The 20 Greatest NBA Players to Never Win an NBA Championship

Ah yes, the ring. Also known as that thing LeBron James' critics kept pointing to as if there was some prize in tearing down basketball's next Great One. It's also that one thing even some of the greatest the hardwood has ever seen has had to retire without.

The NBA championship can serve as a means to validate a player's greatness, but some of the great ones had to rely on statistics and accolades to establish their legend. A lot of those players, especially on this list, have accomplishments that eclipses those who do have rings.

It could be because of mediocre teammates, crippling injuries, or just because of Michael Jordan's existence, but even the greatest players of all time (e.g. Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing) never had a chance to hoist that Larry O'Brien championship trophy (Walter A. Brown Trophy if you're talking pre-77). Obviously, they found other ways to shine. Will players like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant be the next great ones to retire without a championship? They're still in their prime—which is why they've been excluded from this list—but past evidence shows that skill doesn't always equal such glory.

Find out how The 20 Greatest NBA Players to Never Win an NBA Championship made it to the Hall of Fame.

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20. Tracy McGrady

Accomplishments: 7x All-Star, 2x First Team All-NBA, 2x Scoring Champion
Team(s): Raptors, Magic, Rockets, Knicks, Pistons, Spurs
Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Finals appearances: 1 (2013)

T-Mac has played for a total of 17 minutes, grabbed four rebounds, earned two blocks, turned the ball over twice, and has scored no points during this year's playoffs. And yet, this will be his first in the NBA Finals, not to mention his first time out of the first round.

It's not like McGrady didn't post great numbers during his prior playoff appearances; he averaged 23.7 points, including a ridiculous 33.8 points in 2001. McGrady put up 29 points and 13 dimes in his then-final playoff game with the Rockets—a Game 7 loss to the Jazz. He still couldn't make it out the first round. His postgame conference drove home how much that sucked.

But hey, at least T-Mac gets a shot at a ring. What if Gregg Popovich says fuck it and lets McGrady in the game for a decent amount of minutes? Wouldn't it be dope if he put up 25? #onecandream

19. David Thompson

Accomplishments: 4x All-Star, 2x First Team All-NBA, 1979 All-Star Game MVP
Team(s): Nuggets, Sonics
Stats: 22.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

Michael Jordan once said, "The measuring of vertical leap began with David Thompson." Can't really argue with His Airness. Thompson soared when he jumped, and his dunks had the power to emasculate. Many people also believed he and Monte Towe invented the alley-oop during his time at NC State.

The two-time All-NBA First Team member was an exciting player in his prime. In 1978, David Thompson scored 73 points in a game against the Pistons (including 32 points in the second quarter). Of course, he wasn't able to duplicate the performance in order for his Denver Nuggets to win a title. Thompson's career ended after suffering a brutal knee injury from falling down the stairs of the infamous Studio 54 club. Helluva unfortunate way to go.

18. Dikembe Mutombo

Accomplishments: 8x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 6x All-Defense, 2x Rebounding Leader, 3x Blocks Leader
Team(s): Nuggets, Hawks, Sixers, Nets, Knicks, Rockets
Stats: 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.8 BPG
Finals Appearances: 2 (2001, 2003)

Dikemebe Mutombo also known as the dude who held the basketball like a newborn baby when the Nuggets became the first No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed (the Sonics) in the '94 playoffs. That legendary shot blocking ability (he's second all time) and that finger wag would also become his trademarks, but he didn't get to see the Finals until the next decade.

The Sixers faced off against a dominant Lakers squad in the 2001 Finals. The Answer's 48 points shocked Lake City in Game 1, but the purple and yellow would triumph in the next four games. An injured Mutombo took another trip to the Finals in 2002-03 with the Nets, where they lost 4-2 to the Spurs.

17. Chris Webber

Accomplishments: 5x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, 1999 Rebounding Champion, 1994 Rookie of the Year
Team(s): Warriors, Bullets, Kings, Pistons, Warriors
Stats: 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

It's a shame Chris Webber never got a chance to make up for the tragic mistake that cost Michigan the NCAA Championship. His dunks were madness and you'd be hard pressed to find another big man with his passing ability. Plus, dunking on the great Charles Barkley is an award in itself.

