Who's the Best NBA Player Without a Ring?
The Celtics' Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are on a mission to not only win a championship for Boston, but to win a title as individual players for the first time in each of their respective careers. They are known as the Big Three, but in terms of legacy, it would seem most critical for Garnett to get a ring so as to cement his place among the all-time greats. Our question is: Who is the best NBA player of all time who never won a championship?
By Desmond Bieler |
May 11, 2008; 4:33 PM ET
NBA
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Posted by: Nathan | May 16, 2008 11:30 AM
Lebron
Posted by: | May 17, 2008 1:18 AM
Baylor retired nine games into the 1971-1972 season, the same year that the Lakers won 33 in a row. The reporter is off by one year. Where is the fact checker??
Posted by: Ralph C. Thomas | May 19, 2008 6:43 AM
Allen Iverson by fa. He is a all star every year. A mvp and he is also among the leader in points and steals.
Posted by: matt | May 19, 2008 1:10 PM
LeBron, Iverson, Nash and Garnett ... order them however you want, but they are by far the four best players without a ring. Throw Kobe in and you have the five best players in the league.
Posted by: Four | May 19, 2008 2:51 PM
Sorry, I'm "four" and I didn't read the whole question. I missed the "all-time" part.
Disregard my answer while I think about this, but Pistol Pete comes to mind, as does Patrick Ewing.
Posted by: I can't read | May 19, 2008 2:52 PM
Tim Duncan
Posted by: | May 20, 2008 6:56 AM
It has to be one of these three 'Top 50 All-Time' players: Karl Malone, John Stockton or Charles Barkley. All future hall of famers and in the case of Stockton and Malone, easily one of the best at their position all time.
Posted by: Wali | May 20, 2008 9:40 AM
George Gervin. However, he has been crowned the finger roll champion.
Posted by: Croftonpost | May 20, 2008 10:51 AM
Would've been nice to see Pistol Pete Maravich play on a good team when he was healthy. Don't forget all the other old school HOFers like Bob Lanier, Dominique Wilkins & Adrian Dantley.
Posted by: Shanks1 | May 20, 2008 12:57 PM
Patrick Ewing was a great player for many years on a solid Knicks squad, and never won a championship. He comes to mind immediately. He is the Dan Marino of the NBA in my opinion
Posted by: RL Smith | May 20, 2008 7:24 PM
Barkley
Stockton
Maravich
Malone
Gervin
Iverson
Adrian Dantley
Bernard King
Wow - this list is surprisingly short.
Posted by: Sir Charles | May 20, 2008 7:25 PM
Tracy McGrady. He is the best player in the NBA and will get a championship ring soon.
Posted by: Jonny Boy | May 21, 2008 8:33 AM
Tracy McGrady is the best player in the nba with or without a ring.
Posted by: nel | May 21, 2008 12:59 PM
Besides the obvious fab 3 for the celtics Allen, Garnett, and Pierce. Iverson yes is one, and deff. McGrady but why hasn't anyone said Kidd or Nash dudes are getting pretty old and there oppertunity to get a ring is closin. Which also i think Derk deserves a ring as well. And we say McGrady but what about his cousin Vince C. I think he should get some respect too.
Posted by: Jay Jay | May 26, 2008 6:07 AM
ya i agree with most of whats posted...
names like
Ewing
Barkley
Maravich
and how about
Reggie Miller
George Gervin
Some players that were good and never got a ring due to injury
Larry Johnson
Penny Hardaway
Grant Hill who still may get one if he is lucky but deff. deserves one.
And also like to pay respect to players that never get talked about of being great or will never win a championship ring due to death but most likely would have.
You may never heard of this player
Drazen Petrovic played for the blazers then to the Nets..he avg.22.3ppg 11th overal in 1993. died in a car wreck. Prolly would have been one of the greatest european plyers to be in the league.
Now the next two you might know and if both would have lived they would have been on the same team together with a legend by the name of Larry Bird. The First is Len Bias who was drafted to the Boston Celtics in 1986 would have been great, compared to Jordan back then, deff. would have one a ring.(find and look at his highlights against jordan in college. was a beast.) and next is Reggie Lewis was drafted to Celtics in 87' and avg.20.8ppg in 92'and 93". Lewis died of a heart attack in practice and Bias over a drug overdose few days after he was drafted.
Posted by: tost | May 26, 2008 7:15 AM
Chris Webber
Posted by: ctubbs | May 28, 2008 12:43 AM
I would say either Pistol Pete, LeBron, or Karl Malone.
I consider Elgin Baylor to have won one with the 72 Lakers.
Posted by: Paul in KY | May 28, 2008 1:55 PM
Retired: Barkley, Stockton, Malone, Ewing, Reggie Miller
Active: Garnett, Nash, Kidd, Iverson
Posted by: Jordan | May 29, 2008 12:33 PM
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I would say "Pistol" Pete Maravich he practiced more then any other person ever. i think he would have deserved one.