From Charles Barkley to Patrick Ewing, who are the 10 best players never to win the NBA Championship?
Being a great player does not always mean that success and trophies will also follow, especially in the world of American sports where there can only be one winner every season.
Thats true of the NFL, MLB, NHL and in the NBA, when a host of top basketball stars have never managed to go on to win the NBA Championship – with some not even making it to the Championship Finals.
It just shows you that while individuals can carry teams to glory, its still a team game and one man by himself cant win it all. Heres our pick of the best players never to win the NBA Championship.
Carter enjoyed a 22-year NBA career and played in four different decades, but he never got his hands on the NBA championship.
Towards the end of his career, Carter opted to join the likes of the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks instead of signing for a contender – in other words: ring chasing – to spend a lot of time on the bench, which is something he has been praised for.
To win a championship, you must reach the Finals, which Carter failed to do. Losing in six with the Orlando Magic against the Boston Celtics in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals; the closest he came to getting a ring.
Stockton is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history; an excellent defender, playmaker and shooter.
He left a terrific legacy, but will regret not winning a title in the 1990s whilst playing alongside Karl Malone for the Utah Jazz. He can thank Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls for that one.
Without them, Utah would 100 percent have won a championship in the 90s. On a positive note, Stockton has the most steals in NBA history (3,265), nearly 600 more than Jason Kidd in second place.
It will take some doing to break this record.
11-time All-Star and one-time MVP Barkley was a terrifically unique power forward. In the 1992/93 season, he averaged 25.6 PPG and guided the Phoenix Suns to a 62-20 record on his way to winning MVP as they lost to Jordan and the Bulls in the Finals.
This was his only trip to that stage of the post-season with the Houston Rockets reigning supreme in the Western Conference in 1994 and 1995.
Barkley tried to strike up a winning formula in Houston alongside two of the greatest to play the game: Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
The closest that team came to the Finals was in 1997 when they lost to the Jazz 4-2 in the WCF.
00/01 was Iversons best season, being named as league MVP as he carried an average Philadelphia 76ers team to the Finals, only to lose in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Winning a single game against that star-studded Lakers team was an incredible achievement in itself, to be honest.
Iverson averaged 35.6 PPG in the Finals after dropping 48 points in the Game 1 victory.
The 11-time All-Star is one of the most iconic and influential guards in NBA history and despite having no rings, he will always remain an icon in the sporting world.
Nash was named in the All-NBA 1st Team three times and won MVP twice, but failed to reach the Finals, let alone win a championship.
Nash made the conference finals numerous times, but could never get over that hurdle.
There was perhaps a bit of ring chasing towards the end of his career after Nash joined the Lakers in 2012 but despite Sports Illustrated believing that his time in LA was going to be fun, it was not.
A straight shooter, Miller lost in his sole NBA Finals experience in 2000 against the Lakers.
Miller and the Indiana Pacers proved to be a very difficult opponent for the Bulls in 98, but lost Game 7 of the ECF by five points.
He spent his whole 18-year career in Indiana, and could have won a ring in 2004 or 2005, but the Pacers were just short of the Detroit Pistons, and the Malice at the Palace didnt help either…
The Pacers have not won an NBA title as a franchise. Elgin Baylor Baylor is regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history after averaging 27.4 PPG and 13.5 rebounds per game in his career.
Remarkably, Baylor failed to win a single Finals series despite making it to that stage seven times in his career. He won 16 games out of 44, averaging 26.4 PPG in the Finals and holds the NBA record for most points (61) in an NBA Finals match.
Pistol Pete was ahead of his time as arguably the best shooter in the league during his playing days.
The three-point line was introduced in 1979, one year before Maravichs retirement.
In his ten-year career, Maravich reached the Playoffs four times and only made it past the first round once, losing in five to the 76ers in the ECF whilst in Boston.
He retired prematurely due to knee troubles and averaged 24.2 PPG over the course of 658 games.
Ewing was a terrific centre who was an offensive and defensive juggernaut, averaging 21 PPG, 9.8 RPG and 2.4 blocks per game in his career.
The New York Knicks legend made the Finals once in his career, losing in seven games to Olajuwons Rockets in 94.
They lost in Game 7 after guard John Starks shot 2-18 from the field, missing all 11 of his three-point attempts.
Wilkins is another name on this list to never reach the Finals.
Actually, Wilkins never made it past the Conference Semi-Finals, making him arguably the best player to never play in a Conference Finals.
A nine-time All-Star, Wilkins averaged close to 25 PPG and was an electrifying player who entertained fans with his stupendous dunking ability.
The Hall of Famer played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic after a 12-year stint with the Hawks.