Webber was a key component in a feared Kings offense that ranked within the league's top three in points per game throughout the first half of the 2000s. But Sacramento's show was cancelled by the Lakers three straight times between 2000-03. Webber's career-damaging knee injury in 2003 didn't help with the Kings' playoff conquest either. A shame, but once again, the man dunked on Charles Barkley. No one can take that away from him.

16. Bernard King

Accomplishments: 4x All-Star, 2x First Team All-NBA, 1985 Scoring Champion
Team(s): Nets, Jazz, Warriors, Knicks, WBullets
Stats: 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, BPG 0.3
Finals appearances: Zero

ACL injuries are a bitch. Just ask Bernard King. The Hall of Famer is famous for the time he had two consecutive 50 point games in 1984 and scoring 60 points on Christmas Day against the Nets (his former team) in 1985. After tearing his knee up in '85, he missed the following season, and his diminished athletic ability led to his release.

King had a comeback of sorts with the Washington Bullets. He improved his scoring average every season he was there, but only made it to that playoffs as a Bullet once. King had two playoff stints with the Knicks and two with the Nets, but each ended short of a championship. Maybe he might have been inducted into the Hall of Fame sooner if he got a ring. His tremendous ability to score more than made up for it.

15. Alex English

Accomplishments: 8x All-Star, 1983 Scoring Champion
Team(s): Bucks, Pacers, Nuggets, Mavericks
Stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

Alex English was the centerpiece of the rainbow-colored chaotic force known as the '80s Denver Nuggets. The forward got overshadowed by some of the other stars of his era, but it should be noted that it was he—not Magic, Bird, or Wilkins—who led the decade in scoring. He also holds the distinction of being the first player to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons.

He led the Nuggets to nine playoff appearances but never made it to the Finals. Consistently having one of the league's worst defenses will do that to you.

14. Chris Mullin

Accomplishments: 5x All-Star, 1992 First Team All-NBA 1992
Team(s): Warriors, Pacers
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6, SPG, 0.6 BPG
Finals appearances: 1 (2000)

Wet. Automatic. Deadly. Use whatever adjective necessary as long is it captures just how crazy Chris Mullin's jump shot was. Defenders were going through it when they tried to guard the Brooklyn phenom, Mullin was part of the famous Run-TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris) during his peak years at Golden State. If you want an example of the trio's offensive prowess peep the score of their 1990-91 game against the Spurs: 162-158.

But if the mid-2000s Suns and the '80s Nuggets taught us anything, it's that offense doesn't win championships. The Warriors never made it past the semifinals in the '90s. Mullin made it to the Finals in the 1999-00 season as a member of the Pacers after getting bounced twice in the Conference Finals.

13. Reggie Miller

Accomplishments: 5x All-Star, 3x Third Team All-NBA
Team(s): Pacers
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Finals Appearances: 1 (2000)

The grumpy Knicks fans/Reggie Miller haters of the golden era can always take solace in one fact: Reggie Miller never won a ring either. If you're trying to dig a bit deeper, the Knicks made it to the Finals twice to Miller's one: a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Lakers in 2000.

Miller and the Pacers developed into decent contenders in the early aughts, finishing with a 61-21 regular season record in 2003-04. But after the infamous brawl at the Palace happened, the Pacers slumped because of the suspensions and in 2005, Miller would retire without a ring after spending 14 years with the franchise. At least he got a pretty dope going away present though.

12. Dave Bing

Accomplishments: 7x All-Star, 6x First Team All-NBA 1976 All-Star Game MVP
Team(s): Pistons, Bullets, Celtics
Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

Dave Bing was one of the silent stars in an era ruled by the likes of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. The guard was potent on offense, averaging 22 points and eight assists throughout his first 10 seasons. He also beat Chamberlain and the legendary Elgin Baylor (more on him later) to become the league's scoring leader in 1968. Bing also made seven All-Star teams and the All-NBA First Team twice. The credentials didn't translate into postseason success, though; Bing only made it past the first round twice in his five appearances.

11. Allen Iverson

Accomplishments: 11x All-Star, 1x MVP, 3x All-NBA 2x All-Star Game MVP, 4x Scoring Champion, 3x NBA steals leader, 1997 Rookie of the Year
Team(s): 76ers, Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies
Stats: 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, .2 BPG
Finals appearances: 1 (2001)

This is the man that crossed MJ, teabagged Marcus Camby, and made Tyronn Lue forever relevant. If you were an elementary schooler coming up watching the game in the late '90s and early 2000s, chances are you wanted to be like The Answer. His off-the-court antics were legendary, but the badassery A.I. used to pull on the court was straight up intense. Check out highlights from his 2001 MVP season if you need a reminder.

