No matter what the era, the NBA is always loaded with talented superstars worthy of individual accolades. Indeed, one of the favorite exercises of fans is to go back and look at who won which awards, and discuss ad nauseam guys who were snubbed and those who perhaps won awards they did not deserve.
It seems like this ritual is performed every year with the MVP award. For every Michael Jordan and LeBron James who wins MVP year after year, there’s a guy like Jerry West or Chris Paul who finds himself overshadowed and falling just short time and again. These guys who miss out are often Hall of Famers with double-digit All-Star and All-NBA appearances to their names, and yet they can’t get over that one final hurdle.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with their games; their lack of an MVP trophy can often be more a product of circumstances more so than anything else. However, there’s no denying that failing to win an MVP can leave a (very, very, very small) stain on the career of an otherwise transcendent player. Here’s a ranking of the Greatest Players Never to Win an NBA MVP.
No matter what the era, the NBA is always loaded with talented superstars worthy of individual accolades. Indeed, one of the favorite exercises of fans is to go back and look at who won which awards, and discuss ad nauseam guys who were snubbed and those who perhaps won awards they did not deserve.
It seems like this ritual is performed every year with the MVP award. For every Michael Jordan and LeBron James who wins MVP year after year, there’s a guy like Jerry West or Chris Paul who finds himself overshadowed and falling just short time and again. These guys who miss out are often Hall of Famers with double-digit All-Star and All-NBA appearances to their names, and yet they can’t get over that one final hurdle.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with their games; their lack of an MVP trophy can often be more a product of circumstances more so than anything else. However, there’s no denying that failing to win an MVP can leave a (very, very, very small) stain on the career of an otherwise transcendent player. Here’s a ranking of the Greatest Players Never to Win an NBA MVP.
20. Kevin McHale
Career: 1980-1993
Team(s): Boston Celtics
Closest finish: Fourth (1987)
When you play with Larry Bird, there are some tradeoffs. The good part is that Bird made life so much easier by occupying defenses' attention and providing exceptional passing from what was (functionally) his point-forward position. The downside is that no matter how big a game you have, the ball will probably not be in your hands during crunch time. McHale's incredible post moves helped him make seven All-Star teams, an All-NBA team, and six All-Defensive teams, but injuries and Bird's presence meant that greater individual recognition would always elude him.
19. Dolph Schayes
Career: 1948-1964
Team(s): Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers
Closest finish: Second (1958)
Dolph Schayes could score and rebound with the best, and he was named to 12 All-Star teams during his career. Obviously, talent was not the issue. The larger problem was that his best years happened to coincide with those of Bill Russell, Bob Pettit, Bob Cousy, and the early days of Wilt Chamberlain. Sorry, Dolph, but with competition like that it's going to be virtually impossible to snag any MVP trophies.
18. Dwyane Wade
Career: 2003-Present
Team(s): Miami Heat
Closest finish: Third (2009)
A lack of talent and ability are not the reasons Dwyane Wade has never won an MVP. He's got plenty of both. The problem is largely that Wade simply can't stay healthy, and that has cost him when it's come time to evaluate which players meant to the most to their teams over the course of an entire season. Wade's outstanding 2009—where he won the scoring title—was his best shot at the award, but there was a guy in Cleveland named LeBron who put up a ridiculous 28-7-7 nightly average and thus took 109 of the 121 first place votes.
17. Scottie Pippen
Career: 1987-2008
Team(s): Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
Closest finish: Third (1994)
The reasoning behind Scottie Pippen's never having been a serious MVP contender is, for the most part, obvious. Even though his contributions to the Bulls were invaluable in establishing them as a dynasty in the NBA, he was overshadowed his entire career by Michael Jordan. His two years without M.J., though, saw us catch a glimpse of what Pippen could do; it just happened that Hakeem Olajuwon was in his prime at the same time, and while Pippen is still one of the 50 best players ever, Olajuwon is one of the 10 best. The math was just never in Scottie's favor.
16. Paul Arizin
Career: 1950-1965
Team(s): Philadelphia Warriors, Camden Bullets
Closest finish: Second (1956)
Why don't we remember Paul Arizin as much as we should? Well, part of the problem was one of his teammates. For the second half of his career, anything Arizin did was overshadowed by the gaudy numbers of Wilt Chamberlain, who joined Arizin on the Warriors in 1960. As for the pre-Wilt days, he still had to contend with Bill Russell and Bob Pettit, two of the greatest big men ever to play the game. Arizin was a great player who simply was born in the wrong era.
