Who are the 50 greatest players in NBA history without a championship ring to their credit?
Updated June 24, 2016.
Over time, greatness in team sports has become almost inexorably linked with one key question: Have you won a championship and how many have you won?
Dan Marino in the National Football League is a prime example.
Marino, in his career from 1983-1999, rewrote the NFL record book in most major passing categories (records since surpassed by Brett Favre and later Peyton Manning).
But when fans or pundits alike start tossing around names of the “greatest quarterbacks ever,” the mention of Marino is invariably met with, “Yeah, but he never won a ring.”
Never mind that football is a team sport and quarterbacks have never stopped an opponent from scoring, success is often measured simply by the number of titles won.
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The NFL, which expanded its playoff field to 12 teams in 1990, also has a more restrictive playoff system, one in which 37.5 percent of its teams make the postseason each year.
Playoff opportunities have never been that rare in the NBA.
In fact, right now—with 16 of 30 teams qualifying for the postseason each season—the ratio of 53.3 percent of the league making the playoffs is the lowest it has ever been.
In the 1950s, six of eight teams—75 percent of the league—were playoff teams, so at the very least, there were ample opportunities to get to the postseason.
But opportunity has not always equaled a title for some of the best players in the history of the NBA. There are several Hall of Famers that were never able to get over the championship hump.
When putting together a list of the greatest NBA players who never won a ring, there have to be some ground rules.
To be considered for this list, a player had to have at least 10,000 career points—showing some duration and thus eliminating many of today’s young stars—and they had to have never played for a team that won a title.
Gary Payton was a superstar with the Seattle SuperSonics, for example, but never won a championship. However, he was on the Miami Heat’s title-winning team in 2005-06 as a reserve—enough to knock him off this list.
Incidentally, none of the players from the newly crowned champion Cleveland Cavaliers was eliminated from this countdown; however, veterans Richard Jefferson, Mo Williams and J.R. Smith were taken out of the database of potential candidates.
So with that, here are the 50 greatest NBA players to never win a championship.
Next: The Ones Who Didn’t Make The Cut
Honorable Mention: The Next 25
The 10,000-point club is littered with players who never managed to find their way to the ring.
Here are the 25 best that didn’t make the cut.
75. Alvan Adams (Phoenix Suns 1975-88): An All-Star and Rookie of the Year in 1975-76, the Suns reached the Finals for the only time in his career that season as well. Also on two Phoenix teams that lost in the conference finals—1979 and 1984.
74. Terry Porter (Portland Trail Blazers 1985-95, Minnesota Timberwolves 1995-98, Miami Heat 1998-99, San Antonio Spurs 1999-2002): A two-time All-Star who played on a pair of Portland teams that lost in the NBA Finals (1990 and 1992). Also member of Spurs conference finals squad in 2001.
73. Fat Lever (Portland Trail Blazers 1982-84, Denver Nuggets 1984-90, Dallas Mavericks 1991-92, 1993-94): The stat sheet-stuffing Lever was a two-time All-Star in Denver, as well as an All-NBA pick in 1986-87 and an All-Defensive pick in 1987-88. Reached the second round twice in eight playoff appearances.
72. Joe Johnson (Boston Celtics 2001-02, Phoenix Suns 2002-05, Atlanta Hawks 2005-12, Brooklyn Nets 2012-16; Miami Heat 2016): A seven-time All-Star and an All-NBA pick in 2009-10, has never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs in 11 tries.
71. Archie Clark (Los Angeles Lakers 1966-68, Philadelphia 76ers (1969-71, Baltimore/Capital Bullets 1971-74, Seattle SuperSonics 1974-75, Detroit Pistons 1975-76): A two-time All-Star and a 1971-72 All-NBA selection who played in the NBA Finals with the Lakers in 1968, but otherwise never advanced past the conference semifinals despite making the playoffs in every one of his 10 NBA seasons.
70. Dan Majerle (Phoenix Suns 1988-96, 2001-02; Cleveland Cavaliers 1995-96; Miami Heat 1996-2001): A three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive selection who was one of his era’s most prolific 3-point shooters, played in the NBA Finals with the Suns in 1993 and was on conference finalists with Phoenix in 1990 and Miami in 1997.
69. Derrick Coleman (New Jersey Nets 1990-95; Philadelphia 76ers 1995-98, 2001-04; Charlotte Hornets 1998-2001; Detroit Pistons 2004-05): An All-Star for the Nets in 1993-94 and the 1990-91 Rookie of the Year. Got to the second round of the playoffs just once in seven tries, probably made him say, “Whoop-dee-damn-doo.”
68. Zach Randolph (Portland Trail Blazers 2001-07, New York Knicks 2007-08, Los Angeles Clippers 2008-09, Memphis Grizzlies 2009-16): A two-time All-Star, a 2010-11 All-NBA pick and the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2003-04, has advanced to one conference final with Grizzlies in 2013.
67. Rudy LaRusso (Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers 1959-67, San Francisco Warriors 1967-69): A four-time All-Star and an All-Defensive pick in 1968-69 who played in four NBA Finals with the Lakers, losing each time to the Boston Celtics.
66. Eddie Jones (Los Angeles Lakers 1994-99; Charlotte Hornets 1999-2000; Miami Heat 2000-05, 2007; Memphis Grizzlies 2005-07; Dallas Mavericks 2007-08): A two-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive selection, was twice a loser in the conference finals, with the Lakers in 1998 and the Heat in 2005.
65. Ricky Pierce (Detroit Pistons 1982-83; San Diego Clippers 1983-84; Milwaukee Bucks 1984-91, 1997-98; Seattle SuperSonics 1991-94; Golden State Warriors 1994-95; Indiana Pacers 1995-96; Denver Nuggets 1996-97; Charlotte Hornets 1997): Two-time Sixth Man of the Year and an All-Star in 1991, was a conference finalist with Bucks in 1986, SuperSonics in 1993.
64. Larry Johnson (Charlotte Hornets 1991-96, New York Knicks 1996-2001): Two All-Star berths with Charlotte along with a Rookie of the Year Award and an All-NBA selection. Reached the NBA Finals once, with the Knicks in 1999.
63. Lenny Wilkens (St. Louis Hawks 1960-68, Seattle SuperSonics 1968-72, Cleveland Cavaliers 1972-74, Portland Trail Blazers 1974-75): A Hall of Famer as a player (inducted 1989), a nine-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1971 All-Star Game, played in the Finals with the Hawks as a rookie in 1961, losing to the Boston Celtics, and never got back.
62. Jeff Hornacek (Phoenix Suns 1986-92, Philadelphia 76ers 1992-94, Utah Jazz 1994-2000): An All-Star with Phoenix in 1992, played in two NBA Finals with the Jazz in 1997 and 1998, losing each year to the Chicago Bulls, also a conference finalist with Phoenix in 1990 and Utah in 1994 and 1996.
61. Lou Hudson (St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks 1966-77, Los Angeles Lakers 1977-79): A six-time All-Star in Atlanta and an All-NBA pick in 1969-70. The Hawks were Western Division finalists in 1967, 1969 and 1970, but never got to the Finals.
60. Mookie Blaylock (New Jersey Nets 1989-92, Atlanta Hawks 1992-99, Golden State Warriors 1999-2002): One All-Star bid with the Hawks in 1993-94, six NBA All-Defensive selections. Teams never advanced beyond conference semifinals.
59. Carlos Boozer (Cleveland Cavaliers 2002-04, Utah Jazz 2004-10, Chicago Bulls 2010-14, Los Angeles Lakers 2014-15): A two-time All-Star and an All-NBA pick in 2007-08, was a conference finalist with the Jazz in 2007 and the Bulls in 2011.
58. Alvin Robertson (San Antonio Spurs 1985-89, Milwaukee Bucks 1989-93, Detroit Pistons 1993, Toronto Raptors 1995-96): Doubled as Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in 1985-86, also earning an All-NBA spot, and was a four-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive pick. Was never with a team that won a playoff series.
57. Dan Issel (Denver Nuggets 1976-85): A Hall of Famer since 1993, won an ABA championship with Kentucky Colonels in 1975 and was an NBA All-Star in 1976-77. Helped Denver to conference finals appearances in 1978 and 1985.
56. Walt Bellamy (Chicago Packers/Chicago Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets 1961-65, New York Knicks 1965-68, Detroit Pistons 1968-70, Atlanta Hawks 1970-74, New Orleans Jazz 1974): NBA Rookie of the Year in 1961-62 and a three-time All-Star, played in division finals with Baltimore in 1965 and Atlanta in 1970.
55. Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls 1999-2001; Los Angeles Clippers 2001-08; Philadelphia 76ers 2008-12, 2016; Dallas Mavericks 2012-13; Atlanta Hawks 2013-15): Rookie of the Year in 1999-2000, a two-time All-Star and an All-NBA honoree in 2005-06, reached his first conference finals with the Hawks in 2015.
54. Tom Chambers (San Diego Clippers 1981-83, Seattle SuperSonics 1983-88, Phoenix Suns 1988-93, Utah Jazz 1993-95), Charlotte Hornets 1997, Philadelphia 76ers 1997): A four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA pick and All-Star Game MVP in 1987, was a with Phoenix for their run to the 1993 Finals, played in conference finals with SuperSonics in 1987, Suns in 1990 and Jazz in 1994.
53. Jack Twyman (Rochester/Cincinnati Royals 1955-66): A Hall of Famer who was a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection, Cincinnati got to the division finals twice but ran into the Boston dynasty in 1963 and 1964.
52. Pete Maravich (Atlanta Hawks 1970-74, New Orleans/Utah Jazz 1974-80, Boston Celtics 1980): A second-team All-NBA selection in 1972-73 and a two-time All-Star, played in his only conference finals as a reserve with Boston in 1980 before retiring with knee problems. Played in the postseason just four times in an 11-year career.
51. Deron Williams (Utah Jazz 2005-11, New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets 2011-15, Dallas Mavericks 2015-16): A two-time All-NBA player in Utah and a three-time All-Star, Williams has advanced to the conference finals just once, with the Jazz in 2007.
Next: 50. Shortchanged By Injuries
50. Anfernee Hardaway
Orlando Magic 1993-99, Phoenix Suns 1999-2004, New York Knicks 2005-06, Miami Heat 2007
The Golden State Warriors used the No. 3 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft to take Memphis State standout Anfernee Hardaway, then quickly traded the pick along with first-rounders in 1996, 1998 and 2000 to the Orlando Magic for No. 1 overall pick Chris Webber.
