Every sport always has some of its all time greats with many
accolades and achievements, but could never capture a championship. The
NBA is no stranger to that category as well as we take a look at some of
the greatest players ever in its history to never win a title.
Allen Iverson
He may have been “The
Answer” but Allen Iverson never found the right one when it came to
capturing an NBA ring. Despite his 2001 MVP Season, Iverson and the
Philadelphia 76ers would lose to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the
Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Iverson spent 10 seasons in
Philadelphia before moving around from Denver, Detroit, and Memphis.
Iverson returned to the Sixers in the 2009-10 season, but was plagued
with an injury that cut his season short. In what would be his final NBA
season that year, Iverson played one season in the Turkish Basketball
League in 2010-11. On October 30, 2013, after a couple years of not
playing the sport, Iverson officially announced his retirement from the
game of basketball.
4 time NBA Scoring Title winner (1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2004-05)
11 time NBA All-Star (Won All Star Game MVP twice, 2001-02 & 2004-05)
3 time All NBA First Team
3 time All NBA Second Team
1 time All NBA Third Team
2001 NBA MVP
1997 NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA All Rookie Team (1997)
NBA Rookie Challenge MVP (1997) Now known as “Rising Stars Challenge”
3 time NBA Steals Leader (2001-2003)
Jersey Number (3) retired by Philadelphia 76ers
1 NBA Finals Appearance
Karl Malone
Despite being the
all-time leading scorer in Utah Jazz history, “The Mailman” Karl Malone
could not deliver an NBA Championship. Utah made back to back NBA Final
appearances in 1997 and 1998, but fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago
Bulls both times in six games. Malone would get another chance however,
this time with the Lakers in 2004. On paper, the Lakers looked like a
superior team than that of the Utah Jazz team’s Malone was on which
featured Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Derek Fisher, and
former teammate Bryon Russell. L.A. faced off against the Eastern
Conference Champions, Detroit Pistons. After losing Game 1, the Lakers
bounced back to tie the series at 1-1, but from that point on it was all
Detroit. The Pistons used their defense to slow down the high scoring
Lakers offense and defeated them in five games. The 2004 season would
end up being Malone’s last and in the end the “Mailman” could never find
the right address.
2 time NBA MVP (1997, 1999)
14 time NBA All-Star
2 time NBA All-Star MVP
11 Time All NBA First Team
2 Time All NBA Second Team
1 Time All NBA Third Team
3 Time All-Defensive First Team
1 Time All Defensive Second Team
NBA All Rookie Team (1986)
NBA’S 50th Anniversary All Time Team
Jersey Number (32) retired by Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz all time leading scorer (36,594 points as a Jazz)
One of only five players
in NBA history who have compiled at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds
and 4,000 assists. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Charles
Barkley, Kevin Garnett)
3 NBA Final appearances
John Stockton
John Stockton and Karl Malone created an
effective one-two punch during their days in Utah. The story is pretty
much the same for Stockton as it was for Malone (with the exception of
Malone making it to the Finals in 2004) where they each came up short in
the NBA Finals, falling to the Chicago Bulls both times. Stockton owns
two prestigious all time NBA records, all time assists leader and all
time steals leader. Stockton could not deliver the biggest assist and
steal a NBA title in either of his appearances in the Finals.
10 time NBA All-Star (1993 NBA All Star Game MVP)
9 time NBA Assist Leader (1988-1996)
2 time NBA Steals Leader (1989, 1992)
2 time All NBA First Team
6 time All NBA Second Team
3 time All NBA Third Team
5 time NBA All Defensive Second Team
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All Time Team
Jersey number (12) retired by Utah Jazz
NBA All Time Assists Leader (15,806)
NBA All Time Steals Leader (3,265)
2 NBA Final appearances
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley was drafted in 1984 by the
Philadelphia 76ers which featured star players Moses Malone, “Dr. J”
Julius Erving, and Maurice Cheeks. By 1989 the three players were no
longer with the organization (Malone traded in the 1986-87 season with
Erving retiring at the conclusion of that year as well, and Cheeks left
Philadelphia) and Barkley presumably became the team’s star. Despite
individual success, Barkley was not happy and wanted out of
Philadelphia. A trade in the 1992 off-season sent him to the Phoenix
Suns. Barkley instantly found both individual and team success as he was
named league MVP and Phoenix posting a 62-20 record, the leagues best
in the 1992-93 season. Though it was not easy, the Suns went through the
Western Conference and appeared in the Finals that year against Michael
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Even with home court advantage, Barkley
and the Suns still came up short and lost in six games. Barkley spent
three more seasons in Phoenix, none in which they made it past the
Western Conference Semi-Finals. In what was a last ditch attempt to
obtain a NBA title, Barkley was traded to the Houston Rockets prior to
the 1996-97 season to form a trio with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde
Drexler. In his first season with Houston, Barkley and the Rockets made
it to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated in six games
by the Utah Jazz. In the following two seasons the Rockets failed to
make it past the first round. The 1999-00 season would end up being
Barkley’s last due to a severe injury that was career ending when he
ruptured his left quadriceps tendon.