15. Patrick Ewing
Career: 1985-2002
Team(s): New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics, Orlando Magic
Closest finish: Second (1990, 1991)
Patrick Ewing was one of the most highly-regarded players ever coming out of college, and nearly did live up to those lofty expectations. He was a rock for the Knicks throughout his career, putting up 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds per game for nine straight seasons between 1990 and 1998. The problem, of course, is that during those years he not only had to deal with Michael Jordan, but also fellow big men like Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley who happened to be putting up even better numbers down on the block. It all meant that while Ewing was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, he never quite got over the MVP hump.
14. Chris Paul
Career: 2005-Present
Team(s): New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers
Closest finish: Second (2008)
Chris Paul's 2008 season really could have won him an MVP trophy. Kobe Bryant took the award that year because he had a typical Kobe season and also happened to have been robbed in 2006 and voters felt compelled to give him a "lifetime achievement award." But make no mistake: take CP3 off of that Hornets team, and everything falls apart. Unfortunately for Paul—who is still just 28 years old—he may never win one now due to the fact that LeBron James and Kevin Durant seem destined to duke it out for the award every year for the next decade.
13. Gary Payton
Career: 1990-2007
Team(s): Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat
Closest finish: Third (1998)
Gary Payton was one of the greatest defensive guards of all-time, one of the few people on the entire planet who could contain Michael Jordan. He also was an incredibly gifted scorer, averaging 20-plus points per game between 1994 and 2003 while also handing out 7.9 assists per night. However, despite all those credentials, his MVP candidacy always fell a bit short. Even after Shawn Kemp left Seattle and Payton emerged from his shadow, the specter of Michael Jordan made it too difficult for "the Glove" to earn the NBA's highest individual honor.
12. Dominique Wilkins
Career: 1982-1999
Team(s): Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic
Closest finish: Second (1986)
While Dominique Wilkins is largely remembered as a dunker, he was also one of his generation's most explosive scorers. Unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the game's best, his duel with Larry Bird in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals is one of the greatest individual performances of that decade. Playing against Bird and Magic Johnson and then Michael Jordan, though, meant that it would have taken something superhuman for Wilkins to garner MVP consideration. His incredible 1985-86 season (30.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, singlehandedly carrying the Hawks to a 50-32 record) was almost enough to get it done, but he lost out to Bird who helped guide the Celtics a 67-15 record in what was his third consecutive MVP-winning campaign.
11. Clyde Drexler
Career: 1983-1998
Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets
Closest finish: Second (1992)
Forever overshadowed by Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler nearly stole the MVP award in 1992 on the strength of a 25.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.7 APG season that also saw the media begin to get a little bit of "Jordan fatigue." He still finished well behind Jordan (80 first place votes to 12), but he clearly had reached his apex as a player and would contend for the award for years to come, or so we thought. Unfortunately, injuries marred Drexler's next two seasons, and then when he was traded mid-season to the Rockets in 1994 he became the second banana to the new MVP, Hakeem Olajuwon.
10. Jason Kidd
Career: 1994-2013
Team(s): Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks
Closest finish: Second (2002)
Jason Kidd was one of the most talented players to come through the NBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he was justifiably always in the MVP conversation. While he was constantly revered for his complete style of play and all the triple-doubles he would log, in a weird way it kind of hurt him; he didn't put up the eye-popping numbers that Shaq or Allen Iverson did, instead relying on his tremendous all-around game to sway voters. It nearly worked in 2002, as Kidd's Nets made the Finals and the point guard narrowly lost out to Tim Duncan in the MVP voting.
9. John Havlicek
Career: 1962-1978
Team(s): Boston Celtics
Closest finish: Fourth (1972)
As dependable a player as there ever was, John Havlicek was a gifted all-around player who was either the star or a key player on eight championship teams. Beginning in 1966 he made 13 consecutive All-Star teams, and also garnered 11 All-NBA and eight All-Defensive team selections. And yet, despite his strong numbers and relentless hustle on the floor, he never really got close to winning an MVP. His strong all-around game meant that he never put up eye-popping numbers in any one category, and as a result he never totally got his due in the MVP voting.
8. George Gervin
Career: 1972-1990
Team(s): Virginia Squires, San Antonio, Chicago Bulls
Closest finish: Second (1978, 1979)
George Gervin could do one thing better than anyone else: score in bunches. He did it in the ABA and then took it to the next level in the NBA, shooting a ridiculously high percentage for someone who took as many shots as he did. Unfortunately, he ran up against Bill Walton's best ever season in 1978 (even the 33-point second quarter in the season's final game couldn't save him), and then Moses Malone's absolutely dominant 1979 campaign, meaning that the MVP would forever elude "the Iceman."
