If there's one thing that all great NBA players want to validate their careers, it's a championship ring. Unfortunately for them, it's also one of the hardest prizes in sports to obtain, and many great players are left without them despite Hall of Fame careers.
Some of the greatest players in league history have had to rely on statistics and accolades to establish their legend. A lot of those players, especially on this list, have accomplishments that eclipse those of many players 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 trophy. Obviously, though, they found other ways to shine.
Players like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant make up the next generation of great ones still chasing their first ring, but they're still in their prime, which is why they've been excluded from this list. Many other great players have tried (and failed) to win a title before them; here are 25 NBA Veterans Who Deserved a Ring.
If there's one thing that all great NBA players want to validate their careers, it's a championship ring. Unfortunately for them, it's also one of the hardest prizes in sports to obtain, and many great players are left without them despite Hall of Fame careers.
Some of the greatest players in league history have had to rely on statistics and accolades to establish their legend. A lot of those players, especially on this list, have accomplishments that eclipse those of many players 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 trophy. Obviously, though, they found other ways to shine.
Players like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant make up the next generation of great ones still chasing their first ring, but they're still in their prime, which is why they've been excluded from this list. Many other great players have tried (and failed) to win a title before them; here are 25 NBA Veterans Who Deserved a Ring.
25. Dikembe Mutombo
Career: 1991-2009
Stats: 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.8 BPG
Accolades: 8x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 2x, All-NBA Third Team, 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 3x All-Defensive First Team, 3x All-Defensive Second Team, 1992 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 2001, 2003 NBA Finals
Dikemebe Mutombo is 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 1994 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.
His 76ers faced off against a dominant Lakers squad in the 2001 Finals. Allen Iverson's 48 points shocked Los Angeles 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.
24. Alex English
Career: 1976-1991
Stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Accolades: 8x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA Second Team
Closest he came: 1985 Western Conference Finals
Alex English was the centerpiece of the rainbow-colored chaotic force known as the 1980s Denver Nuggets. The forward was 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 2000 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.
23. Vince Carter
Career: 1998-Present
Stats: 20.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Accolades: 8x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1999 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 2010 Eastern Conference Finals
Vince Carter has always been the guy to tempt you with his potential, only to see things go awry due to either injury or some sort of general malaise. What can't be ignored, apart from his incredible array of dunks, is his outstanding scoring touch in the regular season. Carter has scored 23,190 points for his career, 25th-best in NBA history. He's turned himself into a reliable role player for the Mavericks, and still has a few years left in which he can contribute on a championship ring. We're not ready to close the book in Vinsanity just yet.
22. Walt Bellamy
Career: 1961-1974
Stats: 20.1 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 1962 NBA Rookie of the Year
Closest he came: 1965, 1970 Western Division Finals
Walt Bellamy was an absolute beast, as he began his NBA career with one of the most statistically dominant rookie seasons of all-time. He played 42-plus minutes per game and averaged 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds a night, handily winning the Rookie of the Year award and looking like a legitimate challenger to the dominance of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. While those points and rebounds averages would end up being the best of his career, Bellamy would continue to rack up season after to season of great stats, only to be overshadowed by his two legendary counterparts. His incredible competition does not change the fact, though, that Bellamy was a true anchor and one of the best bigs of his generation.
21. Adrian Dantley
Career: 1976-1991
Stats: 24.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 6x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1977 NBA Rookie of the Year
Closest he came: 1988 NBA Finals
For as great a scorer as Adrian Dantley was, he could never seem to find a permanent home. He played for seven teams in all during his career, a suprising number given how proficiently (24.3 career points per game) and efficiently (a lifetime .540 percentage, 16th-best in NBA history) he could score. After a strong stint in Utah that included a four-season stretch where averaged 30-plus points a game, Dantley joined the Detroit Pistons and helped get them to the 1988 NBA Finals, where they lost in Game 7 to the Lakers. Unfortunately for Dantley, he'd miss out on the Pistons' back-to-back titles thanks to a mid-season trade in 1989 that sent him to the Mavericks in exchange for Mark Aguirre.