Nicknamed “Penny,” he was a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection in Orlando, finishing third in the MVP voting in 1995-96.
The Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995, but lost to the Houston Rockets in a four-game sweep, and Hardaway began to experience knee problems in 1996-97 before missing all but 19 games in 1997-98.
In August 1999, Hardaway was traded to the Phoenix for Danny Manning, Pat Garrity and first-round picks in 2001 and 2002.
But Penny was limited to four games in 2000-01 and 58 in 2002-03 and was traded in January 2004 along with Stephon Marbury and Cezary Trybanski to the Knicks for Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic and first-round picks in 2004 and 2010.
Limited severely by injuries at this point, Hardaway played in just 83 games over parts of three seasons in New York and was traded at the 2006 trade deadline along with Trevor Ariza back to Orlando for Steve Francis.
The Magic waived him two days later. He briefly caught on with the Miami Heat after a one year retirement, signing in August 1997 and playing in 16 games before being waived in December 1997.
Hardaway is currently a part-owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The final tally on Hardaway’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-1
Conference Semifinals: 2-1
First Round: 3-5
Next: 49. Hall Of Fame Player, Really Bad Team
49. Richie Guerin
New York Knicks 1957-63, St. Louis Hawks 1963-67, Atlanta Hawks 1968-70
The New York Knicks took a shot on a kid from the Bronx in the second round of the 1954 NBA Draft, taking Iona College’s Richie Guerin.
After a two-year stint as an Marine Corps officer, Guerin came to the Knicks in 1956 and was a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA pick. But during that time, New York made the playoffs just once.
In October 1963, the Knicks traded Guerin to the St. Louis Hawks for a 1964 second-round pick and cash. He later was named player-coach of the Hawks in December 1964. The Hawks played in the division finals in 1964, 1966 and 1967, but couldn’t advance further.
Guerin opted to retire rather than report to the Seattle SuperSonics after being selected in the expansion draft in May 1967 and when he opted to go back into uniform in 1968, after the Hawks had moved to Atlanta, the SuperSonics traded back his rights in exchange for Dick Smith.
Guerin retired for good after the 1969-70 season after Atlanta had reached the division finals in 1969 and 1970.
Guerin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2013 and had a 327-291 record as coach of the Hawks from 1964-72, earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1967-68.
Guerin was also the general manager of the Hawks from April 1972 until August 1973.
The final tally on Guerin’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Division Finals: 0-5
Division Semifinals: 5-2
First Round: 0-0
Next: 48. Back Problems Cut Career Short
48. Brad Daugherty
Cleveland Cavaliers 1986-94
The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a big man and when they took North Carolina’s Brad Daugherty with the first overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, they got a good one.
Daugherty played his entire injury-shortened career with the Cavs, earning All-NBA in 1991-92 and earning five All-Star nods.
Cleveland returned to the playoffs in Daugherty’s second season, but went out in the first round, losing Game 5 at home to the Chicago Bulls on a buzzer-beater by some guy named Michael Jordan.
The next year saw another Game 5 loss to the Bulls in the first round and in 1990, Cleveland suffered the same fate, this time at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
After missing the playoffs in 1991, the Cavs were back in 1992, pushing Jordan and Chicago to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals before bowing out. Cleveland had beaten the New Jersey Nets and took a Game 7 from the Boston Celtics in the second round to get to the conference finals for just the second time in team history.
The Cavs were swept in the second round by the Bulls—who went on to win their third straight title—in 1993. Daugherty was sidelined for the playoffs in 1994 and after sitting out two full seasons with continued back problems, he retired after the 1995-96 season.
Daugherty has been heavily involved in NASCAR in his post-basketball career, working as an analyst for ESPN and is part owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, which runs a car in the Sprint Cup Series.
The final tally on Daugherty’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-1
First Round: 2-3
Next: 47. A New Member Of The Club
47. Paul Millsap
Utah Jazz 2006-13, Atlanta Hawks 2013-16
Paul Millsap has come a long way from a 47th overall pick out of Louisiana Tech, turning into an three-time All-Star and, for the first time in his career in 2015-16, an All-Defensive selection.
Millsap was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2006 and earned a regular rotation spot while helping the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals as a rookie.
After five playoff appearances in seven seasons with Utah, Millsap departed for the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent in July 2013 and re-signed with the Hawks as a free agent in the summer of 2015.
With Atlanta, Millsap has gone to three straight All-Star games and helped the Hawks to a record 60-win season in 2014-15, where they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Millsap is signed through 2016-17 with a player option for 2017-18.
The current tally on his playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-3
First Round: 5-3
Next: 46. Former DePaul Star Never Saw Finals
46. Terry Cummings
San Diego Clippers 1982-94; Milwaukee Bucks 1984-89, 1995-96; San Antonio Spurs 1989-95; Seattle SuperSonics 1996-97; Philadelphia 76ers 1997-98; New York Knicks 1998; Golden State Warriors 1998-2000
The well-traveled Terry Cummings was the No. 2 overall pick out of DePaul by the San Diego Clippers in 1982 and earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1982-83.
After two years without postseason play, Cummings was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks along with Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce in September 1984 in exchange for Marques Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and cash.
With the Bucks, Cummings was a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA pick, finishing fifth in the MVP voting in 1984-85. But Milwaukee could only advance as far as the conference finals once, in 1986.
In May 1989, Cummings was on the move again, this time along with a 1990 second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Alvin Robertson, Greg Anderson and a second-round selection in 1989.
The Spurs were in the conference finals in 1995, advancing no further.
Cummings then began the “jump-around” stage of his career. He signed with the Bucks in November 1995, went to the Seattle SuperSonics in January 1997, signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in September 1997, was traded to the New York Knicks for Herb Williams and Ron Grandison in February 1998, was dealt with Chris Mills and John Starks to the Golden State Warriors in January 1999 for Latrell Sprewell and retired in October 2000.
There were only two playoff appearances during that latter stage, both ending in the second round.
In retirement, he took a turn in music, releasing an album entitled T.C. Finally in 2007.
The final tally on Cummings’ playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-7
First Round: 9-4
Next: 45. Agent Zero ... As In Titles
45. Gilbert Arenas
Golden State Warriors 2001-03, Washington Wizards 2003-10, Orlando Magic 2010-11, Memphis Grizzlies 2012
Gilbert Arenas left the University of Arizona after just two seasons and stayed on the draft board until 30th overall, taken in the second round by the Warriors.
After a solid rookie campaign—albeit one shortened by an injury—Arenas emerged as a budding star, earning Most Improved Player honors in 2002-03.
His second-round draft status allowed him to test unrestricted free agency after just two seasons and he landed a lucrative deal with the Wizards in August 2003.
“Agent Zero” earned three All-Star nods with Washington, was a three-time All-NBA performer and in 2006-07, led the NBA in 3-point field goals and attempts.
Arenas missed the 2007 playoffs with an injury and sat out almost all of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons because of a balky knee. In 2009-10, he was suspended for having unloaded firearms in the Wizards’ locker room.
In December 2010, he was dealt to Orlando, but was waived by the Magic under the amnesty clause at the conclusion of the 2011 lockout. In March 2012, he caught on briefly with the Grizzlies and hasn’t played since 2012-13, when he was in China.
The postseason was not kind, however. Arenas got past the first round just once and the Wizards were swept out of the Eastern semifinals by the Miami Heat in 2005.
The final tally on Arenas’ playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-1
First Round: 1-4
Next: 44. The A-Train Won An ABA Title
44. Artis Gilmore
Chicago Bulls 1976-82, 1987; San Antonio Spurs 1982-87; Boston Celtics 1988
The Chicago Bulls drafted Artis Gilmore, who had led Jacksonville to an NCAA championship game, in the seventh round in the 1971 NBA Draft knowing he had already signed with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels.
Gilmore was the ABA’s MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1971-72 and led the Colonels to an ABA title in 1975.
The Bulls had to draft him again in August 1976 as the ABA players from the folded Kentucky, St. Louis and Virginia franchises went into a dispersal draft, but Chicago finally had its guy.
He was an All-Defensive pick in 1977-78 and a four-time All-Star for the Bulls, leading the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1980-81 and 1981-82.
In 1977, Chicago lost a Game 3 in the first round to the eventual champion Portland Trail Blazers, but would miss the postseason each of the next three seasons.
The Bulls swept the New York Knicks in the first round in 1981 before being swept themselves by the Boston Celtics in the second round.
Chicago missed the postseason again in 1981-82 and in July 1982, Gilmore was dealt to the Spurs.
With San Antonio, Gilmore was chosen for two more All-Star games.
San Antonio got a first-round bye in 1983 and took down the Denver Nuggets in five games in the second round, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
The Spurs missed the playoffs in 1984 and lost a first-round Game 5 to Denver in 1985. San Antonio was swept by the Lakers in the first round in 1986 and missed the postseason again in 1987.
In June 1987, the Spurs traded Gilmore back to Chicago, but he was waived the day after Christmas.
Gilmore caught on in January 1988 with the Celtics, who beat New York in the first round and survived a Game 7 with the Atlanta Hawks in the second round before losing to the Detroit Pistons in a six-game Eastern Conference Finals.
Gilmore played one more season in Italy before retiring in 1989. He is currently special assistant to the president at Jacksonville University and also does radio commentary for the Dolphins’ basketball team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
The final tally on Gilmore’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-1
First Round: 2-3
Next: 43. Brooklyn Scoring Machine Never Got Close
43. Bernard King
New Jersey Nets 1977-79, 1993; Utah Jazz 1979-80; Golden State Warriors 1980-82; New York Knicks 1982-85, 1986-87; Washington Bullets 1987-91
Bernard King was a Brooklyn kid who was a two-time All-American at Tennessee before he was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft by the just-relocated New Jersey Nets.
Off-the-court trouble led to King being traded to Utah in October 1979 and more off-court trouble nearly ended his career.
King was arrested on multiple counts of sexual assault (he was later given a suspended sentence and entered a drug treatment program) and played only 19 games for the Jazz.
Traded to the Warriors in September 1980, he was able to get his career back on track.
Just before the start of the 1982-83 season, King was swapped to his hometown Knicks for All-Star guard Micheal Ray Richardson.
In 1984, he put together one of the most amazing playoff runs ever, averaging—averaging—42.6 points a game as New York upset the Detroit Pistons in a five-game first round series. “Held” to just 29.1 points a game in the conference semifinals, the Knicks pushed the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games before they were thumped at Boston Garden in Game 7.
That was the furthest King would ever advance in the postseason.
