Best NBA Players Without a Ring
We don’t know who started this you-ain't-nothing-without-the-bling thing in pro sports, but it has got to stop as soon as possible, if not earlier.
If the number of championship rings really is the measure of greatness, as too many seem to think, then the best NBA player of the expansion era is none other than — drum roll, please — Robert Horry (seven rings as a player)?! Oh, and K.C. Jones (eight rings) is better than John Stockton (zippo), too.
True, some of the best players need only to look in the mirror to understand why there’s no championship bling in their vaults. Yet pro sports can be crueler than post-happy hour. Too many times the inability to win the big one comes down to a bad bounce, a bad call, a bad matchup, bad health or just plain bad luck.
Based on career achievements, statistics and metrics, these are the 25 greatest NBA players without a league championship on their resumes.
The qualifiers: Players with ABA titles aren’t eligible. Sorry, Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel, but you had a taste of it. And active ones need to have played at least 10 seasons to be considered.
25. Allen Iverson, Guard
Career: 1996-2010 (14 seasons)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies
Win shares/48 minutes: .126
Postseason record: 30-41
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2001)
Bottom Line: Allen Iverson
In a memorable NBA Finals debut, the miniature pit bull went off for 48 points on 50 total shots. Then it all went pfft against the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the next four games.
Could be the losers needed more practice. What are we talkin' about — practice?
Yeah, we're talkin' about practice.
24. Jack Twyman, Forward-Guard
Career: 1955-66 (11 seasons)
Teams: Rochester/Cincinnati Royals
Win shares/48 minutes: .138
Postseason record: 12-22
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Jack Twyman
If the Boston Celtics' dynasty hadn’t gotten in the way, the Royals might have achieved championship status.
Their best team (55-25) fell in five games to Gang Green in the 1964 Eastern Division semis.
Jack Twyman, a six-time All-Star, averaged 20.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in the series.
23. Chris Mullin, Forward-Guard
Career: 1985-2001 (16 seasons)
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers
Win shares/48 minutes: .139
Postseason record: 35-36
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2000)
Bottom Line: Chris Mullin
The five-time All-Star spent the prime of his career with mostly ordinary Warriors teams before he finally made an NBA Finals appearance with the Pacers.
By then, the 36-year was on the verge of retirement.
Chris Mullin played 12 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers in the six-game series.
22. Grant Hill, Forward-Guard
Career: 1994-2013 (18 seasons)
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers
Win shares/48 minutes: .138
Postseason record: 14-25
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Grant Hill
The former Dukie didn’t experience the same success in the pros that he had in college, largely because of a chronic foot issue that sabotaged the brunt of his career.
His closest call came in 2010 playoffs, which saw the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers beat his Suns in six games in the Western Conference finals.
21. David Thompson, Forward-Guard
Career: 1976-84 (eight seasons)
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Seattle SuperSonics
Win shares/48 minutes: .150
Postseason record: 10-17
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: David Thompson
In the final ABA season, his Nuggets lost to Julius Erving and the New York Nets in six games in the 1976 championship round.
After a merger of the two leagues, "Skywalker" would never soar to those heights again.
David Thompson got as far as the 1978 Western Conference finals, where the SuperSonics eliminated the Nuggets in six games.
20. Tracy McGrady, Forward-Guard
Career: 1997-2012 (15 seasons)
Teams: Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks
Win shares/48 minutes: .152
Postseason record: 19-31
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2013)
Bottom Line: Tracy McGrady
When "T-Mac" finally advanced to the NBA Finals, he was a 33-year-old benchwarmer on the Spurs.
Tracy McGrady sat out the 95-88 loss versus the Miami Heat in Game 7 and was limited to 14 scoreless minutes in the series.
19. Dikembe Mutombo, Center
Career: 1991-2009 (18 seasons)
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets
Win shares/48 minutes: .153
Postseason record: 42-59
NBA Finals appearances: 2 (2001, 2003)
Bottom Line: Dikembe Mutombo
Remember that image of "Deke" on the floor, ball clutched in his monstrous hands after the Nuggets shocked the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1994 Western Conference playoffs?
Well, that turned out to be his postseason highlight.
Dikembe Mutombo went on to play in two NBA Finals, only to have the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs wag index fingers at him for a change.
18. Walt Bellamy, Center
Career: 1961-75 (14 seasons)
Teams: Chicago Packers/Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Jazz
Win shares/48 minutes: .160
Postseason record: 17-29
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Walt Bellamy
"Bells" was notorious for his habit to play to the level of the competition.
Sure enough, his best postseason moment came in a loss against the New York Knicks in the 1971 Eastern Division semis, when he played ex-teammate Willis Reed to a virtual draw.