20. Lenny Wilkens
Career: 1960-1975
Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 9x NBA All-Star
Closest he came: 1961 NBA Finals
Lenny Wilkens may be best remembered for his coaching, but he was also a tremendous point guard who led his St. Louis Hawks teams to the playoffs pretty much every year, where they continuously ran into the Warriors and Lakers and fell short of the Finals. The only time he got there, in fact, was his rookie year. Once there, though, the Hawks were dismantled by the Boston Celtics in five games. Wilkens struggled, too, shooting under 35 percent from the field and allowing 19.8 points and 10.6 assists per game to Celtics point guard Bob Cousy. Nevertheless, Wilkens' outstanding career earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame and should have gotten him a ring.
19. David Thompson
Career: 1975-1984
Stats: 22.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team
Closest he came: 1978 Western Conference Finals
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. Quite a way to go out.
18. Tracy McGrady
Career: 1997-2013
Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.6 5PG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Accolades: 7x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team, 2001 NBA Most Improved Player
Closest he came: 2013 NBA Finals
T-Mac played for a total of 31 minutes, grabbed eight rebounds, earned three blocks, turned the ball over twice, and scored no points during last year's playoffs. But that didn't change this one simple fact: it was 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. His postgame press conference drove home how much failing yet again to make it out of the first round ate at him.
17. Bob Lanier
Career: 1970-1984
Stats: 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Accolades: 8x NBA All-Star, 1971 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 1984 Eastern Conference Finals
Despite a dominant inside-out game that made him a danger both at the rim and away from the basket, Bob Lanier never played in an NBA Finals. While this was a disappointment he discussed openly, it would be unfair to say it was all his fault. He averaged 20-plus points and 10-plus boards for his career, and is one of only seven players ever to hit the benchmarks of at least 19,000 points, 9000 rebounds, 3000 assists, and 1100 blocks. With numbers like those, it's genuinely shocking that he never made it to the game's biggest stage.
16. Bernard King
Career: 1977-1993
Stats: 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, BPG 0.3
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1978 NBA All-Rookie Team
Closest he came: 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals
ACL injuries were just about the worst thing that could happen to a basketball player in the 1980s. Just ask Bernard King. The Hall of Famer is famous for the time he had two consecutive 50 point games in 1984 and scored 60 points on Christmas Day against the Nets (his former team) in 1985. After tearing his knee up in later on in 1985 he missed the rest of that year and the following season as well, and his diminished athletic ability led to his release from the Knicks.
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, but his tremendous ability to score more than made up for a lack of championship credentials.
15. Chris Webber
Career: 1993-2008
Stats: 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Accolades: 5x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 2002 (Western), 2007 (Eastern) Conference Finals
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, as they kept finding new and increasingly more agonizing ways to lose to their rivals. Webber's career-damaging knee injury in 2003 didn't help with the Kings' playoff conquest either, and effectively ended his days as a star player.
14. Dave Bing
Career: 1966-1978
Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 7x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 1967 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1967 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 1968 (Eastern), 1974 (Western), 1976 (Eastern), 1977 (Eastern) Conference Finals
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 five appearances.
13. Chris Mullin
Career: 1985-2001
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6, SPG, 0.6 BPG
Accolades: 5x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team
Closest he came: 2000 NBA Finals
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 1980s Nuggets taught us anything, it's that offense doesn't win championships. The Warriors never made it past the semifinals in the 1990s. 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, but by then he was no longer a big contributor.
12. Reggie Miller
Career: 1987-2005
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 5x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA Third Team
Closest he came: 2000 NBA Finals
The grumpy Knicks fans/Reggie Miller haters of the golden era can always take solace in one fact: like the Knicks, Reggie Miller never won a ring. 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, 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 sweet going away present.
11. Pete Maravich
Career: 1970-1980
Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Accolades: 5x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1971 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 1980 Eastern Conference Finals
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 definitely turn some heads. Maravich was a crowd pleaser with his proven scoring prowess and ball-handling ability, and his circus-like passes were the stuff of legend.
