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10 Legendary Players to Never Win the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals can make or break careers. The ultimate reference point when comparing all-time greats is their Finals record.

Many legacies are stained by never winning a ring. Here are 10 superstars that never won an NBA Championship.

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In today’s NBA, Chris Paul is the most notable player without a ring. The 17-year veteran’s long list of achievements makes him an all-time point guard.

Paul is a 12-time All-Star and made nine consecutive All-Star games from 2008-16. In addition, the Wake Forest product has made 10 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams. He made three consecutive First All-NBA teams from 2012-14. Paul is one of 10 players to make seven First All-Defensive teams.

In the postseason, Paul has an 11-14 series record and one Finals appearance — which was the Suns’ loss vs. the Bucks in 2021.

Paul is one of the best defensive guards and passers ever; he is third on the all-time assists list. No finals victory is what hinders his legacy most.

John Stockton is another all-time point guard with no rings. The Stockton and Karl Malone Utah Jazz duo is iconic, but they fell short in the playoffs with an 0-2 Finals record.

Stockton is a 10-time All-Star and made nine consecutive All-Star games from 1989-97. He is the all-time assist leader with a 3,000+ cushion. Also, he was the NBA’s assist champion on nine occasions.

The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls was Stockton’s demise. The Utah Jazz lost to the Bulls in six games in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. Join the club Stockton, many had their careers tarnished by Jordan.

One of the greatest Knicks of all-time never won an NBA Finals.

Patrick Ewing took the league by storm in his rookie 1985-86 season. In his first 12 seasons, the former Georgetown champ made the All-Star team 11 times. He is 24th in all-time scoring and 25th in all-time rebounding. Ewing is one of the best frontcourt players ever with his 21-point and 9.8-rebound career average.

With New York, Ewing appeared in every NBA Playoffs from 1988-2000. They made four Eastern Conference Finals and the 1994 NBA Finals. Ewing’s only Finals appearance in 1994 ended in bitter disappointment with the Knicks falling in Game 7 to the Rockets.

Ewing ended his career with the SuperSonics and Magic in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.

After his playing days, Charles Barkley has become a well-known TV personality with TNT. However, the Chuckster was one heck of a ballplayer during his playing days.

Barkley played for the 76ers from 1984-92. During his time in Philly, he appeared in six All-Star games and played in six playoffs. He did not advance past the Eastern Conference Finals with the 76ers, so he moved to the Phoenix Suns via a trade.

In his first season with the Suns, Sir Charles was incredible. He averaged 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field. Barkley won the 1993 MVP award and led Phoenix to a Finals appearance. Like many, Barkley lost to Jordan and the Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals.

He left Phoenix after the 1995-96 season. Barkley teamed with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. With the Rockets, the Auburn alum appeared in the 1997 Western Conference Finals and three playoffs from 1997-99.

Barkley retired in 2000, finishing with a career average of 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds. The 11-time All-Star never won a ring.

In Philadelphia, Allen Iverson was a show-stopper. You know Iverson was a problem when his nickname was “The Answer.”

He entered the league as a point guard. As his career progressed, Iverson mostly stuck to shooting guard. He was an undersized 6-foot SG, but the former Hoya still scored in bunches. A.I. finished with a 26.7-point career average.

Iverson made 11 All-Star games from 2000-10 along with seven All-NBA teams. He was a four-time scoring champ, averaging over 30 points in four seasons.

In 2001, Iverson won MVP and carried the 76ers to the NBA Finals. The 2000-01 76ers are one of the worst teams to appear in the Finals. Iverson averaged 32.8 points in the 2001 playoffs. In his only NBA Finals, he averaged 35.6 points.

A.I. requested a trade in 2006 and landed with Denver. Iverson and Carmelo Anthony never worked out; The Answer was traded to Detroit in 2008. Iverson did not win a playoff series after leaving Philadelphia in 2006.

Steve Nash joins Paul and Stockton as borderline top 5 point guards with no ring.