7. Elvin Hayes
Career: 1968-1984
Team(s): San Diego/Houston Rockets, Baltimore/Washington Bullets, Houston Rockets
Closest finish: Third (1975, 1979)
It was always going to be tough for Elvin Hayes to win the MVP, as he was often overshadowed by his iconic Bullets teammate Wes Unseld. Hayes, however, was in many ways the rock of those teams; he was exceedingly durable (he never played fewer than 80 games in a season) and absurdly productive, averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds 10 different years. He even won the scoring title as a rookie in 1969, the last person ever to do it. However, he never quite got the recognition that other, flashier big men did, and as a result he'll just have to be happy with a championship ring and a spot in the Hall of Fame.
6. Rick Barry
Career: 1965-1980
Team(s): San Francisco Warriors, Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps, New York Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets
Closest finish: Fourth (1975, 1976)
Rick Barry was one of the greatest scorers of his generation in college as well as the NBA and ABA, and he will forever be the only man ever to win the scoring title in both leagues. Despite jumping between the NBA and ABA, he managed to make a combined 12 All-Star teams and nine All-NBA/ABA First Teams, but he missed out on the MVP award in both leagues thanks in no small part to his aggressively mediocre teams. His return to the NBA saw Barry win a title and serve as the Warriors' star player, but even in those glorious years he was still stuck behind a certain center named Lew Alcindor in the hearts and minds of MVP voters.
5. John Stockton
Career: 1984-2003
Team(s): Utah Jazz
Closest finish: Eighth (1995)
Perhaps it says something about John Stockton's career that what modern fans remember most is his short-shorts. Stockton was almost too understated, containing absolutely zero of the flash and attitude that often get players noticed on a national level. It's not as if he wasn't an all-time great player; not only is he the NBA's career leader in total assists, but Stockton was selected to 10 All-Star games, 11 All-NBA teams, and five All-Defensive teams. Like many players from the 1990s, though, he played in an era where the player rankings went: 1. Michael Jordan; 2. Everyone else.
4. George Mikan
Career: 1946-1956
Team(s): Minneapolis Lakers
Closest finish: N/A (No MVP when he played)
George Mikan was, perhaps, our last great bespectacled athlete (Kareem's rec-specs not withstanding). He also was the most dominant player of his generation, averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds per game during his brief professional career. His ability to shoot with both hands around the hoop spawned the popular "Mikan Drill," a tool that continues to be used today. He was a revolutionary player, a man who proved that someone with great size would be an essential weapon near the basket (somehow, this was not always the popular way of thinking). The only reason he did not win multiple MVPs was because the award was not established until Mikan's final professional season, when he was no longer his dominant self and played merely a part-time role for the Lakers.
3. Isiah Thomas
Career: 1981-1994
Team(s): Detroit Pistons
Closest finish: Fifth (1984)
For someone as talented as he was, it's amazing that Isiah Thomas never really got close to winning an MVP. He was the unquestioned star and leader of two championship teams, a 12-time All-Star, and made either first or second team All-NBA five times. Despite all these accolades, he was forced to sit and watch as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird raked in MVPs during the 1980s and Thomas was treated as merely an afterthought. By the time his Pistons team began their ascension into the league's elite and he was taken more seriously as a star, Michael Jordan had come into his own and quickly established himself as the dominant force in the NBA.
2. Elgin Baylor
Career: 1958-1971
Team(s): Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
Closest finish: Second (1963)
A player whose athleticism was decades ahead of its time, Elgin Baylor was one of the most complete players ever to play a game. He had a smooth jump shot, outstanding rebounding skills (averaging 10-plus rebounds per night 11 different times), and was an accomplished passer as well. With such a wide-ranging skill set and jaw-dropping athleticism, the most apt modern comparison for Baylor is probably LeBron James. So why did Baylor never win an MVP? Unfortunately, he happened to play in the same era as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who hogged all the trophies during Baylor's prime.
1. Jerry West
Career: 1960-1974
Team(s): Los Angeles Lakers
Closest finish: Second (1966, 1970, 1971, 1972)
Perhaps no player in NBA history had more near-misses than Jerry West. Not only did he finish second in the MVP voting an astonishing four times, but he also lost in the Finals eight times before finally breaking through on his ninth try in 1972. The West Virginia native was a simply transcendent player, a combo guard who could shoot better than pretty much anyone in the league and whose athleticism rivaled any player in today's NBA. West won pretty much every individual honor there was apart from MVP, making the All-Star team all 14 years of his career and being named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times.