Walt Bellamy got as far as the Western Division finals on two occasions earlier in his career.
17. Yao Ming, Center
Career: 2002-11 (eight seasons)
Teams: Houston Rockets
Win shares/48 minutes: .200
Postseason record: 12-16
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Yao Ming
Yao as in "Ow" moved past the first round only once in four tries.
When the brittle big man finally played in a semifinals series, against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 playoffs, a fractured left foot sidelined him for the final four games of the seven-game series.
Yao Ming played only five more games before retirement.
16. Adrian Dantley, Small Forward
Career: 1976-91 (15 seasons)
Teams: Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks
Win shares/48 minutes: .189
Postseason record: 37-36
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (1988)
Bottom Line: Adrian Dantley
Most players are lucky to get one crack at the big prize. A.D. had his in the 1988 NBA Finals, where the Pistons lost to Lakers in seven games.
The small forward matchup was pivotal in the 108-105 clincher — James Worthy went off for an epic 36/16/10 triple-double, while Dantley had 16 points and five rebounds.
You might say "The Teacher" got schooled.
15. Russell Westbrook, Guard
Career: 2008-present (13 seasons)
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets
Win shares/48 minutes: .154
Postseason record: 54-52
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2012)
Bottom Line: Russell Westbrook
The Thunder advanced to the 2012 championship round (Miami Heat in five), but fell short in three other trips to the Western Conference finals.
Russell Westbrook will need another partner like Kevin Durant to get back there again, but really, what superstar wants to hitch his future to Allen Iverson on steroids?
14. Sidney Moncrief, Guard
Career: 1979-1991 (11 seasons)
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks
Win shares/48 minutes: .187
Postseason record: 43-50
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Sidney Moncrief
Right street, wrong address.
The five-time All-Star advanced to the Eastern Conference finals three times, only to run into loaded Boston Celtics (twice) and Philadelphia 76ers teams.
13. Bob Lanier, Center
Career: 1970-84 (14 seasons)
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks
Win shares/48 minutes: .175
Postseason record: 30-37
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Bob Lanier
Sidney Moncrief, meet "Buffalo Bob" again.
In the twilight of his career, Bob Lanier, an eight-time All-Star, picked the wrong times to meet the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in back-to-back Eastern Conference finals.
The eventual league champs won in five games each time.
12. George Gervin, Forward-Guard
Career: 1976-86 (10 seasons)
Teams: San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls
Win shares/48 minutes: .159
Postseason record: 25-34
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: George Gervin
The "Iceman" nearly willed his team past the Washington Bullets with 42 points in Game 7 of the 1979 Eastern Conference championship round.
That was as close as George Gervin would get to the NBA Finals in his Hall of Fame career.
11. Dominique Wilkins, Forward
Career: 1982-99 (16 seasons)
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic
Win shares/48 minutes: .148
Postseason record: 22-34
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Dominique Wilkins
"The Human Highlight Film" never got as far as the conference finals with five teams.
Dominique Wilkins did leave us with one of the memorable Game 7 performances in playoff history, though, a 47-point staredown with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the 1988 Eastern Conference semis.
'Nique fun fact: His nine All-Star Game appearances are the most for any player without a trip to a conference finals.
10. Patrick Ewing, Center
Career: 1985-2002 (17 seasons)
Teams: New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics, Miami Heat
Win shares/48 minutes: .150
Postseason record: 72-67
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (1994)
Bottom Line: Patrick Ewing
Michael Jordan broke more hearts than Billy Dee Williams, and this was one of his faves.
The Knicks' big man never beat the Jordanaires in five postseason series. But with the retired Jordan out of the way, at least for a while, Patrick Ewing got within one win of an elusive league title against the Houston Rockets in the 1994 championship round.
The Rockets scored two- and six-point victories at home, however, in no small part because Hakeem Olajuwon outplayed Ewing each time.
9. George Yardley, Forward
Career: 1953-60 (seven seasons)
Teams: Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons, Syracuse Nationals
Win shares/48 minutes: .178
Postseason record: 19-27
NBA Finals appearances: 2 (1955, 1956)
Bottom Line: George Yardley
The first player to score 2,000 points in one season was front and center in the most controversial Game 7 in NBA Finals history.
After the Pistons blew an early 17-point lead against the Syracuse Nationals and eventually the game, 92-91, The "Bird" suggested that more than one teammate had conspired with gamblers to fix the outcome. League officials dismissed the claim and no charges were filed.
The six-time All-Star returned to the NBA Finals the next season, but the Philadelphia Warriors got the better of George Yardley's team in five games.