All week long here on NBA.com were celebrating the amazing accomplishments and enduring legacy of Vince Carter who decided to call it a career after an awe-inspiring career that spanned a record 22 seasons. For more never-before-seen Carter content, check out ThankYouVince.com which features an interactive look back through the defining moments including never-before-seen content.
In his 22 year career, Carter never stepped foot on the floor for a Finals game. In fact, Carter only made it to the Conference Finals once, when his Orlando Magic lost to the Big 3 Celtics in the 2010 playoffs.
Carter will no doubt enter the Hall of Famer, ring or not. Basketball-Reference gives him a 94.5% probability of being inducted. So maybe he didnt need a ring to complete his career. But you do have to wonder how a championship series could have helped the legacy of Vincesanity.
Following his 2010 playoff exit, Carter played for five different teams in 10 seasons but never became a ring chaser. Ah yes, the dreaded ring chaser, the player trying to steal one on the way out. The veteran who gave it his all many times but wanted one last chance at hoisting Larry OBrien — that was never Carter, he actually did the opposite.
By his age-40 season, Carter was once again a free agent with the option of joining a Finals-bound team. Instead, he inked a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, the team that at that point hadnt been to the playoffs in 11 seasons. The streak rose to 12 in Carters lone season there, and his final two seasons with Atlanta were also playoff-less.
Carter’s career abruptly ended when the NBA postponed the season on March 11 By
After setting a league record for most seasons played in the NBA (22), Vince Carter has formally announced his retirement. Before the season started, Carter announced that this would be his final year in the NBA, and said several times throughout the season that he didnt want anyone making a big deal about it. As one of the most electrifying players in NBA history, though, he absolutely deserved a proper send-off.
After the league announced in early June its plan to resume the season with 22 teams in Orlando, it became official that Carter played his last NBA game back in March as the Atlanta Hawks were not invited. On Thursday morning, during an episode of his podcast “Winging It With Vince Carter”, he made a formal retirement announcement.
“Im officially done playing basketball professionally,” Carter said succinctly.
Carters final game came on the final night before the league postponed the season on March 11. In 12 minutes of action against the New York Knicks, Carter put up five points and one rebound. The final bucket of his career came off an assist from Trae Young for a 3-point shot, with players from both teams and fans cheering him on. The Hawks released a statement Thursday morning addressing Carters retirement announcement.
The eight-time All-Star will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible, and while most will remember him for his gravity-defying dunks, Carter was more than just a supremely skilled dunker. Coming out of North Carolina as a heralded prospect, Carter carried the Toronto Raptors to their first franchise playoff appearance in his rookie season. He was one of the most popular players in the NBA early on in his career, and became beloved by fans everywhere as he was a top vote-getter for the All-Star Game three years in a row from 2000-2002.
On Thursday afternoon, NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement regarding Carters retirement, touching on the legacy hes leaving behind.
“Vince Carter has made an indelible impact on the NBA with his remarkable skill and enduring commitment. For a record 22 seasons, he played with pure joy and created so many memorable moments as an eight-time All-Star, a Slam Dunk champion and an Olympic gold medalist. We congratulate Vince on a storied career and thank him for being a true ambassador of the game.”
While he never won an NBA championship or was honored as league MVP, Carter was a well-respected player across the league throughout his entire career. Hes the only player to compete in four different decades of the NBA, largely because he adapted as the game evolved. He transformed from the franchise piece to a valuable role player, and in the latter part of his career saw success coming off the bench to knock down 3s.
Most notably, was his game-winning 3-point shot in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2014. His difficult corner 3 over Manu Ginobili gave Dallas a 2-1 game lead over the San Antonio Spurs.
With Carter now officially hanging it up, that officially closes the books on the 1998 NBA Draft class, as he was the last active member from that year. Carter headlined a class that also featured Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Rashard Lewis and Antawn Jamison. The ending to Carters career is likely not what he was expecting, but the veteran worked on being at peace with it over the course of the season, thanks to conversations with Kobe Bryant.
“I went from the hesitation of starting the season and going through it, to not really saying the word retirement,” Carter said. “To having a conversation with Kobe which gave me the confidence and comfort to talk about retirement, to this point where the seasons over and in my mind I know theres 15 games left but were not sure yet, but its cool though. Basketballs been good to me. Ive enjoyed each and every moment of it, good and bad so if this is it its all good, at least I made my last basket.”
FAQ
Does Vince Carter have a NBA ring?
How many ring Vince Carter have?
Carter enjoyed a 22-year NBA career and played in four different decades, but he never got his hands on the NBA championship.
Which player has the most ring in NBA?
