10 BEST Players To NEVER Win An NBA Championship

These players were all-stars, scoring champions and MVPs, but they could never win on the biggest stage of all. Here are the 10 best NBA players without a ring. 10. George Girvin Girvin was the Kevin Durant of the 70s without the rings. A lanky shooting guard with a height of a forward, Girvin was a premier bucket getter. Because of his cold-blooded scoring ability and cool demeanor on the court, he got nicknamed the Iceman, and defenders could do nothing to stop him from scoring. With a smooth mid-range jumper, Girvin could raise up and shoot over nearly anybody, just like KD. And if a defender guarded him up close, Iceman would drive past him to finish at the rim, most likely using his trademark finger roll to finish with style. But even as a 4-time scoring champion and 12-time all-star, thanks to a mediocre Spurs team, he never made it to the finals. 9. Allen Iverson Then there was AI, who is definitely not in the top 10 best players ever, and not even in the top 20, but he is one of the 10 biggest icons in NBA history. Iverson wasn't a great defensive player, he shot the ball too much, and he damn sure didn't like practice. However, when we're talking about heart, AI might have had the biggest in NBA history. Everybody was bigger than him on the court, and centers used to beat him up when he'd drive to the basket. But Iverson would get up again and again, putting constant pressure on the defense. And as one of the fastest players ever, AI was a 4-time scoring champion, an MVP, 7-time All-NBA, and 11-time All-Star. Those are his most notable credentials, but Iverson's greatness goes beyond his accolades. His cultural impact was enormous, and in his prime, everybody wanted to dress like AI, walk like AI, and talk like AI. Iverson opened the door for many small guards, proving that a point guard can be the highest scorer on the team, and not just a facilitator for others. Iverson ranked 7th all-time in points per game, and 13 points per game in the playoffs. He may have lost in the 2001 finals, but he will always be the people's champion. Number 8. Patrick Ewing Now, this next player may not have the street cred of AI, but you can't name 10 centers in NBA history better than Patrick Ewing. A Knicks legend guaranteed New York a playoff spot with his 20-10 average. Unlike today, fans from the Big Apple in the 90s didn't know what it was like to miss the playoffs. With Ewing at the helm, they made the postseason for 13 straight seasons. And since Big Pat left the team in 2000, the Knicks made the playoffs only five times, winning just one playoff series in 22 years. Ewing made seven All-NBA teams, and three All-Defensive teams in the Golden Era for centers, when it was tough to get selected next to Hakim, David Robinson, Shaq, Matumbo, and Alonzo Mourning. Ewing was also selected for 11 All-Star games, and was a member of the Dream Team. He led the Knicks to the finals twice, losing in seven games to Hakim in 94, and then to Duncan and David Robinson in 1999. If he didn't need to go through Jordan in the East, he'd probably have more finals appearances. But even without the title, he is without a doubt the best Knick ever. Number 7. Russell Westbrook As for Russell Westbrook, he may have as many flaws as Ewing had postseason appearances. He's a bad shooter that turns the ball over at a historically high rate. He's not a good defender, despite otherworldly athleticism, and his decision-making in the clutch has never been great. Despite his imperfections, there's no denying Westbrook's greatness. Russ made nine All-NBA and nine All-Star teams in the last decade, where it was extremely tough for a guard to get selected. But amongst all high-scoring guards, Russ has been one of the hardest to stop, and the most unpredictable. He is the most athletic point guard ever, the best rebounder of all time at his position, and his transition game was like LeBron's or Giannis's. He'd get the rebound, sprint coast-to-coast, and finish with a rim-shattering jam on the other end, and you could count for it happening at least once a game. Other than Oscar Robertson, Russ is the only other person in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, and he's done it four times. Westbrook is also a two-time scoring champion, he led the league in assists three times, and in 2017 was the league MVP. In 2012, after reaching the finals with OKC, he's been coming up short in the playoffs ever since. But his numbers speak for themselves, and even if he retired right now, Russ is a lock first-ballot Hall of Famer. Number 6. James Harden James Harden doesn't come without his issues. He's played some horrible defense, and he's let himself go, spending too many nights making it rain in the Gentleman's Club. But in his eight seasons with the Houston Rockets, James was averaging nearly 30 points and eight assists per game, and became one of the five best offensive players ever. James' left drive to the basket, paired with arguably the best foul-drawing technique in basketball history, and his patented step-back three-pointer proved Harden to be nearly unguardable. He was a one-man offense that generated over 50 points per game, which is only comparable to Kobe, MJ, and Wilt in their prime. From the best sixth man of the year in OKC, to an MVP in Houston, and he should have won at least one or two more MVPs. Harden is also a three-time scoring champion and a one-time assist leader, with seven All-NBA selections and 10 All-Star appearances. The beard came close to winning a title with OKC in 2012, and with Houston in 2018. Even though he didn't go all the way, he's a basketball wizard, and the only guy in NBA history who forced defenses to guard an offensive player from behind. 