Despite missing two full seasons and part of a third because of knee problems, King won the NBA’s scoring title in 1984-85, was a four-time All-NBA pick and a four-time All-Star and was runner-up for the MVP award in 1983-84, losing out to Larry Bird. He finished seventh in the voting the following year despite playing just 55 games.
King is a top-50 scorer, ranking 42nd in NBA history with 19,655 points, while his 22.5 points per game average is 25th all-time.
King was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently works as an analyst for Knicks’ telecasts.
The final tally on King’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-2
First Round: 2-3
Next: 42. Warriors Won A Year Too Late
42. Nate Thurmond
San Francisco/Golden State Warriors 1963-74, Chicago Bulls 1974-75, Cleveland Cavaliers 1975-77
The San Francisco Warriors tried to go enormous on their front line when they drafted Bowling Green center Nate Thurmond third overall in the 1963 NBA Draft to team with Wilt Chamberlain.
In 11 years with the Warriors, Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and was a fixture on five All-Defensive teams, finishing second in the MVP voting in 1966-67.
The Warriors went to the NBA Finals in both 1964 and 1967, losing to the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, and reached the conference finals in 1973.
In September 1974, Thurmond was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Clifford Ray and a 1975 first-round pick. The Bulls were one game away from making their first trip to the Finals before—of all teams—the Warriors rallied to win Game 6 in Chicago and Game 7 in Oakland.
In November 1975, the Bulls traded Thurmond and Rowland Garrett to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Steve Patterson and Eric Fernstein and Thurmond made one more trip to the conference finals in 1976.
A retired restaurateur, Thurmond still lives in San Francisco and has been given the title “Warriors Legend and Ambassador” by the Golden State organization.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
The final tally on Thurmond’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-2
Division/Conference Finals: 2-3
Division/Conference Semifinals: 4-3
First Round: 0-1
Next: 41. Sixth Man Extraordinaire
41. Detlef Schrempf
Dallas Mavericks 1985-89, Indiana Pacers 1989-93, Seattle SuperSonics 1993-99, Portland Trail Blazers 1999-2001
Before Dirk Nowitzki took over the title, Detlef Schrempf for years was Germany’s greatest export to the NBA. After a collegiate career at Washington, the Mavericks took Schrempf eighth overall in 1985.
But Schrempf never quite found a role with the Mavericks, although he did average 7.8 points off the bench in the 1988 playoffs, when the Mavericks pushed the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
In February 1989, Dallas traded Schrempf to the Pacers and his career took off from there.
Schrempf was an All-Star with Indiana in 1993 and he was the Sixth Man of the Year in both 1990-91 and 1991-92.
But in four playoff appearances, the Pacers never got out of the first round and in November 1993, just before the start of the season, Indiana swapped Schrempf to the SuperSonics.
Schrempf was a third-team All-NBA selection in 1994-95 and a two-time All-Star in Seattle.
In the 1996 playoffs, everything finally came together for the Sonics, who pushed through the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets to get to the Western Conference Finals, then beat the Utah Jazz in Game 7 at KeyArena to reach the Finals.
But Seattle ran into Michael Jordan’s mission season, the 72-win Bulls of 1995-96. The Sonics did salvage Games 4 and 5 at home after falling into a 3-0 hole in the series, but fell in Game 6 back at the United Center in Chicago.
Schrempf’s final act began when he signed with the Trail Blazers as a free agent in August 1999.
As a reserve with Portland in the 2000 playoffs, the Blazers tore through the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Jazz and locked horns with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, with the Lakers completing an iconic comeback from 15 points down in the fourth quarter of Game 7 at Staples Center to knock off the Blazers.
In his final season, Schrempf was limited by injuries to just 26 games, but did come back for the Blazers first-round loss.
Schrempf is a business development officer at Coldstream Capital in Seattle and also does work for children’s charities in the Pacific Northwest.
The final tally on Schrempf’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-3
First Round: 6-8
Next: 40. Defensive Stalwart
40. Dan Roundfield
Indiana Pacers 1976-78, Atlanta Hawks 1978-84, Detroit Pistons 1984-85, Washington Bullets 1985-87
Dan Roundfield was taken 28th overall in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1975 NBA Draft out of Central Michigan, but the Detroit native opted to sign with the ABA’s Indiana Pacers.
Roundfield came with the Pacers to the NBA the following season, where he wound eventually earn a reputation as a tenacious defender and a terrific rebounder despite a relative lack of size.
Nicknamed “Dr. Rounds,” Roundfield was a five-time All-Defensive selection and was picked for three All-Star games. He was also an All-NBA second team player in 1979-80, the same season he was fifth in the MVP voting.
But playoff success wasn’t to be for Roundfield, who never got past the conference semifinals. In 1979, the underdog Hawks took the defending champion and top-seeded Washington Bullets to seven games in the Eastern semis, but lost a 100-94 decision at Landover, Md., in Game 7.
Roundfield died Aug. 6, 2012, in Aruba. He drowned after he was able to rescue his wife when her raft began to drift away from a beach in a strong current.
The final tally on Roundfield’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-3
First Round: 2-4
Next: 39. More Than A Dunker
39. Larry Nance
Phoenix Suns 1981-88, Cleveland Cavaliers 1988-94
The Phoenix Suns took Clemson’s high flyer, Larry Nance, with the 20th overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft.
After a season coming off the bench, Nance became a key contributor—and an underappreciated one. With Phoenix, Nance was an All-Star in 1984-85.
As a rookie, the Suns beat the Denver Nuggets in a Game 3 in the first round before being swept by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. In 1983, the Nuggets returned the favor and beat Phoenix in a first-round Game 3.
The Suns, 41-41, made a deep run in 1984, taking a first-round Game 5 from the Portland Trail Blazers and beating the Utah Jazz in the second round before falling to Los Angeles in a six-game Western Conference Finals.
A declining Phoenix team was swept by the Lakers in the first round in 1985 and missed the playoffs the next two seasons.
In February 1988, Nance was dealt to the Cavaliers in a deal that sent Kevin Johnson and others back to the Valley of the Sun.
Nance was a three-time All-Defensive team selection in Cleveland and was twice an All-Star.
In 1988, the Cavaliers fell victim to the famous Michael Jordan buzzer-beater in Game 5 of the first round, losing to the Chicago Bulls. The following season brought another Game 5 first-round loss to Chicago.
The Philadelphia 76ers did the honors in 1990, knocking out Cleveland with a Game 5 first-round win.
After an injury-plagued Cavs team missed the playoffs in 1990-91, they came back with a vengeance in 1992, beating the New Jersey Nets in the first round and knocking off the Boston Celtics in a second-round Game 7 before going down in six games to defending champion Chicago in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In 1993, Cleveland beat the Nets in a first-round Game 5 before being swept by the two-time defending champion Bulls in the second round.
The Cavaliers were swept by Chicago in the first round in 1994 while Nance sat out after being limited to just 33 games because of injuries.
Also a Slam Dunk Contest champion, Nance retired after the 1994 season. In retirement, Nance has collected classic cars and has been involved in auto racing.
The final tally on Nance’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-2
First Round: 4-5
Next: 38. Pistons Legend Became Mayor
38. Dave Bing
Detroit Pistons 1966-75, Washington Bullets 1975-77, Boston Celtics 1977-78
The Detroit Pistons made Syracuse guard Dave Bing the No. 2 overall pick in the 1966 NBA Draft and never regretted the decision.
Bing was a six-time All-Star for the Pistons, was the Rookie of the Year in 1966-67 and was named to three All-NBA teams. He also was a top-five finisher in the MVP voting twice, finishing third in 1970-71 and fourth in 1967-68.
But all that individual success never equaled winning in Detroit, as the Pistons never got past the division or conference semifinals during his time there.
In August 1975, Bing was traded with a 1977 first-round pick to the Washington Bullets for Kevin Porter.
Upon arrival in his hometown, Bing made one more appearance and was the MVP of the 1976 All-Star Game.
But Washington was knocked out in the conference semis both years Bing played for the Bullets.
Waived by Washington in September 1977, Bing caught on with the Boston Celtics and played one final season, but the Celtics didn’t make the playoffs.
He went into business in 1980, opening Bing Steel, which later became The Bing Group. He also got into politics, serving as mayor of Detroit from 2009-13.
Bing was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
The final tally on Bing’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Division/Conference Semifinals: 0-4
First Round: 1-1
Next: 37. Blossomed As A Pacer
37. Jermaine O’Neal
Portland Trail Blazers 1996-2000, Indiana Pacers 2000-08, Toronto Raptors 2008-09, Miami Heat 2009-10, Boston Celtics 2010-12, Phoenix Suns 2012-13, Golden State Warriors 2013-14
The Portland Trail Blazers took a shot on Columbia, S.C., prep star Jermaine O’Neal with the 17th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but his career didn’t really start to take off until after he left Portland.
O’Neal played four years with the Trail Blazers, never really securing a regular rotation spot and played sparingly for the Portland teams that reached the conference finals in 1999 and 2000.
In August 2000, O’Neal was traded with Joe Kleine to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Dale Davis and his career blossomed in Indianapolis.
He was the Most Improved Player in 2001-02, a six-time All-Star and was named to three All-NBA teams. O’Neal was also third in the MVP voting in 2003-04.
But the Pacers reached the conference finals just once, in 2004, and he was dealt to the Toronto Raptors as along with Nathan Jawai in a draft night deal that became official in July 2008, in exchange for T.J. Ford, Maceo Baston, Rasho Nesterovic and Roy Hibbert.
He didn’t last a full season up north, traded in February 2009 with Jamario Moon, a first-round pick in 2011 and a 2010 second-rounder to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, cash and a trade exception.
The Heat didn’t get out of the first round while O’Neal was on South Beach and he signed a free-agent deal with the Boston Celtics in July 2010.
The Celtics reached the second round in 2011 and O’Neal was waived before the playoffs began in 2012.
In August 2012, he signed with the Phoenix Suns and in July 2013, he joined the Golden State Warriors as a free agent.
The Warriors were eliminated in the first round in 2014 and O’Neal, a free agent, opted to sit out the 2014-15 campaign and as of February had not officially given the game up.
It's because I haven't "officially" retired yet, meaning I haven't filed my papers yet. Hopefully it happens then https://t.co/OY1GjM5bxs
— Jermaine O'Neal (@jermaineoneal) February 26, 2016
The final tally on O’Neal’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-3
Conference Semifinals: 3-2
First Round: 5-9
Next: 36. The Greyhound Stopped Short Of Finals
36. Walter Davis
Phoenix Suns 1977-88; Denver Nuggets 1988-91, 1991-92; Portland Trail Blazers 1991
The Phoenix Suns selected North Carolina star Walter Davis with the fifth overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft and The Greyhound turned into one of the league’s high-impact players.
