Who are the best NBA players who never won a ring? Among the list are players that earned MVP awards, were All-Stars and were selected among All-NBA teams.
Many of the best NBA players who never won a ring were stopped by the best player of all time, Michael Jordan. Let’s take a look at the best players never to win an NBA championship.
8. Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins is known for being one of the most acrobatic slam dunkers and most explosive small forwards of all-time. The Hall of Famer earned nine All-Star appearances, an All-NBA First Team selection, and is most remembered for his 12 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.
Wilkins is one of the best players never to win an NBA championship and he was never able to make an NBA Finals appearance. The furthest he reached was the conference semifinals in the 1988 NBA playoffs with the Hawks going on to lose to the Celtics in seven games.
7. Allen Iverson
Pound for pound the 6-foot Allen Iverson is the greatest ever player in NBA history, as well as being one of the best NBA players who never won a ring. In his 14-year career he earned 11 All-Star appearances and three All-NBA First Team selections.
Iverson made the playoffs 8 times – six with Philadelphia and two in Denver. He managed to get as far as the NBA Finals in 2000-01 on the back of winning NBA MVP and single-handedly winning the Eastern Conference title. The 76ers went on to lose the finals series to the Lakers in five games.
6. Steve Nash
Steve Nash is one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA and one of the best players never to win an NBA championship. During his career he earned two MVP awards, eight All-Star appearances and earned three All-NBA First Team selections.
Nash played in 118 playoff games in his 18-season career, a record for a player who never made it to the NBA Finals. His best chance for a title was in Dallas alongside Dirk Nowitzki. In 2003 the Mavericks lost to the Spurs in six games in the conference finals, and he fell at the same stage again in 2006 with the Phoenix Suns.
5. Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller played his entire NBA career at the Indiana Pacers and is considered one of the greatest Pacers of all-time. The sharpshooter earned five All-Star appearances and was one of the most clutch shooters ever, holding the record for most 3-point field goals scored at the time of his retirement.
Miller helped to guide the Pacers to their first ever NBA Finals appearance in 2000 but they fell short to the Lakers in six games. His best opportunity would be in the 2004 conference finals playing alongside Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal, but they lost the series to the Pistons in six.
4. John Stockton
One of the greatest single franchise NBA players ever was 10-time All-Star John Stockton who spent his entire 19-year career with the Utah Jazz. Despite holding the record for most career assists and steals, Stockton is one of the best NBA players who never won a ring.
The Jazz made the playoffs in every season he played and he led Utah to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. On both occasions he was stopped by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
3. Patrick Ewing
An 11-time All-Star, Patrick Ewing is one of the best NBA players who never won a ring. His best chance to win a title was during Michael Jordan’s time away from the NBA between 1993 and 1995, and he had two golden opportunities in particular.
The New York Knicks and Ewing made it to the 1994 NBA Finals against the Rockets. John Starks had the chance to win the championship with a three-point attempt but was blocked by one of the best defenders ever, Hakeem Olajuwon.
An injury then forced Ewing to miss the 1999 NBA Finals, his presence missed as the Knicks went down in five games to Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs.
2. Charles Barkley
He was short for a power forward but Charles Barkley was one of the league’s best players earning 11 All-Star appearances and an MVP award in 1993. He could rebound, score, defend and create plays.
Barkley starred for the 76ers, Suns and Rockets across a 16-year career. His best opportunity for and NBA championship was on the back of the Suns 62-game winning season in 1992-93.
In the 1993 NBA Finals, Barkley and the Suns lost the series in six games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls clinched their third consecutive championship with a John Paxson game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6.
1. Karl Malone
One of the best power forwards in NBA history, Karl Malone made the playoffs in every season of his 19-year career but is the best NBA player who never won a ring. Malone made the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in six games on both occasions.
That’s the closest the 14-time All-Star has come to winning a championship. The 1997 and 1999 MVP teamed up with Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant at the Lakers in 2003 in a last ditch attempt to win a title.
Despite being title favorites, the Lakers were stunned in the 2004 NBA Finals by the Detroit Pistons, and one of the most dominant defenders ever, Ben Wallace.
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