Actually, check out his performance in Game 1 of that year's Finals against the Lakers. Iverson had fans staring in awe and some Lakers fans shook when he dropped 48 points to snatch that game from Los Angeles. The Lake Show took the next four and A.I. wouldn't return to the Finals, but at least he still got the highlights.

10. Steve Nash

Accomplishments: 8x All-Star, 2x MVP, 3x All-NBA
Team(s): Suns, Mavericks, Lakers
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

With picture-perfect passes, wet jumpers, and precision from the charity stripe, Steve Nash and the Suns' "seven seconds or less" offense were among the league's most feared. At its peak in the mid-aughts, Phoenix made two consecutive Conference Finals appearances the same years that Nash earned his two straight MVPs. Nash and the team's downfall was their defense.

9. Nate Thurmond

Accomplishments: 7x All-Star, 5x All-Defense, Member of the Hall of Fame, 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Team(s): Warriors, Bulls, Cavs
Stats: 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.1 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

A monster on offense, a beast on the boards, and a tenacious shot blocker, Nate Thurmond easily ranks up there as one of the greatest to ever hit the court. He also owns the record for most rebounds in a quarter (18) and recorded the first quadruple-double in history (1974) (a feat that was last accomplished by David Robinson in 1994) after being traded to the Bulls.

Thurmond made his Finals appearance in 1967 against Wilt Chamberlain's Sixers. Despite Rick Barry's 40.8 PPG performance in the series, the Warriors fell in six games.

8. Pete Maravich

Accomplishments: 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 1971 All-Rookie First Team, 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Team(s): Hawks, Jazz, Celtics
Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, .3 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

Pistol Pete's performance at LSU was legendary, and his 44.2 PPG career average most likely will never be touched. He didn't come close to touching that when he was drafted by the Hawks in 1970, but a 23.2 PPG average in your rookie year will have some heads turning. Maravich was a crowd pleaser with his proven scoring prowess and ball-handling ability.

Unfortunately, he was cursed with having to play with middling teams through his career—including a newly inaugurated New Orleans Jazz. Maravich saw the playoffs four times in his ten-year career. The last season of his career saw him riding the bench because of his knee problems, but that was also the farthest he's gone in the playoffs. The Celtics, which claimed Pete off waivers, and had the talent of a rookie Larry Bird, made it to Conference Finals, where they fell to the Sixers 4-1.

7. Dominique Wilkins

Accomplishments: 9x All-Star, 1986 Scoring Champion, 1986 First Team All-NBA
Team(s): Hawks, Celtics, Spurs, Magic
Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

Reverse windmills. Posterizations. Tomahawks. 360s. Dominique Wilkins did it all. "The Human Highlight Film" didn't just dominate at the rim though; he had the ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor—you don't get a scoring championship from just dunking.

His offensive prowess was in full force in his famous duel with Larry Bird in 1988's Eastern Conference Semifinals. It looked like Wilkins won the battle as he finished the game with 47 points on an astounding 19-for-23 performance against Bird's 34 points. But Boston rode Bird's 20-point fourth quarter to win the war. The showdown would be the furthest Wilkins would get in the playoffs.

6. Patrick Ewing

Accomplishments: 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 1986 Rookie of the Year, 3x All-Defense, Member of the Hall of Fame
Team(s): Knicks, Sonics, Magic
Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.4 BPG
Finals appearances: 2 (1994, 1999)

Many teams had their championship hopes blocked by Jordan's dominance, and the '90s-era Knicks is arguably the most prominent of those teams. Knicks fans would leave sick every time they faced the Bulls in the playoffs. The two met four times between 1989-93, and Patrick Ewing and the Knicks lost each time.

It wasn't like it was their center's fault though. Ewing—who's just one of 10 players in history to have over 22,000 points and 10,000 rebounds—averaged a double-double in each of those series. The Bulls just found some way to thwart NY every time. The only time Ewing's Knicks made it past Chicago was when MJ retired.

5. George Gervin

Accomplishments: 9x All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 1980 All-Star Game MVP, 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Team(s): Spurs, Bulls
Stats: 25.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Finals appearances: Zero

The Iceman...no Schwarzenegger. Gervin was a major offensive threat during his time on the Spurs as he'd find some way to score no matter what defense was thrown at him. That finger roll was as artful as it was lethal, and he could also burn with that jumper. Gervin's offensive prowess made him the first guard ever to win three straight scoring titles. As good as he was, Gervin would never see the NBA Finals.