In 11 seasons in Phoenix, Davis was the Rookie of the Year in 1977-78, a six-time All-Star and was twice an All-NBA honoree. He finished fifth in the MVP voting as a rookie in 1977-78.
The Suns reached the conference finals in 1979 and 1984, but Davis’ career began to drift as he had problems with recreational drug use.
In July 1988, he signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets, who were unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
Davis was part of a three-team trade in January 1991, dealt with a 1992 second-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers, with Denver getting Greg Anderson and a 1992 first-round pick from the New Jersey Nets.
Portland went to the conference finals in 1991, but the aging Davis was waived in October 1991. He re-signed with the Nuggets for one more season, retiring after the 1991-92 season.
In retirement, Davis has worked as a broadcaster and was a scout for the Washington Wizards for a short period.
The final tally on Davis’ playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-3
Conference Semifinals: 3-3
First Round: 5-4
Next: 35. Rebounding Whiz Got Stuck In Jersey
35. Buck Williams
New Jersey Nets 1981-89, Portland Trail Blazers 1989-96, New York Knicks 1996-98
The New Jersey Nets selected Maryland forward Buck Williams with the No. 3 pick in the 1981 NBA Draft and he was, such as it was, the face of the franchise for almost a decade.
Williams was named Rookie of the Year in 1981-82, made three All-Star appearances and was an All-NBA pick in 1982-83 and an All-Defensive selection in 1987-88 while with New Jersey.
But the Nets escaped the first round just once while Williams was with them, reaching the second round in 1984.
In June 1989, Williams was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Sam Bowie and a 1989 first-round pick.
With Portland, Williams was named to three All-Defensive teams and the Blazers reached the Finals in both 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. Portland also got to the conference finals in 1991.
He was released by Portland in July 1996 and signed with the New York Knicks three days later.
Used mostly as a reserve with the Knicks, Williams helped New York to the second round twice before retiring in January 1999 when the lockout ended.
Williams was president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1994-97 and later worked as an assistant coach with Portland from 2010-12. He also has a construction company.
The final tally on Williams’ playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-2
Conference Finals: 2-1
Conference Semifinals: 3-3
First Round: 6-8
Next: 34. He Was Skywalker Before Luke
34. David Thompson
Denver Nuggets 1976-82, Seattle SuperSonics 1982-84
David Thompson was the first overall pick in the NBA Draft in 1975, taken by the Atlanta Hawks out of NC State, but he opted instead to sign with the Denver Nuggets of the ABA.
Nicknamed “Skywalker” (before there was such a thing as Star Wars), Thompson brought an impressive resume to the pros—he as a two-time Associated Press Player of the Year in college, the 1975 Naismith Award winner and the Most Outstanding Player of the 1974 Final Four, when he led the Wolfpack to their first national title.
The hits continued as an ABA Rookie, as Thompson was not just an All-Star, but he was the last All-Star Game MVP in the league’s history, as well as its final Rookie of the Year and a second-team All-NBA selection.
In the NBA, Thompson’s deepest playoff run came with the Nuggets in 1978. After a first-round bye, Denver got past the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games to get out of the second round, but fell in six games to the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals.
But Thompson was selected for four All-Star games, three with Denver (1977-79) and one with the SuperSonics (1983). He was the All-Star Game MVP in 1979.
He was a two-time All-NBA first team selection, the season he was involved with the greatest scoring race in NBA history.
Thompson torched the Detroit Pistons for 73 points on the final day of the regular season to take the lead in the race, with George Gervin needing 58 points against the New Orleans Jazz that night to pass him.
Gervin got 63 and won the closest scoring race in history.
Thompson finished third in the MVP voting in 1977-78, and four times was in the top 10 on the scoring list.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.
The final tally on Thompson’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-1
First Round: 0-3
Next: 33. Big Shoes Fell Short
33. Bob Lanier
Detroit Pistons 1970-80, Milwaukee Bucks 1980-84
The Detroit Pistons used the top overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft to take Bob Lanier out of St. Bonaventure and the man with the size-22 kicks did not disappoint.
Lanier was a seven-time All-Star with the Pistons and was three times a top-10 finisher in the MVP voting, including a third-place finish in 1973-74.
Detroit missed the playoffs in Lanier’s first three seasons before getting in and pushing the Chicago Bulls to a Game 7 in the conference semifinals in 1974.
The Pistons lost a decisive Game 3 to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round in 1975, but in 1976 beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a first-round Game 3 before losing to the defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games in the second round.
The Warriors got Detroit in a first-round Game 3 in 1977.
The Pistons missed the postseason in 1977-78 and 1978-79 and in February 1980, he was dealt to Milwaukee.
With the Bucks, Lanier added an eighth All-Star Game selection in 1981-82.
After a first-round bye, Milwaukee lost a Game 7 to the defending champion SuperSonics in 1980. In 1981, a first-round bye led to a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.
The Bucks went down to Philadelphia in the second round again in 1982, this time in six games, after a first-round bye.
But in 1983, Milwaukee got a first-round bye and then swept the Boston Celtics in the second round. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the eventual champion 76ers advanced in five games.
The following year brought another deep run. The Bucks held on for a first-round Game 5 win over the Atlanta Hawks, beat the New Jersey Nets in the second round, but went down to Boston in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Lanier retired in September 1984. In retirement, he had a brief stint as interim head coach of the Warriors in 1995 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. He currently owns and operates Bob Lanier Enterprises, a promotional marketing company.
The final tally on Lanier’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-5
First Round: 2-2
Next: 32. The Blade Cut Off Before Finals
32. Alex English
Milwaukee Bucks 1976-78, Indiana Pacers 1978-80, Denver Nuggets 1980-90, Dallas Mavericks 1990-91
The Milwaukee Bucks took a chance on “The Blade,” a rail-thin small forward out of South Carolina, with a second-round pick in 1976.
After a slow start, English evolved into a rotation contributor in his second season and in the 1978 playoffs, English helped the Bucks upset the Phoenix Suns and push the Denver Nuggets to seven games in the second round.
In June 1978, English signed with the Pacers as a veteran free agent, with Indiana giving up its 1979 first-round pick as compensation.
The Pacers missed the postseason in 1979 and in February 1980, English was dealt to the Nuggets in the trade that would define his career.
That’s because one he got to Denver, he soared at least a mile high. He was a three-time All-NBA player for the Nuggets and was picked for eight All-Star games. In 1982-93, he was sixth in the MVP voting and he placed eighth in 1985-86.
He also led the NBA in scoring in 1982-83.
The Nuggets got back to the playoffs in 1982 and reached the second round in 1983, where they went down in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.
After another first-round defeat in 1984, Denver survived five games with the Spurs and knocked out the Utah Jazz in five games to reach the Western Conference Finals. But the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers were too much and won in five games.
A second-round exit to the Houston Rockets ended the 1986 campaign and they were bounced in 1988 in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks after a first-round exit the year before. In 1989 and 1990, Denver was swept out of the first round each year.
In August 1990, English signed as a free agent with the Mavericks. He was released in May 1991 after the team missed the postseason.
The NBA was done with English, but he played one season Basket Napoli in Naples, Italy, before retiring in 1992.
The top scoring player in the NBA in the 1980s, English spent one year each as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks before serving seven years as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. He worked in 2012-13 as an assistant for the Sacramento Kings and also did some acting in the 1980s and 1990s.
English is 15th in NBA history with 25,613 points and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997. He is currently an analyst for the SEC Network and was an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings from 2002-13.
The final tally on English’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-4
First Round: 5-5
Next: 31. Dream Teamer Got To Finals Just Once
31. Chris Mullin
Golden State Warriors 1985-97, 2000-01; Indiana Pacers 1997-2000
A smooth-shooting left-hander from St. John’s and a Wooden Award winner, Chris Mullin was taken seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1985 NBA Draft.
His career got off to a rocky start as he battled alcoholism as a rookie, but once he came back, he did so with a vengeance.
He was a four-time All-NBA choice with the Warriors and was picked for five All-Star games. Finishing sixth in the MVP voting in 1991-92, Mullin led the NBA in minutes per game in both 1990-91 and 1991-92.
In 1987, Mullin tasted the playoffs for the first time as the Warriors reached the second round before losing in five games to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. After missing the postseason in 1988, Golden State was back in 1989, again getting to the second round before losing to the Phoenix Suns.
The pattern repeated itself—the Warriors missed the playoffs in 1990 and reached the second round in 1991, losing to the Lakers again in the second round.
The Warriors would make the postseason again in 1992 and 1994, going out in the first round each time.
In August 1997, after three straight seasons out of the playoffs, Golden State dealt Mullin to the Pacers.
No longer quite the individual star he was, Mullin did lead the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1997-98 for Indiana.
In 1998, Mullin got to his first conference finals. The Pacers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks before falling in Game 7 to the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Indiana got back there in 1999, sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers before being upset by the eighth-seeded Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In 2000, the Pacers kicked down the door. They needed five games to get past the Bucks in the first round before ousting the Philadelphia 76ers and taking out New York in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the NBA Finals for the only time in his career, Mullin’s Pacers went down in six games, with the Lakers again proving to be the roadblock.
The Pacers waived Mullin in September 2000 and he returned to Golden State, retiring at the end of the season.
Mullin joined the Warriors’ front office after his career ended and he was named executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2004. His contract was not renewed in May 2009.
After working as an analyst at ESPN, Mullin has also been an adviser for the Sacramento Kings since September 2013. He left that post in the spring of 2015 to become the head coach at his alma mater, St. John’s.
Mullin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
The final tally on Mullin’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-3
First Round: 6-2
Next: 30. Rainman Stopped Short Of Ring
30. Shawn Kemp
Seattle SuperSonics 1989-97, Cleveland Cavaliers 1997-2000, Portland Trail Blazers 2000-02, Orlando Magic 2002-03
“The Reign Man” burst onto the NBA scene as the 17th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft out of Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, taken by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Kemp was a three-time All-NBA pick and a five-time All-Star for the Sonics and was seventh in the MVP voting in 1993-94 and eighth in 1995-96.
Seattle progressed steadily, making the playoffs in 1991 and reaching the second round in 1992, where they were dropped by the Utah Jazz in five games. In 1993, they took another step, beating the Houston Rockets in a Game 7 to get out of the second round, but losing Game 7 on the road to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
In 1994, despite the best record in the NBA, the Sonics became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round, losing a Game 5 at home to the Denver Nuggets.