1993 NBA MVP
10 time NBA All-Star (1991 All Star Game MVP)
5 time All NBA First Team
5 time All NBA Second Team
1 time All NBA Third Team
NBA All Rookie First Team (1985)
NBA Rebound Leader (1986-1987)
Jersey number (34) retired by both Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
One of only five players in NBA history
who have compiled at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000
assists. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, Kevin
Garnett)
1 NBA Final appearance
Patrick Ewing
Drafted 1st overall in
1985 by the New York Knicks, Patrick Ewing continued his dominance from
his college career and won the 1986 Rookie of the Year. Ewing helped the
Knicks become title contenders, but like others on the list he ran into
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls! The Knicks faced the Bulls six
times in the playoffs during Ewing’s career in New York and went 1-5.
The series that New York did win was after the season that Michael
Jordan announced his 1st retirement. After defeating Chicago in the 2nd
round, Ewing would lead the Knicks into the 1994 NBA Finals against the
Houston Rockets in which they held a 3-2 series lead. The Knicks
however, would fail to clinch and lost the next two games by just a
combined 8 points. Between 1995-98, the New York Knicks failed to make
it past the 2nd round. In 1999, Ewing and the Knicks made a surprising
run to the NBA Finals as the #8 seed in the East, defeating Miami,
Atlanta, and Indiana respectively along the way. Unfortunately an
Achilles injury that Ewing had been plagued with forced him to sit out
the remainder of the Finals against the San Antonion Spurs who would go
on to defeat the Knicks in five games to capture the franchises first
title. The following season, which would be Ewing’s last in New York,
the Knicks met the Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference Championship
rematch from last year, but with Indiana coming out on top this time.
Ewing played one season in Seattle before playing his last season in
Orlando and retiring there after.
11 time NBA All-Star
1986 Rookie of the Year
1 time All NBA First Team
6 time All NBA Second Team
3 time NBA All Defensive Second Team
NBA All Rookie Team (1986)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1986)
New York Knicks All Time Leading Scorer (23, 665 points as a Knick)
Jersey number (33) retired by New York Knicks
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All Time Team
2 NBA Final appearances
Reggie Miller
Arguably one of the best
clutch players in NBA history, Reggie Miller was always fun to watch and
when faced with adversity it would be “Miller Time”. One of Miller’s
most memorable moments was when he scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds during
a playoff game against the New York Knicks. New York had a six point
lead over the Indiana Pacers when Miller hit a three, stole the inbound
pass, stepped back for another three and tied the game! Miller hit two
free throws to complete the remarkable comeback. Another memorable
“Miller Time” moment came in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals against
the Chicago Bulls. Guarded by Michael Jordan, Miller hit a game winning
three point shot to tie the series at two games a piece. The Bulls
however would ultimately go on to win the series in seven games. Miller
finally guided the Pacers to an NBA Finals appearance in 2000, but would
lose in six against the L.A. Lakers who were led by Shaquille O’Neal
and Kobe Bryant. The closest Miller ever got to returning to the Finals
was in 2004 before ultimately being eliminated by eventual champions
Detroit Pistons. The following season would be Miller’s last and would
again be eliminated by the Pistons in six games, this time in the
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
5 time NBA All Star
3 time All NBA Third Team
NBA All Rookie Second Team (1988)
2004 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
50-40-90 Club (1994)
Indiana Pacers all-time leading scorer (25,279 points)
Jersey number (31) retired by Indiana Pacers
1 NBA Final appearance
Dominique Wilkins
Known as “The Human
Highlight Reel” Dominique Wilkins is known for being one of the best
dunkers in NBA history. Wilkins who was a recipient of the NBA’s Slam
Dunk Champion twice, spent 11 1/2 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and is
the franchise’s all time leading scorer. During his time in Atlanta,
Wilkins and the Hawks never made it past the second round. In 1994,
Wilkins was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, who would go on to be
eliminated in the first round of that year’s playoffs. Wilkins signed
with the Boston Celtics in the off-season prior to the 1994-95 season.
After a year in Boston, Wilkins split his last four year in the NBA and
foreign leagues before calling it a career in 1999.
