 14x All-Star, 14x All-NBA, 4x All-Defense
Malone averaged at least 25 points per game in 12 of his 19 seasons in the NBA and was a fixture in the All-Star Game and on the All-NBA team. Again, if Michael Jordan didn't exist, he and Stockton would likely have two rings a piece.
On this day in 1998... Karl Malone delivered 56 points and a game-winner! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/rfAiOl3j4s
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 7, 2022
Malone made another trip to the NBA Finals in 2004 with the Lakers alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Gary Payton, but he was far from the player he once was and the Lakers lost in six games.
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