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Throughout NBA history, there have been several great players. Most of those players have accomplished great things and are Hall-of-Famers or future Hall-of-Famers. Some of these players have won several championships during their career. These players led their teams and brought a championship to their respective cities.
For example, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan won six championships during his time with the Bulls. Jordan is commonly referred to as one of the greatest players in NBA history, and he accomplished several things as a player. On top of being a six-time champion, Jordan is a five-time MVP, a 10-time scoring champion, Defensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. Jordan's accomplishments are what make him an NBA legend.
Other examples include Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and even current players such as LeBron James or Kevin Durant. These players accomplished great things individually but also for their team.
While there are several other players with such accolades, some did not win championships.
In this case, players such as George Gervin, Dominique Wilkins, Allen Iverson, and Steve Nash are excellent players, but they did not win championships. Some of these players tried to join contending teams as they hoped to win a championship. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and these players never won the championships they desired. They are not only ones, as many others did not accomplish that task. Here are the five greatest players who should have won an NBA championship but didn't.
#5 John Stockton
John Stockton was an exceptional point guard that played for the Utah Jazz. He was the 16th pick of the 1984 draft. Stockton played 19 seasons in the NBA, each of them with the Jazz.
Stockton is one of the greatest point guards to play the game. He had a high basketball IQ and a knack for finding his teammates. He and his teammate Karl Malone made up one of the league's best duos as they mastered the pick and roll.
Stockton is the all-time assists leader with a total of 15,806 assists. The only player to come close is Jason Kidd, who is in second place with 12,091. Stockton's passing skills were top-notch, and his assists record will be tough to beat.
He is also the all-time leader in steals. Stockton had 3,265 steals in his career, and like assists, only Kidd is close to him.
With the Jazz, Stockton made the NBA Finals twice. They made it to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls. Despite losing, Stockton made a name for himself and had an amazing, legendary career.
He was a 10-time All-Star, two-time steals leader, nine-time assists leader, and made different All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. Stockton never won a championship (and deserved to) but still managed to have a noteworthy career. If he can accomplish great things, other players who did not win championships can do the same.
#4 Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest Knicks of all time. He played with them for 15 years before playing for the Seattle SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic.
The Knicks looked like a championship team when Ewing was their star but could not get over the hump. The Knicks failed to win a championship despite a talent like Ewing.
Ewing was the first pick of the 1985 draft. The Knicks drafted him after winning the first-ever NBA draft lottery.
In his career, Ewing was Rookie of the Year, an 11-time All-Star, a three-time All-Defensive Second Team member and a six-time All-NBA Second Team member. He also was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1990.
Ewing was an exceptional player on both ends of the floor. He is often considered the best jump-shooting center to play the game, and he was a skilled shot blocker. In his first 14 seasons, Ewing averaged at least two blocks each season. His career-best was in the 1989-90 season when he averaged four blocks per game. He also averaged a career-high in points that season by averaging 28.6 points.
With Ewing, the Knicks made the NBA Finals twice. They made the Finals in 1994 and again in 1999. In 1994, the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in a seven-game series. Ewing averaged 18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks.
Ewing battled Hakeem Olajuwon, who is also one of the NBA's best centers. In the end, Olajuwon and the Rockets won the series, and the Knicks did not return to the Finals for five years.
The Knicks returned to the NBA Finals in 1999 when they played the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs beat the Knicks in a five-game series in what would be Ewing's last time in the NBA Finals.
In this series, Ewing battled a torn Achilles' tendon as they Knicks hoped to win a championship. They fell short and ultimately lost the series.
After their Finals loss, Ewing played for the Knicks one more season. Then, he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played one season. Ewing averaged 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds as he was a player on the decline. He finished his career with the Orlando Magic before announcing his retirement
Ewing was a player affected by a stacked Eastern Conference. The East had so many talented teams (including the Bulls), and it was hard to gain an advantage over their opponents truly. Ewing was a skilled big man, who despite not winning a championship is an NBA legend.
#3 Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor is one of many legendary Lakers. He was a player that could score, rebound, and pass the ball. In other words, he was a player that could do it all.
Baylor played 14 seasons with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, where his dazzling, acrobatic plays wowed the crowd. If he played in a different era, there would be more footage of his dazzling plays.