After another first-round exit in 1995, Seattle swept Houston in the second round, took a Game 7 from the Jazz to win the Western Conference Finals, but eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
The Sonics lost to the Rockets in Game 7 of the second round in 1997 and in September of that year, Kemp wound up traded to Cleveland as part of a three-team trade involving five players and a draft pick.
With the Cavaliers, Kemp was an All-Star in 1997-98, which was also the only season of the three Kemp was with the Cavs that they made the playoffs, losing in the first round.
In August 2000, Kemp was again part of a three-team trade. This one included five players and a draft pick, as well, and Kemp ended up with the Trail Blazers.
He missed the playoffs in 2001 after entering drug rehab and Portland was swept in the first round in 2002.
Kemp signed as a free agent with the Magic in September 2002, but they lost to the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs in seven games after taking a 3-1 series lead.
Kemp was out of the NBA after that, despite a couple of comeback attempts that didn’t pan out.
Kemp is currently owner of a Seattle sports bar.
The final tally on Kemp’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-1
Conference Semifinals: 2-2
First Round: 4-6
Next: 29. Wooden’s Last Legend
29. Marques Johnson
Milwaukee Bucks 1977-84, Los Angeles Clippers 1984-87, Golden State Warriors 1989
Marques Johnson was the Wooden and Naismith award winner at UCLA when he entered the 1978 draft and the Milwaukee Bucks took him with the third overall pick.
The Bucks were rewarded with three All-NBA seasons and he was a five-time All-Star in Milwaukee, finishing sixth in the MVP voting in 1980-81.
As a rookie, Milwaukee swept the Phoenix Suns in two games before losing a Game 7 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the second round.
After the Bucks missed the postseason in 1979, they were back in 1980, earning a first-round bye before losing Game 7 on the road to the defending champion Seattle SuperSonics in the second round.
Moving to the Eastern Conference in 1981, Milwaukee had a similar result—first-round bye and a road Game 7 loss, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia also ended the Bucks season in the second round in six games in 1982, following a first-round bye.
The Bucks advanced to the second round with a bye in 1983 and swept the Boston Celtics in the second round, but ran into the eventual champion 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, going down in five games.
Milwaukee was back in the conference finals in 1984 after surviving a Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and beating the New Jersey Nets in six games in the second. But the Celtics, on their way to a title, beat the Bucks in six games in the conference finals.
In September 1984, Johnson was dealt along with swingman Junior Bridgeman and center Harvey Catchings to the Clippers for former Rookie of the Year Terry Cummings and guards Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce.
Johnson was an All-Star in 1985-86 with the Clippers, but he wouldn’t see the postseason again.
He played just 10 games into the 1986-87 season when he sustained a serious neck injury that kept him out the rest of the season and all of the next two campaigns.
He attempted a comeback in 1989 with the Warriors, but he was waived after 10 games.
In retirement, Johnson has had small roles in several Hollywood films, most notable White Men Can’t Jump and Blue Chips. He was also a television analyst for the Sonics in the 1990s and is now with Fox Sports as a college basketball analyst, hosts an early morning show on KFWB-AM in Los Angeles and is a part-time analyst for Bucks games on Fox Sports Wisconsin.
The final tally on Johnson’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-4
First Round: 2-0
Next: 28. Trampled By Bulls Time And Again
28. Mark Price
Cleveland Cavaliers 1986-95, Washington Bullets 1995-96, Golden State Warriors 1996-97, Orlando Magic 1997-98
The Dallas Mavericks selected Georgia Tech’s Mark Price in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft, swapping him on draft night to the Cavaliers for a second-round pick in 1989.
Cleveland got the better end of the deal.
Price was a four-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All-Star with the Cavaliers. In 1988-89, he was 10th in the MVP voting. He also finished seventh in 1991-92, eighth in 1992-93 and ninth in 1993-94.
A deadly shooter, Price twice led the NBA in free-throw shooting with Cleveland, in 1991-92 and 1992-93.
The Cavs got to the playoffs in 1988, losing to the Chicago Bulls on Michael Jordan’s iconic buzzer-beater at the end of Game 5 in the first round. Cleveland also lost in the first round in 1989 and 1990 and missed the postseason completely in 1991.
In 1992, the Cavs took out the New Jersey Nets and beat the Boston Celtics in a Game 7 before bowing out to the defending champion Bulls in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cleveland was swept by Chicago, now the two-time defending champs, in the second round in 1993 before getting bounced in the first round in 1994 and 1995.
In September 1995, Price was traded to the Bullets, but was limited to just seven games because of injuries and Washington missed the playoffs.
He signed with the Warriors are a free agent in July 1996 and won his third free-throw shooting crown for Golden State, which missed the postseason.
Just before the start of the 1997-98 season, Price was dealt to the Magic, who finished .500 and missed the playoffs.
A member of the vaunted 50-40-90 club for his 1988-89 season (.526/.441/.901), Price retired after the 1997-98 season and got into coaching, first in the high school ranks in Georgia.
He did television work for both the Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks for several years before returning to coaching with the South Dragons in Australia’s pro league.
He joined the NBA coaching ranks as an assistant for the Denver Nuggets in 2007, was with Atlanta from 2008-10, the Warriors in 2010-11, in Orlando for 2011-12 and was with the Charlotte Bobcats, now Hornets, from 2013-15, until leaving to become head coach at Charlotte in the collegiate ranks.
He went 14-19 in his first year coaching the 49ers in 2015-16.
The final tally on Price’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-1
First Round: 2-5
Next: Got To Big D A Year Too Late
27. Vince Carter
Toronto Raptors 1998-2004, New Jersey Nets 2004-09, Orlando Magic 2009-10, Phoenix Suns 2010-11, Dallas Mavericks 2011-14, Memphis Grizzlies 2014-16
The Golden State Warriors drafted Vince Carter out of North Carolina with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 Draft, but he didn’t stay long.
The Warriors swapped him to the Raptors for the rights to No. 4 overall pick Antawn Jamison, Carter’s college teammate. Decisions such as these explain 12 straight non-playoff seasons by the Bay.
Carter was a smash hit in Toronto. He was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-NBA pick with the Raptors and was also chosen for four All-Star games. Carter finished 10th in the MVP voting in 1999-2000, as well.
In 2000, Carter led Toronto into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, but they were swept in the first round by the New York Knicks. In 2001, The Raptors got by the Knicks in a Game 5, but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers by one in a road Game 7 in the second round.
Toronto was bounced in a first-round Game 5 in 2002 by the Detroit Pistons and stumbled to 24 wins in 2002-03 as Carter missed half the season with injuries. Even a healthy Carter wouldn’t get the Raptors back to the playoffs in 2004.
Then it got weird.
Carter admittedly tanked his way out of T.O., forcing a December 2004 trade to the Nets for three players and two first-round picks, although one of the players—Alonzo Mourning—refused to report.
With the Nets, Carter was a four-time All-Star.
New Jersey was swept in the first round by the Miami Heat in 2005, but in 2006 got through the Indiana Pacers in the first round before losing in five to the eventual champion Heat in the second round.
Another second-round exit followed in 2007 after the Nets beat Toronto in the first round. They fell in six games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
New Jersey missed the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and on draft night in 2009 was dealt to Orlando along with Ryan Anderson.
In 2010 with the Magic, Carter got through the second round for the first time as Orlando swept the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds before falling in six games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In December 2010, Carter was part of a six-player trade that sent him to Phoenix. The Suns missed the playoffs and once the lockout ended in December 2011, Phoenix waived the artist once known as Vinsanity.
He signed as a free agent with the Mavericks three days later, but Dallas was swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. After missing the playoffs in 2013, the Mavs were back in 2014, pushing the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs to a Game 7 before losing in the first round.
Carter signed with the Grizzlies as a free agent in July 2014, but the club was eliminated by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs.
In 2015-16, Carter was pressed into service as a starter for the injury-battered Grizzlies in the playoffs, where they fell in four games to the Spurs.
Carter is signed through the 2016-17 season.
In 18 seasons, Carter has averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.4 minutes per game, shooting .439/.373/.800.
Carter is currently sixth all-time with 1,937 made 3-pointers.
The current tally on Carter’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-4
First Round: 5-6
Next: 26. Couldn’t Two-Step To A Title
26. Tim Hardaway
Golden State Warriors 1989-93, 1994-96; Miami Heat 1996-2001; Dallas Mavericks 2001-02; Denver Nuggets 2002; Indiana Pacers 2003
Tim Hardaway brought the UTEP two-step to the NBA after the Warriors took the little point guard with the 14th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.
Hardaway was a two-time All-NBA selection with the Warriors, went to three All-Star games and was eighth in the MVP voting in 1991-92.
The Warriors only made the playoffs twice during his time in the Bay Area (he missed the 1992-93 season with a knee injury), advancing to the second round in 1991 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
In February 1996, the Warriors traded Hardaway to the Heat in a four-player deal.
With Miami, Hardaway made three more All-NBA teams—including a first-team nod in 1996-97—and was picked for two more All-Star games. He finished fourth in the MVP race in 1996-97 and sixth in 1997-98.
The Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals in Hardaway’s first full season in Miami, 1996-97, but lost in five games to the Chicago Bulls. The Heat wound up being knocked out by the New York Knicks each of the next three seasons, including twice when Miami was a higher seed in the first round. In 1999, the Heat were the top seed in the East before losing to the Knicks.
Hardaway finished up his career as a bit player with the Pacers in 2003, playing about 12 minutes a game in a first-round loss to the Boston Celtics.
Hardaway spent several years in broadcasting after his career ended and he is now an assistant with the Detroit Pistons.
The final tally on Hardaway’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-2
First Round: 3-6
Next: 25. New Team, Same Old 2nd-Round Exit
25. LaMarcus Aldridge
Portland Trail Blazers 2006-15, San Antonio Spurs 2015-16
LaMarcus Aldridge was the second overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2006 out of Texas, but he was packaged up with a second-round pick in 2007 and traded to the Trail Blazers on draft night for forward Viktor Khryapa and the draft rights to fourth overall pick Tyrus Thomas.
Advantage, Portland.
Aldridge has advanced in his career to become a three-time All-NBA pick and a four-time All-Star in Portland.
The Trail Blazers got past the first round for the first time in Aldridge’s career in 2014 before they went down in five games to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western semis.