4. Karl Malone

Accomplishments: 14x All-Star, 2x MVP, 11x First Team All-NBA, 2x All-Star Game MVP
Team(s): Jazz, Lakers
Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Finals appearances: 3 (1997, 1998, 2004)

As the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers struggled, a lot of people drew comparisons to the 2003-04 team. The main difference? The preceding had four future/current Hall of Famers: Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Shaquille O' Neal, and Karl Malone.

The team actually made it to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Pistons 4-1 in what was "The Mailman's" third and final trip. While Payton would eventually win his ring in 2006 with Miami, Malone would retire soon after.

That said, he's still one of the greatest power forwards ever. His name was synonymous with dominance as he averaged 27.1 points and 10.6 rebounds in the '90s and has two MVPs to show for it. Then there's what's not in the statistical category: that pesky Stockton-Malone pick and roll. He's also the second all-time leader in scoring, and a bit of a jerk as well.

3. Elgin Baylor

Accomplishments: 11x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 1959 All-Star Game Co-MVP, 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1959 Rookie of the Year
Team(s): Lakers
Stats: 27.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.3 APG
Finals appearances: 8 (1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970)

The man who saved the Lakers. The franchise was on the verge of bankruptcy when they signed Elgin Baylor to a $20,000 contract (which was huge back then) after a 19-53 season. Baylor's talent helped the team's record improve by 14 the next season. The crowd attendance rose, the Lakers became perennial competitors, and Baylor's slick shooting and ridiculous numbers cemented him into Hall of Fame glory.

In his peak years (1960-63), Baylor averaged 34.8, 38.3, and 34.0 points per game. His 61 points in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals is still the most in the league's history. It's also worth noting that in that season, Baylor got called into active duty by the Army and could only play on a weekend pass. He still scored 1,836 points that year. The man had the rebounding skills to match, too. He averaged 19.8 rebounds per game in his third season as if he wasn't aware he was 6-foot-5.

There's a stat we're sure he'd want to change though: He made eight finals appearances without a single ring to show for it. Of course, the Lakers would win a championship in his first year of retirement.

2. John Stockton

Accomplishments: 10x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 5x All-Defense, 9x Assist Leader, 2x Steals Leader, Member of Hall of Fame
Team(s): Jazz
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG
Finals appearances: 2 (1997, 1998)

Former Houston guard Eddie Johnson once said John Stockton, "Comes off as this choirboy and tries to live up to it. Meanwhile, he's trying to take your head off." He pretty much hit the nail on the head; Stockton had a famously unassuming personality, but opponents knew he came to bang every time he stepped foot on court.

The point guard's point guard led the Jazz to 20 straight playoff appearances. Yeah, "Stockton-to-Malone" was a big deal back in the day, but scrappiness on defense was pretty recognized as well; he's been known to make a grab or two to hamper his opponents. But his vilification by competitors only added to his legend years later as he's still the all-time career leader in steals and assists.

Then there's that will to win. John Houston Stockton ruined the Rockets when he drained that famous three-pointer in the 1997 Western Conference Finals to clinch the series. There was also that remarkable performance in Game 4 of that year's Finals. Of course, he'd lose the NBA Finals two straight times to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

1. Charles Barkley

Accomplishments: 11x All-Star, 1993 MVP, 5x First Team All-NBA, Member of the Hall of Fame, 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Team(s): 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets
Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Finals appearances: 1 (1993)

We've said it many times on the site, but let's reiterate: Sir Charles does not play like he's 6'6" (some reports even say he's a bit shorter). His athleticism is freakish, his scoring ability was feared, and "The Round Mound of Rebound" wasn't just some BS nickname put together for the sake of rhyming. So it wasn't all that impressive when he did things like blocking the 7'1" David Robinson; it's the kind of shit he was expected to do.

He had championship-caliber abilities, but his lone Finals appearance didn't come until he left Philadelphia after playing there for eight seasons. In his first season with the Suns Barkley won the MVP and led them to the Finals. He averaged 27 points and 13 assists in the series, but the problem was that he was facing Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

A John Paxson shot, seven more seasons, and a few fine years as an NBA analyst later, Barkley still is the greatest player without a ring.