5. Elgin Baylor Coming up short in a single finals appearance is one thing, but Elgin Baylor must be the unluckiest NBA player ever. He was the LeBron James of the 60s, an athletic small forward that could dribble, pass, and shoot, but was mostly known for soaring above the rim with thunderous power. At the beginning of the 60s, he was averaging 35 points, five assists, and nearly 20 rebounds per game, and he retired with the averages of 27 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Despite his success, 10 All-NBA selections, and 11 All-Star appearances, Elgin would always come up short in the playoffs. He appeared in seven NBA finals, and lost all seven of them, which is the most finals appearances without a ring. In 1962, Baylor and the Lakers lost to the Celtics by three points in Game 7. Next year, Boston defeated them by three points in Game 6 of the Finals. In 1966, they lost another Finals Game 7 to Bill Russell and the Celtics, this time by only two points. The same scenario happened in 1969, where Russell and the Celtics edged Baylor in Finals Game 7, again scoring just two more points than the Lakers. In 1970, Los Angeles lost another Game 7 in the Finals against the Knicks. Due to a constant battle with injuries in his final few years, Elgin retired just nine games into the 1972 season. And that was the year that the Lakers finally won an NBA Championship. But because he retired and wasn't part of the team anymore, Baylor remained ringless. Number 4. John Stockton And you would think the best pure passer in NBA history, who holds two records that will never be broken, should have at least one ring on his fingers, right? Well, John Stockton's 15,806 career assists are the most in NBA history, and by a wide margin. The second-placed Jason Kidd has 3,715 assists less than John. The same is true for steals. A six-foot-one white guy that looked like an accountant is one of the best defenders ever at his position. Scrappy, hard-nosed, and dirty are all adjectives you can use to describe Stockton's play, and his 3,265 career steals is 581 steals ahead of Kidd at number two. Stockton made five All-Defensive teams and 11 All-NBA teams, on top of leading the league in assists for nine consecutive years between 1988 and 1996. His teammates say that they never received a bad pass from Stockton, who knew every offensive and defensive set for his team, and the opponents, so that he always knew where everyone was standing on the court. Stockton helped the Jazz reach two consecutive NBA Finals, but there was a major problem. Michael Jordan and the Bulls were too good. John Stockton was one of the hardest working players ever, and he squeezed all the juice out of his basketball talent to win the title. But it, fortunately, didn't happen. And before we get to the top three players on the list, let's give an honorable mention to a few other phenomenal players that never won a ring. Carmelo Anthony has to be mentioned as a ten-time All-Star, and a guy who scored nearly 30,000 points. Then there's Steve Nash, a two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, and five-time assists leader. And Dominique Wilkins made the All-Star team nine times, and was a scoring champion. Number 3. Charles Barkley Despite never winning a ring, no one's roasting Stockton for losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Charles Barkley, on the other hand, will never hear the end of it from Shaq for not winning a ring. And it's a shame because Chuck was a hell of a player in his prime. Barkley had natural explosiveness and lower body strength that was never seen before in the NBA, and could be compared only to Shaq himself and Zion Williamson. His athleticism and a big posterior were why he was called the Round Mound of Rebound, and why he is considered one of the best rebounders in NBA history. Barkley was also a phenomenal passer, a deadly low post scorer, and is one of the most efficient players ever, with 54% shooting for his career. With 11 All-NBA selections, an MVP award, one trip to the NBA Finals, and two Olympic gold medals, Sir Charles has won every possible trophy other than the Larry O'Brien. Number 2. Chris Paul There are only five people in NBA history with more All-Defensive selections than Chris Paul. There are also only 11 players with more All-NBA teams than CP3, and somehow he remains ringless. Paul led the NBA in assists five times, and in steals six times, which is an NBA record. All in all, CP has been the epitome of basketball excellence, and he doesn't have a weakness in his game. At only 6 feet, he is one of, if not the best defender ever at his position, and has successfully slowed down guys much bigger than him, like Kobe or Kevin Durant. Offensively, he is a brilliant creator for others, while also an extremely capable scorer. His patented lean back mid-range jumper is smooth like butter, and he is always one of the most efficient guards in the NBA, with 9.5 assists and just 2.4 turnovers for his career. He has the second best assist-turnover ratio in NBA history, and he deserved the nickname Point God. Unfortunately, CP3 has had some bad luck with injuries during the playoffs, which is the main reason why he didn't advance to more finals with the Clippers and the Rockets. He came two wins away from a ring in 2021, but Giannis was too good, and CP3 is still fighting for the biggest prize in the NBA. Number 1. Carl Malone But at least Chris still has time, something we can't say for Carl Malone, who is without a doubt the best player never to win a ring. With 14 All-NBA selections, including 11 times in the first team All-NBA, are the best testament to his continued excellence and longevity at the top. They called him the mailman, because he always delivered buckets. With 17 consecutive seasons averaging over 20 points per game, he is the third highest scoring player in NBA history, behind only Kareem and LeBron. Malone won two regular season MVPs, and has been to three NBA finals, but he never did, and never will, taste the champagne after the final game of the season.