Unfortunately, he was cursed with having to play with middling teams throughout his career, including a newly-created New Orleans Jazz. Maravich saw the playoffs a disappointing four times in his ten-year career. His final NBA season saw him ride the bench for the Celtics due to knee problems, but he also managed to go the furthest he ever had in the playoffs thanks to a talented rookie named Larry Bird. Maravich and Boston made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to the 76ers 4-1.
10. Steve Nash
Career: 1996-Present
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Accolades: 2x NBA MVP, 8x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Tram, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team
Closest he came: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010 Western Conference Finals
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, though, as they failed to get key stops when they needed them most. Unfortunately for Nash, the only title he'll likely win is "Leader of the Decade's Most Fun Team to Watch."
9. Nate Thurmond
Career: 1963-1977
Stats: 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.1 BPG
Accolades: 7x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1964 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 1964, 1967 NBA Finals
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 in 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 76ers. Despite Rick Barry's 40.8 PPG performance in the series, the Warriors fell in six games.
8. Dominique Wilkins
Career: 1982-1999
Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Accolades: 9x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team, 1983 NBA All-Rookie Team
Closest he came: 1986, 1987, 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals
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. However, Boston rode Bird's 20-point fourth quarter to win the war, and Wilkins would never again go further in the playoffs after the showdown.
7. Patrick Ewing
Career: 1985-2002
Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.4 BPG
Accolades: 11x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 6x All-NBA Second Team, 3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1986 NBA Rookie of the Year
Closest he came: 1994, 1999 NBA Finals
Many teams had their championship hopes blocked by Michael Jordan's dominance, and the '90s-era Knicks are 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 and 1993, and Patrick Ewing and the Knicks lost every single series.
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, thanks in equal parts to Jordan and Charles Smith. The only time Ewing's Knicks made it past Chicago, in fact, was when MJ retired.
6. George Gervin
Career: 1972-1986
Stats: 25.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Accolades: 9x NBA All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team
Closest he came: 1979 Eastern Conference Finals
The Iceman...no Schwarzenegger. Gervin was a major offensive threat during his time on the Spurs, and 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 opposing defenses with an equally smooth jumper. Gervin's offensive prowess made him the first guard ever to win three straight scoring titles. As good as he was, though, Ice would never see the NBA Finals.
5. Allen Iverson
Career: 1996-2011
Stats: 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA MVP, 11x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1997 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest He Came: 2001 NBA Finals
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 dazzling array of moves A.I. used to pull on the court were 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 the seemingly-invincible Los Angeles. The Lake Show took the next four and A.I. wouldn't return to the Finals, but at least he's still got the highlights.
4. Karl Malone
Career: 1985-2004
Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Accolades: 2x NBA MVP, 14x NBA All-Star, 11x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team
Closest he came: 1997, 1998, 2004 NBA Finals
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 and finish as the No. 2 scorer in NBA history.
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 took home two MVPs in the height of the Jordan Era. Then there's what's not in the statistical category: that pesky Stockton-Malone pick and roll.
3. John Stockton
Career: 1984-2003
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG
Accolades: 10x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 6x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team, 5x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
Closest he came: 1997, 1998 NBA Finals
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, he 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 was never above a well-placed grab to try to slow down his opponents. But his vilification by competitors only added to his legend years later, and he's still the all-time career leader in steals and assists.
Then there's that will to win. John Houston Stockton (yes, that's his middle name) 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 title two straight times to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
2. Charles Barkley
Career: 1984-2000
Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA MVP, 11x NBA All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 5x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1985 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Closest he came: 1993 NBA Finals
We've said it many times on the site, but let's reiterate: Sir Charles did not play like he was 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. Considering how good he was, it wasn't all that impressive when he did things like blocking the 7'1" David Robinson; it was simply what he was expected to do.
Barkley 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 Phoenix 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 is still one of the greatest players without a ring.
1. Elgin Baylor
Career: 1958-1971
Stats: 27.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.3 APG
Accolades: 11x NBA All-Star, 10x All-NBA First Team, 1959 NBA Rookie of the Year
Closest he came: 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970 NBA Finals
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 win 14 more games the very next season, attendance rose, and the Lakers became perennial contenders. Baylor's slick shooting and ridiculous numbers immediately made him one of the best players in the game, destine for 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 6'5".
There's one 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.