8. Reggie Miller, Guard
Career: 1987-2005 (18 seasons)
Team: Indiana Pacers
Win shares/48 minutes: .176
Postseason record: 76-68
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2000)
Bottom Line: Reggie Miller
"Mighty Mouth" lost three Game 7s to three different teams in the Eastern Conference finals.
When the 10-time All-Star finally did get to the championship series with the Pacers, Reggie Miller bricked 15 of 16 field-goal tries in a Game 1 loss versus the Lakers that set the tone for the series. In Los Angeles, his old college stomping grounds.
That’s cold, man.
7. Steve Nash, Guard
Career: 1996-2014 (18 seasons)
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers
Win shares/48 minutes: .164
Postseason record: 57-63
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Steve Nash
The two-time league MVP was the engine for the Ferrari that featured historically efficient offenses.
But the frenetic style didn’t translate nearly as well for Steve Nash and the Suns in the postseason, where they advanced no further than the Western Conference finals.
In fact, they never got to a seventh game in three tries there.
6. James Harden, Guard
Career: 2009-present (12 seasons)
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets
Win shares/48 minutes: .225
Postseason record: 66-62
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2012)
Bottom Line: James Harden
In James Harden's one trip to the title round, the Thunder lost to the Heat in five games, and the one-time league MVP averaged 12.4 points on 37.5 percent in the field off the bench.
"The Beard" lost three times in the Western Conference finals, twice against the eventual league champion Golden State Warriors, one of them in seven games.
5. Charles Barkley, Forward
Career: 1984-2000 (16 seasons)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns
Win shares/48 minutes: .216
Postseason record: 62-61
NBA Finals appearances: 1 (1993)
Bottom Line: Charles Barkley
If not for that Jordan guy again, "The Chuckster" would have been the 1993 NBA Finals MVP with a 27.3/13.0/55 slash line.
Charles Barkley's 4.6 win shares were the most that postseason. But his Suns went down in six games.
And as TV sidekick Shaquille O’Neal likes to point out, Barkley wouldn’t get that close again.
4. Karl Malone, Forward
Career: 1985-2004 (19 seasons)
Teams: Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers
Win shares/48 minutes: .205
Postseason record: 98-95
NBA Finals appearances: 2 (1997, 1998)
Bottom Line: Karl Malone
The 14-time All-Star delivered a solid 24.4/10.4/3.7 slash line in two NBA Finals trips.
Both were against Michael Jordan and his supporting cast, however, and you know how they turned out. Six of the Jazz's eight losses were by five points or less.
At 40, "The Mailman" chased the elusive prize to Los Angeles, but the Detroit Pistons stamped him postage due in the 2004 NBA Finals.
3. John Stockton, Point Guard
Career: 1984-2003 (19 seasons)
Team: Utah Jazz
Win Shares/48 minutes: .209
Postseason record: 89-93
NBA Finals appearances: 2 (1997-98)
Bottom Line: John Stockton
John Stockton's 3-ball dethroned the two-time defending champion Houston Rockets in the 1997 Western Conference finals and sent the Jazz to their first NBA Finals berth.
In two cracks against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the championship round, the all-time assists leader put up a 12.3/3.3/8.8 slash line.
Just OK wasn’t good enough.
2. Chris Paul, Point Guard
Career: 2005-present (16 seasons)
Teams: New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns
Win shares/48 minutes: .241
Postseason record: 53-56
NBA Finals appearances: None
Bottom Line: Chris Paul
When "CP3" willed his team past the Utah Jazz with 41 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers in the 2018 Western Conference semifinals clincher, it appeared that his time had finally come.
Chris Paul's team took a 3-2 lead against the Golden State Warriors, only to lose its the floor leader in the process. While he nursed a strained right hamstring on the bench, the Rockets crashed and burned in 29- and 9-point losses.
Would a healthy Paul have carried them to a league title?
Youneverknow.
1. Elgin Baylor, Forward
Career: 1958-72 (14 seasons)
Teams: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
Win shares/48 minutes: .148
Postseason record: 72-62
NBA Finals appearances: 7 (1959, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970)
Bottom Line: Elgin Baylor
If any player deserved some championship bling, then it was the human hang glider, who ranked sixth in points (27.0) and 12th in rebounds per game (12.9) in postseason history. We're talking about the pre-1965 version with healthy knees.
Four times Elgin Baylor's Lakers lost Game 7s of the NBA Finals — twice by two points, once by three points (in overtime), each time against the Boston Celtics.
In the first of those series, "Rabbit" put up an insane 40.6/17.9/3.7 slash line.
What did the hoops gods have against this guy, anyway?
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