9 time NBA All Star
1 time All NBA First Team
4 time All NBA Second Team
2 time All NBA Third Team
NBA All Rookie Team (1983)
1 time NBA Scoring Champion (1986)
2 time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (1985, 1990)
Atlanta Hawks all-time leading scorer (23,292 points)
Jersey number (21) retired by Atlanta Hawks
0 NBA Final appearances
George Gervin
George Gervin first
started his professional career out with the Virginia Squires of the
ABA. Gervin, who was also known as “The Iceman” was shipped to the San
Antonio Spurs, who were also part of the ABA upon his arrival, joined
the NBA in 1976. Gervin won the NBA Scoring Title 4 times (only Wilt
Chamberlin and Michael Jordan have more). Gervin and the Spurs made it
to the Conference Finals three times during his tenure with San Antonio,
with 1979 being the closest where they ultimately fell in seven games
to the Washington Bullets (Now known as the Washington Wizards). Gervin
finished his NBA career in the 1985-86 season with a Chicago Bulls team
that was led by a young Michael Jordan. The Bulls were eliminated in the
first round and Gervin would finish his basketball career in 1990
before making stops in an Italian League, a year with the CBA’s Quad
City Thunder, and a year in Spain.
9 time NBA All Star (MVP of 1980 All-Star Game)
5 time All NBA First Team
2 time All NBA Second Team
4 time NBA Scoring Champion
3 time ABA All Star
2 time All ABA Second Team
ABA All Rookie First Team (1973)
Jersey number (44) retired by San Antonio Spurs
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All Time Team
ABA All Time Team
Pete Maravich
Even though his career
was short, Pete Maravich was one of the greatest ball handlers the
sports of basketball has ever seen! Maravich earned the name “Pistol
Pete” due to his delivery of shooting the ball near his hips. Maravich
would wow spectators with his amazing and effective passing and
dribbling abilities. Unfortunately injuries over the years began to take
its toll on Maravich, forcing him to cut his career short and retire
after only 10 seasons in the NBA. Maravich would tragically die at the
young age of 40 during a pick up game of basketball in 1988.
5 time NBA All Star
2 time All NBA First Team
2 time All NBA Second Team
NBA All Rookie Team (1971)
1 time NBA Scoring Champion
Jersey number (7) retired both by Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All Time Team
0 NBA Final appearances
Dikembe Mutombo
One of the best shot
blockers ever in the NBA, Dikembe Mutombo presence’s was felt quickly.
Drafted by the Nuggets in 1991, Mutombo and Denver made history during
his third season with the team when they became the first number 8 seed
to beat a 1 seed in NBA Playoff history. After five seasons with Denver,
Mutombo signed a contract in the 1996 off-season with the Atlanta
Hawks. During his four seasons there, the Hawks failed to make it past
the 2nd round. Midway through the 2000-01 season, Mutombo was traded to
the Philadelphia 76ers to counter the Western Conference’s big men’s Tim
Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal. Mutombo and the 76ers would meet O’Neal
and the Lakers in the NBA Finals and jumped out to a 1-0 series lead
after upsetting Los Angeles in Game 1. The Lakers would bounce right
back though, and take the next four games to win the series and 2001
championship. Mutombo spent one more season in Philadelphia before
signing with the New Jersey Nets (now known as the Brooklyn Nets) in
2002-03, where he was used in more of a reserve role. The Nets made it
all the way to the Finals that year where they met Tim Duncan and the
San Antonio Spurs. The Nets split the first four games with the Spurs
before San Antonio won the next two too clinch the series. Mutombo would
spend a season in New York and finish out the remainder of his career
with the Houston Rockets, where again he was used in a backup role.
Mutombo’s final game came in Game 2 of the 1st round of the 2009
Playoffs, during which he suffered a ruptured tendon in quadriceps on
his left knee.
8 time NBA All Star
1 time All NBA Second Team
2 time All NBA Third Team
4 time NBA Defensive Player of the Year
3 time NBA All Defensive First Team
3 time NBA All Defensive Second Team
NBA All Rookie Team (1992)
2 time NBA Rebounding Champion
3 time NBA Blocking Champion
2 NBA Final appearances
Certainly these players
all have decorated careers, but would have loved to added a championship
ring to their collection. There are definitely many others who could
make this list, and many more will join it in the future. Who do you
think are some of the all time greats not listed here to have never won
an NBA Championship? Feel free to leave your opinion and share it and
this article with others!
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/nba/players
http://www.nba.com/history/players/
http://www.basketball-reference.com/
http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/sports-nicknames/25/