Aldridge was a hotly pursued free agent in 2015 and eventually signed a four-year, $84.1 million deal with San Antonio, looking to reach deeper in to the playoffs for the first time.
Aldridge was terrific in adapting to a reduced role with the Spurs, earning his fifth All-Star appearance and a spot on the All-NBA third team.
But San Antonio was upset in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder and once again, Aldridge was denied a chance to see what a conference finals might look like.
In 10 NBA seasons, Aldridge is averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game on .487/.257/.802 shooting.
The current tally on Aldridge’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-2
First Round: 2-4
Next: 24. Not New York's Favorite Son
24. Reggie Miller
Indiana Pacers 1987-2005
At 6-foot-7 and listed at 185 pounds, the critics thought the Indiana Pacers made a mistake when they took UCLA guard Reggie Miller with the 11th overall pick in 1987, saying he’s never be able to stay in the league.
It took 18 years, but the critics were eventually right.
Miller defied his slight frame by shooting the lights out from outside and developing the ability to drive and draw contact.
Miller was a three-time All-NBA performer and a five-time All-Star with the Pacers, the only team he played for. He also led the NBA in 3-pointers made twice and in free-throw shooting four times.
Indiana missed the playoffs in Miller’s first two seasons and was swept out of the first round by the Detroit Pistons in 1990. In 1991, the Pacers pushed the Boston Celtics to a Game 5, but lost in the first round once again. The next year, Indiana was swept in the opening round by the Celtics, and in 1993, the Pacers were pushed out in the first round again by the New York Knicks.
In 1994, things changed. Indiana swept the Orlando Magic in the first round and dumped the Atlanta Hawks in the second to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the franchise came to the NBA in 1976. But a Game 7 loss to the Knicks ended the run.
The following season, the Pacers swept Atlanta and took a Game 7 from New York in the second round to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Again reaching Game 7, they fell short, losing to Orlando.
In 1996, Indiana was popped in the first round, losing a Game 5 to the Hawks.
After missing the postseason in 1997, the Pacers were back in 1998, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals. That brought another Game 7 and another loss—this one to the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls.
Indiana appeared to be on a mission in the lockout-shortened 1999 campaign, sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, this time as heavy favorites. But the eighth-seeded Knicks took out Indiana in six games.
The fifth time was the charm for Indiana. In 2000, the Pacers survived a first-round Game 5 against the Bucks before taking out the 76ers and Knicks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Once there, however, the Pacers went down in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pacers couldn’t get through the first round the next three years, losing to Philadelphia in 2001, the New Jersey Nets in five games in 2002 and Boston in 2003.
Indiana was back in 2003-04 as the top seed in the East and swept the Celtics and took out the Miami Heat before running into the eventual champion Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Wracked by controversy and suspensions stemming from an ugly brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills in November, the Pacers survived a Game 7 against Boston in the first round, but suffered the bitterness of a second-round elimination at the hands of Detroit in the second round.
Miller was waived in August 2005 and called it a career, leaving the NBA as its all-time leader in 3-pointers made (he’s now second behind Ray Allen). Miller is also eighth in NBA history in games and minutes played, ninth all-time with an 88.8 percent free-throw mark and 16th with 25,279 points.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 and in retirement has been an analyst for TNT’s NBA coverage.
The final tally on Miller’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-5
Conference Semifinals: 6-1
First Round: 7-8
Next: 23. Lost Much Of Prime To Bad Ankle
23. Grant Hill
Detroit Pistons 1994-2000; Orlando Magic 2000-03, 2004-07; Phoenix Suns 2007-12; Los Angeles Clippers 2012-13
Duke All-American Grant Hill was the third overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1994 and didn’t disappoint.
He shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks and was a five-time All-NBA pick and five-time All-Star with the Pistons. Hill placed ninth in the MVP voting in 1995-96, third in 1996-97, ninth in 1997-98 and eighth in both 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
However, Detroit couldn’t get out of the first round during Hill’s six seasons with the Pistons, losing four times and not making the playoffs in two other seasons.
In August 2000, Hill went to the Magic in a sign-and-trade deal that had huge repercussions for Orlando. Hill had sprained an ankle in the 2000 playoffs … or so it was thought. It turned out to be a fracture and his recovery became a seven-year saga.
In seven seasons with the Magic, Hill played in just 200 of a possible 574 games, missing the entire 2003-04 season after contracting a staph infection after one of his many surgical procedures on the ankle.
He was still selected as an All-Star twice in Orlando, however. But he missed the playoffs in 2001, 2002 and 2003, all first-round exits for the Magic.
After Orlando missed the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, the Magic were swept in the first round by Detroit in 2007.
In July 2007, Hill signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns and put a strong finish on a career that was derailed for so long.
Phoenix was a first-round loser in 2008 and missed the 2009 postseason. But in 2010, with Hill healthy and starting every game, the Suns beat the Portland Trail Blazers and swept the San Antonio Spurs before losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
But Phoenix missed the playoffs in 2011 and 2012 and Hill signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2012.
Limited by age and injury, Hill played in just one game as the Clippers lost in the first round to the Memphis Grizzlies and he retired at season’s end.
He now conducts player interviews for NBA TV and this year was added to the lead announcing team for CBS and Turner Sports’ NCAA tournament coverage.
The final tally on Hill’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-0
First Round: 1-7
Next: 22. Could Score And Score
22. Adrian Dantley
Buffalo Braves 1976-77, Indiana Pacers 1977, Los Angeles Lakers 1977-79, Utah Jazz 1979-86, Detroit Pistons 1986-89, Dallas Mavericks 1989-90, Milwaukee Bucks 1991
The Buffalo Braves took Notre Dame standout Adrian Dantley with the sixth overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft.
He rewarded the Braves with NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1976-77. But Buffalo missed the playoffs and in September 1977 he was dealt to the Pacers.
His stay in Indiana was brief—23 games into the season, he was traded again in December 1977, this time to the Lakers.
Los Angeles lost a first-round Game 3 to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978. The following year, the Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets in a first-round Game 3 before losing to eventual champion Seattle in five games in the second round.
In September 1979, Dantley was traded to Utah for Spencer Haywood and his career took off.
He was a two-time All-NBA performer and a six-time All-Star with the Jazz, leading the NBA in scoring in both 1980-81 and 1983-84—when he finished seventh in the MVP voting.
But Utah wasn’t a playoff team in Dantley’s first four seasons there. In 1984, however, the Jazz finally got the franchise’s first-ever postseason berth, beating Denver in a first-round Game 5 before losing in six games to the Phoenix Suns in the second round.
The following season brought a first-round Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets, but a five-game loss to Denver in the second round.
Utah went down in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks in 1986 and that August, Dantley was on the move again, dealt to the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons swept the Washington Bullets in the first round in 1987 and took out the Atlanta Hawks in a five-game second-round series. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics won in Game 7.
The following season, Detroit had to survive a first-round Game 5 against the Bullets, beat the Chicago Bulls in five games in the second round and took down the Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Up 3-2 in the NBA Finals, however, the Lakers came back to win Games 6 and 7 at home.
In February 1989, Dantley was dealt with a draft pick to the Mavericks for Mark Aguirre.
Dallas missed the playoffs while Detroit went on to win the NBA title in 1989. The Mavericks were swept in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1990, but Dantley wasn’t around for it—he had been waived in early April.
In April 1991, Dantley signed with Milwaukee for the remainder of the season, but played just 19 minutes as the Philadelphia 76ers got a first-round sweep.
In retirement, Dantley spent eight years as an assistant coach with the Nuggets, filling in for head coach George Karl, who was being treated for cancer. Dantley’s career average of 24.3 points per game is 17th all-time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
The final tally on Dantley’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-1
Conference Semifinals: 2-3
First Round: 5-3
Next: 21. Timed Out Before Reaching Finals
21. Chris Webber
Golden State Warriors 1993-94, 2008; Washington Bullets/Wizards 1994-98; Sacramento Kings 1998-2005; Philadelphia 76ers 2005-07; Detroit Pistons 2007
The Orlando Magic selected Michigan’s Chris Webber with the first overall pick in 1993 and then rocked draft night with a huge trade, sending Webber’s right to the Warriors for the rights to Anfernee Hardaway and first-round picks in 1996, 1998 and 2000.
Webber was worth it, at least initially. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1993-94 and the Warriors won 50 games.
But they were stunned in a first-round sweep by the Phoenix Suns and amid reports that Webber and coach Don Nelson were clashing, Webber was traded to Washington in November 1994 for Tom Gugliotta and three first-round picks.
With the Bullets, Webber was an All-Star in 1997. But Washington missed the playoffs his first two seasons there before getting in and getting swept in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in 1997.
After missing the playoffs again, this time as the Wizards, in 1997-98, C-Webb was on the move again, this time to the Kings in May 1998 in exchange for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe.
To say things clicked for Webber in Sacramento would be an understatement.
He was a five-time All-NBA selection with the Kings, was named to four All-Star games, and finished in the top 10 in the MVP voting five times—fourth in 2000-01, seventh in 1998-99 and 2001-02, ninth in 1999-2000 and 10th in 2002-03.
Webber also led the NBA in rebounding in 1998-99.
The Kings exited in the first round in both 1999 and 2000, but Webber finally experience a series victory in 2001 … right before Sacramento was swept by the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
In 2002, the Kings dominated the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks and had home-court advantage over the two-time defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. But a controversial Game 6 loss at Staples Center pushed the series back to Arco Arena for Game 7, with L.A. winning and Sacramento forever feeling like one got taken away from it.
In 2003, the Kings were ousted in a Game 7 loss at Dallas in the second round. Webber missed most of the 2003-04 season, but returned for the playoffs, which featured another Game 7 second-round loss on the road, this time against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In February 2005, the Kings traded Webber and his balky knees to Philadelphia, getting back a package of three role players led by Corliss Williamson.
The Sixers lost in the first round in 2005 and missed the playoffs in 2006.
The 76ers waived Webber in January 2007 after a horrific start and he was picked up by his hometown Pistons five days later. He started most of the rest of the season, but was no longer an impact player.
Detroit swept Orlando and beat Chicago in six games to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.
Webber signed with the Warriors in January 2008, but his comeback attempt lasted only nine games and he retired in March 2008.
He now works as an analyst for NBA broadcasts on NBA TV and TNT.
The final tally on Webber’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-3
First Round: 5-5
Next: 20. A Champ In College, Not So Much As Pro
20. Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets 2003-11, New York Knicks 2011-16
After Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to its first national title, the Denver Nuggets took the freshman All-American with the third pick in the talent-rich 2003 NBA Draft.