But, Baylor played in an era where the NBA was not televised on a wide scale. Otherwise, he would be mentioned in the same conversations as Julius Erving and Michael Jordan.
The Laker legend was the first pick of the 1958 draft. The Lakers drafted him, and he remained with them his entire career. Baylor won Rookie of the Year in 1959, was an 11-time All-Star, and helped the Lakers make eight NBA Finals. He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds in his career, which include a season where he averaged 38.3 points and 18.6 rebounds. Baylor was incredible with the Lakers and played a part in their success.
Baylor's career came to an end after he retired nine games into the 1971-72 season. He retired due to a knee injury that became difficult to play through.
His retirement was a decision best for his health, but the timing was unfortunate. After his retirement, the Lakers went on to win 33 consecutive games (a record that still stands) and won a championship when they beat the Knicks that year. In other words, if Baylor finished the season with the Lakers, he could have won a championship. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Baylor was so close to winning a championship but (towards the end of his career) injuries got in the way. Despite not winning a championship, Baylor is still held in high regard not only in the Lakers organization but in the entire league.
#2 Charles Barkley
Charles Barkey is typically regarded as one of the best players of his era. The 6-foot-6 forward is an MVP winner, an 11-time All-Star (with three different teams), and a member of different All-NBA teams.
Barkley was a terrific rebound and a physical threat on the court. He did not mind playing physical, and if altercations arose, Barkley was up for the challenge. His outspoken personality and talent made him a well-known player. He accomplished great things, but sadly, he could not win a championship.
Barkley was the fifth pick of the 1984 draft. He was a part of a draft class that included Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, and John Stockton. Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played for eight years.
In his first year with the Sixers, he averaged 14 points and 8.6 rebounds. He played alongside veterans/legends Julius Erving and Moses Malone. As time progressed, he became the focal point of the Sixers.
The Sixers made the playoffs six times during Barkley's stint with them. They made the Conference finals in his rookie season but failed to make it past the second round after that.
Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1992. He went on to win the MVP in his first season and helped the Suns make the NBA Finals. Barkley averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and a career-high 5.1 assists. The Suns had a great shot at winning the Finals but ran into Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The Bulls beat the Suns in a 4-2 series. After the 1992-93 season, Barkley and the Suns failed to reach the Finals again.
In 1996, the Houston Rockets acquired Barkley from the Suns. The Rockets placed him alongside Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon as Barkley hoped to win a championship. However, in his four years with them, the Rockets failed to make it past the Conference Finals.
Barkley's final season was the 1999-00 season, as he battled an injury to his left quadriceps tendon. He retired after that season and did not win a championship in his career.
The outspoken forward had a memorable career despite never winning a championship. If Barkley won a championship, he'd be held in ever-higher regard.
#1 Karl Malone
Karl Malone had a spectacular career; he is a two-time MVP (in 1997 and 1999), a 14-time All-Star, and various All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Malone is also second on the NBA's All-Time scoring list by scoring 36,928 points in his 19-year career. He scored more points Michael Jordan (ranked fourth), Wilt Chamberlain (seventh), and Oscar Robertson (12th). The only player with more points than Malone is Bucks/Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Malone was the 13th pick of the 1985 draft. The Jazz selected Malone, and he remained with them for most of his career.
During his time with the Jazz, Malone won two MVP awards and led them to the NBA Finals twice. In 1997, Malone won his first MVP by averaging 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals. He played every game in that season and managed to play at a high level each game.
The Utah Jazz reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history during his MVP season. But they lost to the Chicago Bulls as Michael Jordan won his fifth championship. The Jazz returned to the Finals the following year but once again lost to the Bulls.
Malone won his second MVP in 1999 after averaging 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals. The Jazz failed to reach the Finals that season as they lost in the second round of the playoffs.
After 18 years with the Jazz, Malone joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003-04 season. He joined the Lakers, who had the duo of Shaq and Kobe in hopes of winning a championship. The duo won three straight championships from 2000-2002 and had the talent to win another. Malone joined them to win his first championship.
With the Lakers, Malone averaged 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. He dealt with a knee injury that somewhat hindered his performance, but he and the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals. But the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in a five-game series.
After a season with the Lakes, Malone became a free agent and later announced his retirement.
Malone was a one of a kind player. He and John Stockton made up one of the best duos in NBA history. Malone accomplished great things but could not get the championship he desired. Regardless, Malone was a great player.
