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In its glorious history, the NBA has seen some exceptionally skilled basketball players take to the court for one of the 30 active franchises, leaving their legacy behind for the current generation to emulate. Unfortunately, some of them had to call it quits without getting a hold of the Larry O'Brien trophy, the ultimate prize every NBA player covets.
Constructing a starting-five of the 5 best players who have never won an NBA championship
Several players have been denied an NBA championship in their illustrious career because of the presence of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James-led teams in their conference. On that note, let's take a look at the strongest starting five of players who have never won an NBA championship.
#5 John Stockton, Point Guard
John Stockton played out his 18-year career with the Utah Jazz, featuring in 82 games even at the age of 40 in the year of his retirement. A Hall of Famer, Stockton amassed some serious accolades during his long career - 11-time All-NBA, 10-time All-Star and 5-time NBA All-Defense team member.
However, the one thing that eluded him was an NBA championship, as the Utah Jazz were thwarted twice in the finals by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen featuring a Chicago Bulls side. Stockton still leads the league in steals and assists by a huge margin, but doesn't have an NBA championship on his resume.
#4 Allen Iverson, Shooting Guard
A diminutive guard who was known for making flashy plays, Allen Iverson was one of the few stars who was as good at basketball as he was at entertaining people through it. Known to speak his mind, the king of crossovers became a household name following an NBA finals series against Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal era LA Lakers.
After averaging 26.7 points and 6 assists for his career, Allen Iverson was elected as the MVP in the 2000-01 season. Despite giving it all in the aforementioned NBA finals series against the LA Lakers, Iverson was unable to win it, and didn't get another crack at it during the career that followed.
#3 Charles Barkley, Small Forward
The fact that Charles Barkley hasn't won a ring is well-documented in the media, mostly because of his banter with Shaquille O'Neal on TNT. Barkley was a phenomenal player in his time, outrebounding guys much bigger than him and scoring for fun in the paint.
An MVP winner and an 11-time All-Star, Charles Barkley tried his best to win a championship with the Phoenix Suns. He left the team in 1996 to try his luck with the Houston Rockets by forming a super team with Hakeem Olajuwon, but even that alliance couldn't bring him the satisfaction of winning a ring.
#2 Karl Malone, Power Forward
John Stockton's accomplice at Utah Jazz, Karl Malone was also the victim of the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen Chicago Bulls team running rampage in the 90s to win six titles. Two of these came in back-to-back years against the Utah Jazz, as both Malone and Stockton couldn't lead their franchise to a championship win.
Karl Malone averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds for his career, with an effective field goal percentage of 51%. In an attempt to win a championship, Malone later joined the LA Lakers, but joining forces with the conference rivals went in vain as the Utah Jazz legend had to retire without a championship.
#1 Patrick Ewing, Center
A Madison Square Garden favorite, Patrick Ewing spent 16 seasons starting at center for the New York Knicks. A 7-time All-NBA inductee, Rookie of the Year winner and 3 time NBA All-Defensive member, Ewing came painfully close to the Larry O'Brien trophy in 1994, losing game 6 and game 7 by narrow margins to a Hakeem Olajuwon-helmed Houston Rockets side.
That was Patrick Ewing's best chance to win a trophy, because Michael Jordan later returned from his sabbatical to play for the Chicago Bulls again, making it virtually impossible to come out of the East until he played for Phil Jackson.
Also Read: Player In Focus: Tyler Herro and his journey so far with the Miami Heat | NBA Season 2020-21
Guess the Lakers players!