Anthony was a four-time All-NBA selection in Denver and was tabbed for four All-Star games.
After Nuggets were bounced in the first round of the playoffs five straight years, Denver beat the New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in 2009 to reach the Western Conference Finals. But once there, Denver fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
After another first-round exit in 2010, the Nuggets—as part of a three-team, 14-player, four-draft pick extravaganza—sent Anthony to the Knicks.
In New York, Anthony has earned two more All-NBA selections and five All-Star game appearances. He also finished third in the 2012-13 MVP voting.
In 2012-13, Anthony led the NBA in scoring and in 2013-14,he topped the league in minutes per game.
After two more first-round exits, the Knicks reached the second round in 2013, losing in six games to the Indiana Pacers.
Anthony agreed to a new five-year, $124 million contract with New York in July, with an early termination option after the 2017-18 season.
Coming back from a knee injury, Anthony appeared in 72 games this season for the Knicks and averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 35.1 minutes per game while shooting .434/.339/.829.
In his 13 seasons, Anthony is averaging 24.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.4 minutes per game, shooting .453/.344/.812.
The current tally on Anthony’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-1
Conference Semifinals: 1-1
First Round: 2-8
Next: 19. Ran Into Jordan’s Bulls
19. Kevin Johnson
Cleveland Cavaliers 1987-88; Phoenix Suns 1988-98, 2000
Kevin Johnson was a seventh overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of California, but with Mark Price already established there, he was deemed expendable at the trading deadline of his rookie year.
Cleveland sent Johnson along with two other players and three draft picks to the Suns for Larry Nance, Mike Sanders and a 1988 first-rounder.
Nance was great in Cleveland, but Phoenix won the deal.
Johnson was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1988-89, a five-time All-NBA performer and a three-time All-Star. He also finished seventh in the MVP voting in 1990-01 and eighth in 1988-89.
The Suns missed the playoffs in 1988, but were back with a vengeance in 1989, sweeping the Denver Nuggets and beating the Golden State Warriors to reach the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix was back in the conference finals in 1990 after outlasting the Utah Jazz in a Game 5 in the first round and beating the Lakers in the second round. But this time, the Portland Trail Blazers got the Suns in six games.
Utah bounced the Suns in the first round in 1991 and 1992 brought a first-round sweep of the San Antonio Spurs and a five-game loss at the hands of Portland.
In 1993, Phoenix made a run, beating the Lakers in a Game 5 in the first round, topping the Spurs in the second round and winning a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals from the Seattle SuperSonics. But in the NBA Finals, the Suns went down to the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls.
Phoenix swept the Warriors in the first round in 1994 before losing a Game 7 to the eventual champion Houston Rockets in the second round. That scenario repeated itself in 1995 as the Suns swept Portland before going down to Houston in another Game 7.
Phoenix lost in the first round to the Spurs in 1996 and to the SuperSonics in 1997.
In 1998, Johnson and the Suns again lost to San Antonio in the first round and, bothered by recurring hamstring problems, he called it a career.
But as it turns out, he wasn’t done.
Johnson re-signed with the Suns in March 2000 and finished the regular season with them before heading into the playoffs. Phoenix topped the Spurs in the first round, but lost in five games to the eventual champion Lakers and Johnson once again retired, this time for good.
Johnson is currently the mayor of Sacramento and was pivotal in keeping the Kings from moving to Seattle in 2013 and helped the city organize to build a new downtown arena for the franchise that will open next season.
Johnson’s career average of 9.1 assists per game is sixth all-time.
The final tally on Johnson’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-3
First Round: 6-4
Next: 18. Knees Derailed Great Career
18. Amar’e Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns 2002-10, New York Knicks 2010-15, Dallas Mavericks 2015; Miami Heat 2015-16
The Phoenix Suns selected Orlando, Fla., high school standout Amar’e Stoudemire with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.
He grew up fast. Stoudemire was the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a four-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Star for the Suns.
A first-round exit in 2003 was followed by Phoenix missing the playoff party entirely the following year.
But in 2005, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies and beat the Dallas Mavericks to reach the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Suns got back to the conference finals in 2006, but Stoudemire was out with a knee injury. In 2007, Phoenix was bounced by the Spurs in the second round.
After a first-round exit in 2008 and a playoff miss the following year, the Suns made another run in 2010. They topped the Portland Trail Blazers and swept San Antonio before losing in six games to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
In July 2010, Stoudemire joined the Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal. He was an All-NBA performer and an All-Star in 2010-11.
New York went out in the first round in 2011 and 2012 and with Stoudemire reduced to spare part because of recurring knee problems, the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in 2013.
There were no playoffs for the Knicks in 2014 and in February 2015, Stoudemire was waived.
He signed two days later with the Dallas Mavericks and, as a reserve, helped the Mavericks to the playoffs, where they were bounced in the first round by the Houston Rockets.
Stoudemire signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat last summer. The Heat managed his damaged knees carefully, using Stoudemire in just 52 games, in which he put up 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes a night on .566/—/.746 shooting.
The Heat got to the second round, pushing the Toronto Raptors to seven games, before bowing out of the playoffs.
In 14 seasons, he is averaging 18.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game while shooting .537/.236/.761.
The current tally on Stoudemire’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-2
Conference Semifinals: 2-3
First Round: 5-5
Next: 17. Reached Finals As Sixth Man
17. James Harden
Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-12, Houston Rockets 2013-16
James Harden debuts on this list after passing the 10,000-point plateau during 2015-16. The third overall pick out of Arizona State by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA Draft, Harden has played in the postseason in each of his seven NBA seasons.
With Oklahoma City, Harden matured into a potent reserve, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2011-12 while helping the Thunder to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Miami Heat.
That culminated a three-year climb by Oklahoma City–a first-round exit in 2010 was followed by a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2011.
But faced with the prospect of needing to keep young stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Harden was deemed expendable and in October 2012 was dealt with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Houston Rockets.
OKC’s return on the trade–Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 as well as a 2013 second-rounder–is still hotly debated.
Harden signed a five-year extension with the Rockets upon arrival and set about establishing himself as a superstar.
He has gone to four straight All-Star games with Houston and is a three-time All-NBA selection who has led the NBA in free throws and attempts each of the last two seasons.
The Rockets have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs three times in the last four seasons, however. They did reach the Western Conference Finals in 2015 before being swept by the Golden State Warriors.
In seven NBA seasons, Harden is averaging 21.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 33.2 minutes per game while shooting .443/.368/.855.
The current tally on Harden’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-0
First Round: 3-4
Next: 16. No Finals Highlights
16. Dominique Wilkins
Atlanta Hawks 1982-94, Los Angeles Clippers 1994, Boston Celtics 1994-95, San Antonio Spurs 1996-97, Orlando Magic 1999
The Utah Jazz made Dominique Wilkins the third overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft out of Georgia, but in September 1982, swapped his rights to the Hawks.
That was a win for Atlanta. “The Human Highlight Reel” reeled off six All-NBA bids and nine All-Star appearances for the Hawks. He was also in the top 10 of the MVP balloting five times, including a runner-up finish in 1985-86, the season he won his lone scoring title.
But Atlanta didn’t get out of the first round in his first two seasons and missed the playoffs entirely in 1984-85.
In 1986, the Hawks took down the Detroit Pistons in the first round before they were pounded in five games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the second round. The following year, Atlanta knocked out the Indiana Pacers before losing to the Pistons in five games.
The 1988 playoffs saw Atlanta beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a first-round Game 5 before losing to the Celtics in a second-round Game 7—despite Wilkins averaging more than 31 points per game in the series and scoring 47 points in a 118-116 loss in Game 7.
The Hawks lost a Game 5 to Milwaukee in the 1989 first round and missed the playoffs in 1990.
In 1991, the two-time defending champion Pistons beat Atlanta in a first-round Game 5.
After another missed postseason in 1991-92, the Hawks were swept by the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls in the first round in 1993.
In February 1994, Atlanta shipped Wilkins and a first-round pick to the Clippers for Danny Manning. He earned another All-NBA spot that season, his seventh, but Los Angeles missed the playoffs.
In July 1994, Wilkins signed with Boston as a free agent. The Celtics lost to the Orlando Magic in the first round.
After spending a season in Greece, Wilkins returned to the NBA in October 1996, signing with the Spurs. That happened to be the season during which David Robinson played in six games because of a back injury and San Antonio won 20 games. It was the last time to date that the Spurs have missed the playoffs.
Wilkins played a year in Italy and returned in February 1999 for one last whirl in the NBA with Orlando. The Magic were bounced in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and Wilkins was waived in June.
Wilkins is 12th all-time with 26,668 career points. Since 2004, he has been vice president of basketball for the Hawks and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
The final tally on Wilkins’ playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-3
First Round: 3-7
Next: 15. Couldn’t Even Get A Charity Ring
15. Tracy McGrady
Toronto Raptors 1997-2000, Orlando Magic 2000-04, Houston Rockets 2004-10, New York Knicks 2010, Detroit Pistons 2010-11, Atlanta Hawks 2011-12, San Antonio Spurs 2013
The Toronto Raptors did well with Vince Carter, so with the ninth overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, they went for his cousin, Mount Zion Christian Academy standout Tracy McGrady from Durham, N.C.
It was a growth process for McGrady with the Raptors, who made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2000, but were swept by the New York Knicks in the first round.
In August 2000, McGrady went to Orlando in a sign-and-trade deal and, wow, did his career explode.
McGrady was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2000-01 and was a four-time All-NBA pick and four-time All-Star with the Magic. He also finished fourth in the MVP voting in 2001-02 and 2002-03. McGrady won the NBA scoring title in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.
But Orlando lost in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2001, the Charlotte Hornets in 2002 and famously to the Detroit Pistons in 2003—when McGrady said after the Magic took a 3-1 series lead that, “It feels good to get in the second round.”
Orlando lost three straight and the series.
The Magic collapsed to 21 wins in 2003-04 and on draft night, McGrady was part of a seven-player trade that landed him in Houston.
With the Rockets, McGrady earned three more All-NBA bids, bringing him to seven, and was picked for his fifth, sixth and seventh All-Star games.
But Houston lost a first-round Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks in 2005, missed the playoffs in 2006 and lost a first-round Game 7 at home to the Utah Jazz in 2007.
In 2008, the Rockets again lost in the first round to Utah and in 2009, Houston beat the Portland Trail Blazers before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers—but McGrady was out with an injury and missed the postseason.