It took a few seasons for Nash’s career to take off. After two mediocre seasons with the Suns, he was traded to the Mavericks in 1998. Nash played for Dallas until 2004, appearing in two All-Star games in 2002 & 2003. He made the 2003 Western Conference Finals with the Mavs, but lost in six to the Spurs.

In 2004, the Santa Clara alum moved back to Phoenix. Nash immediately became a superstar. He won back-to-back MVPs in the 2004-05 & 2005-06 seasons. Nash was the NBA’s assist champion for three consecutive seasons from 2005-07.

The all-time PG would lead Phoenix to three Western Conference Finals appearances in 2005, 2006, and 2010. They did not win one series, making Nash 0-4 in the WCF. Nash sits fourth all-time in assists and is one of the best shooting point guards ever. His resume has a void without a ring.

Maybe Nash can claim his first finals win as a Head Coach with the Brooklyn Nets.

Dominique Wilkins was always known for highlight dunks, but he was more than that.

The 6-foot-8 forward quickly left his imprint as a rookie, averaging more than 17 points per game. By his third season, Wilkins was an unstoppable force. He averaged over 25 points from 1984-94.

In addition, the Georgia product won the scoring title in 1986 with his 30.3-point average. Wilkins appeared in nine consecutive All-Star games from 1986-94 along with seven All-NBA teams.

While the high-flyer had a terrific career, he did not make noise in the playoffs. With the Hawks, he finished 3-8 in playoff series. After his prime, Wilkins went 0-2 in the playoffs with the Celtics and Magic.

He rarely had help in Atlanta. By result, he never appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals. The underrated Wilkins gets less recognition than deserved thanks to little playoff success.

Stockton’s running mate, Karl Malone, could be the best player to never win the Finals. The “Mailman” is widely considered the second-best power forward ever.

His 25-point and 10.1-rebound average over a 19-year career puts him in elite company. Malone is third in all-time scoring and seventh in all-time rebounding. The Louisiana native made 14 All-Star games and appeared in 11 straight from 1988-98.

The Mailman won two MVPs in 1997 & 1999. Moreover, he became the oldest player to win an MVP in ‘99; he turned 36 one month after the season ended. Malone delivered in the postseason, averaging 24.7 points.

In his last season, Malone joined a star-studded Lakers squad with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gary Payton. He couldn’t grab the elusive ring after the Pistons dominated the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. The Mailman finished with a 0-3 Finals record.

One of the greatest shooters in NBA history is a Pacers legend. Reggie Miller played in Indiana for 18 seasons averaging 18.2 points while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 39.5% on 3-pointers. He sits fourth all-time in 3-point makes.

Miller elevated his game in the postseason, averaging over 20 points in 144 playoff games. From 1990-2000, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard made five All-Star games and three All-NBA squads.

He produced one of the greatest playoff moments in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Knicks. Miller became known as “The Knick Killer” after scoring eight points in nine seconds to end Game 1.

The long-time Pacer finished 1-5 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 2000 NBA Finals was Miller’s only shot at a ring. At 34, the sharpshooter averaged 24.3 points in the series. However, it was not enough; the Lakers won in six.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful NBA franchises. No all-time Lakers list can forget Elgin Baylor.

From 1958-72, Baylor was a force. He finished with an absurd career average: 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds. In addition, he made 11 All-Star and 10 All-NBA teams from 1959-70.

Despite seven Finals showings, Baylor couldn’t get it done. Six of his losses were courtesy of the Bill Russell-led Celtics. In the 1962 NBA Finals, Baylor averaged 40.6 points and 17.9 rebounds. It still wasn’t enough vs. Boston.

Along with Jerry West’s 1-8 record, Baylor has one of the worst Finals records of all-time.

These legends have a gapping hole in their resume. Paul still has a shot to win an NBA Finals. However, his chances dwindle as he ages.

Who could be the next generational player to never win an NBA Championship?

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