In February 2010, with McGrady limited to just six games that season, the Rockets moved him as part of a three-team trade to the Knicks. The deal included nine players and a draft pick. New York missed the playoffs and McGrady signed a free-agent deal with the Pistons.
After Detroit missed the playoffs as well, McGrady signed with Atlanta. The Hawks, however, went out in the first round of the playoffs to Boston Celtics.
After playing the 2012-13 season in China, McGrady caught on with the Spurs for the playoffs in 2013.
McGrady played five minutes as San Antonio swept the Lakers in the first round, logged five more minutes in a six-game triumph over the Golden State Warriors in the second round and got in for seven minutes in a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals.
McGrady got off the bench twice for a total of 14 minutes as the Spurs lost to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and he retired at that point.
In retirement, McGrady gave professional baseball a whirl in 2014, pitching briefly for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. He started the All-Star Game in the Atlantic League, recorded a strikeout and retired.
He is part owner of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate in Biloxi, Miss., that began play in 2015.
The final tally on McGrady’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-0
Conference Semifinals: 1-0
First Round: 1-8
Next: 14. Wilted By Heat In Lone Finals
14. Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder 2008-16
Russell Westbrook was the first of six members of the Seattle SuperSonics’ final draft class in 2008, taken with the fourth overall pick after playing two seasons at UCLA.
Shortly after the draft, the Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City became official and it didn’t take long for the rookie to establish himself as the starter at point guard for the Thunder.
In Westbrook’s second season, Oklahoma City broke through as a playoff team, losing in the first round to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers.
That set the stage in 2011 for the young club to take the next step in its development, a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they were taken out by the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to win the title.
In 2012, the Thunder made another deep run, this time reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since the move and the first time for the franchise since 1996. For the third straight year, Oklahoma City would fall at the hands of the eventual champion, this time losing four straight games to the Miami Heat after winning the series opener at home.
Westbrook’s career would take a dramatic turn in the 2013 playoffs, as he sustained a torn meniscus in Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round victory over the Houston Rockets and was sidelined as the Thunder were upset in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Limited to 46 games in 2013-14, Westbrook was healthy for the playoffs as Oklahoma City reached the Western Conference Finals before losing to the San Antonio Spurs who, naturally, went on to win the title.
The Thunder—riddled with injuries—missed the postseason in 2014-15, but roared back in 2015-16.
Oklahoma City took a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals over the 73-win Golden State Warriors before becoming just the 10th team to take such an advantage and not win the series.
Westbrook is a five-time All-Star and a five-time All-NBA performer who has been named All-Star Game MVP the last two years. He also won his first scoring title in 2014-15 and has placed fourth in the MVP voting each of the last two seasons,
In his eight seasons, Westbrook has averaged 21.5 points, 7.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 34.0 minutes per game, shooting .435/.302/.818.
The current tally on Westbrook’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-3
Conference Semifinals: 4-0
First Round: 5-1
Next: 13. No Ring For Wagging Fingers
13. Dikembe Mutombo
Denver Nuggets 1991-96, Atlanta Hawks 1996-01, Philadelphia 76ers 2001-02, New Jersey Nets 2002-03, New York Knicks 2003-04, Houston Rockets 2004-09
The Denver Nuggets took a chance on a raw Georgetown center named Dikembe Mutombo with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft and never regretted the selection.
Mutombo was a three-time All-Star in Denver and was an All-Defensive second team selection in 1994-95, the same year he was named Defensive Player of the Year for the first time. Mutombo led the league in blocks three straight seasons (1993-94 through 1995-96) while with the Nuggets.
In 1994, Mutombo helped the Nuggets become the first No. 8 seed to ever beat a No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs as Denver shocked the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 5 at Seattle Center Coliseum. The Nuggets then pushed the Utah Jazz to seven games before bowing out in the second round.
In July 1996, Mutombo signed as a free agent with the Hawks, where he was an All-NBA third teamer in 1997-98, an All-Defensive selection three times and a four-time All-Star.
He was also the Defensive Player of the Year in 1996-97 and 1997-98, his second and third times winning the award. Mutombo was the NBA’s leading rebounder in 1999-2000, as well.
But in four full seasons with Atlanta, the Hawks never got past the second round of the playoffs.
In February 2001, Mutombo was traded to the 76ers as part of a six-player deal. He played parts of two seasons in Philadelphia and was a two-time All-NBA selection, a two-time All-Defensive choice and an All-Star in 2002.
In 2000-01, the season split between the Hawks and Sixers, Mutombo picked up his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award and led the league in rebounding again.
That year also marked the first appearance in the NBA Finals for Mt. Mutombo. Philadelphia beat the Indiana Pacers in the first round and took seventh games from both the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks to get out of the Eastern Conference before going down to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a five-game NBA Finals.
In August 2002, Mutombo was on the move again, this time traded to New Jersey.
Mutombo was limited to 24 games because of an injury, but returned late in the season and the Nets beat the Bucks in the first round in 2003 before sweeping the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season. But the San Antonio Spurs took out New Jersey in six games.
Waived by the Nets in October 2003, Mutombo signed with the Knicks. Again limited by injuries, this time to 65 games, the Knicks were swept by the Nets in the first round.
In August 2004, Mutombo was part of a six-player deal that sent him to the Chicago Bulls, but the Bulls swapped in to the Rockets for three players in September.
With Houston, Mutombo was primarily a backup center and the Rockets only got out of the first round once, in 2009, when they beat the Portland Trail Blazers before going down in seven games to the Lakers, who would go on to win the title.
In retirement, Mutombo does a great deal of humanitarian work in his native Democratic Republic of Congo and also serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
He is second in NBA history with 3,289 blocked shots and his average of 2.8 blocks per game ranks seventh on the all-time list. He was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The final tally on Mutombo’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-2
Conference Finals: 2-0
Conference Semifinals: 2-4
First Round: 6-7
Next: 12. Iceman Frozen Out Of Finals
12. George Gervin
San Antonio Spurs 1976-85, Chicago Bulls 1985-86
George Gervin was a third-round pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 1974 NBA Draft. Problem was, Gervin was already a pro.
Kicked out of Eastern Michigan University for punching an opposing player, Gervin found his way to the ABA’s Virginia Squires in 1973. In January 1974, he was sold by the financially flailing franchise to the Spurs.
A two-time All-ABA pick and a three-time ABA All-Star, Gervin blossomed even more after San Antonio joined the NBA in 1976.
The Iceman made seven All-NBA teams and was a nine-time All-Star for the Spurs. He finished second in the MVP race in 1977-78 and 1978-79, third in 1979-80, fifth in 1980-81, sixth in 1981-82 and ninth in 1982-83.
Gervin was also a four-time NBA scoring champion and has the ninth-best scoring average in NBA history at 26.2 points per game.
San Antonio lost in the first round in 1977, but in 1978 won a division title and a first-round bye. However, the Spurs were dropped in six games by the eventual champion Washington Bullets.
Another first-round bye in 1979 led to San Antonio beating the Philadelphia 76ers in a Game 7 to get the Bullets again, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Spurs battled, but lost Game 7 in Landover, Md.
San Antonio lost in the first round in 1980 and in 1981 had a first-round bye before being upset by the 40-42 Houston Rockets in Game 7 in the second round.
The Spurs had another first-round bye in 1982 and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in five games before they were swept by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio got another shot at the Lakers in the conference finals in 1983 after getting a bye and beating the Denver Nuggets, but lost to Los Angeles in six games.
The aging Spurs missed the playoffs in 1984 and lost a Game 5 to the Nuggets in the first round in 1985.
In October 1985, San Antonio traded the franchise’s early icon to the Bulls.
Chicago got to the playoffs in 1986, but was swept by the Celtics and Gervin’s NBA career was over.
He did play a year in Italy, spent some time in the Continental Basketball Association and returned to Europe for a season in Spain before retiring in 1990.
Gervin remains active in San Antonio through seven organizations aimed at helping underprivileged children.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, Gervin has the distinction of being a teammate of Julius Erving during his first professional season with Virginia and of Michael Jordan during his last NBA season with the Bulls.
The final tally on Gervin’s NBA playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-3
Conference Semifinals: 3-2
First Round: 0-4
Next: 11. Underappreciated Then And Now
11. Sidney Moncrief
Milwaukee Bucks 1979-89, Atlanta Hawks 1990-91
The Milwaukee Bucks took Sidney Moncrief from Arkansas with the fifth overall pick in 1979 and he became a key figure for a team that fell just short a number of times in the Eastern Conference of the early 1980s.
Moncrief was a five-time All-NBA performer, a five-time All-Defensive selection and a five-time All-Star and he was the Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, 1982-83 and 1983-84.
He was also fourth in the MVP voting in 1982-83, seventh in 1981-82 and 1985-86 and eighth in 1983-84 and 1984-85.
As a rookie, the Bucks won a division title and a first-round bye, but lost a Game 7 on the road to the defending champion Seattle SuperSonics in the second round.
Moved to the Eastern Conference in 1980, the Bucks suffered a similar fate in the 1981 playoffs, dropping Game 7 of the second road on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1982, again with a first-round bye, the 76ers eliminated Milwaukee in six games in the second round.
In 1983, the Bucks broke through, sweeping the Boston Celtics in the second round after a bye, but running into the eventual champions from Philadelphia in a five-game Eastern Conference Finals.
Milwaukee was back in the conference finals in 1984 after surviving a Game 5 with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and knocking off the New Jersey Nets in six games in the second round. But the eventual champion Celtics beat the Bucks in five games.
The 76ers again took out the Bucks in 1985, sweeping them in the second round. In 1986, the Bucks swept the Nets and took a Game 7 thriller from the 76ers, but were swept by eventual champion Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The following year, the Bucks beat Philadelphia in Game 5 of the first round, but lost Game 7 of the second round at Boston Garden to the defending champion Celtics.
After a first-round loss in 1988, the Bucks beat the Hawks in Game 5 in the first round before being swept by the—wait for it—eventual champion Detroit Pistons in the second round.
Moncrief, who had battled sore knees for the last several seasons, retired after the 1988-89 season.
But in October 1990, Moncrief mounted a comeback, signing as a free agent with Atlanta.
Playing strictly as a reserve, Moncrief reached the playoffs again, but the Hawks lost to the Pistons in Game 5 in the first round.
Moncrief went back into retirement permanently after the 1990-91 campaign.
In retirement, he coached Arkansas-Little Rock for one season, 1999-2000, and also coached the D-League’s Fort Worth Flyers in 2006-07. In October 2007, he became an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors and returned to Milwaukee as an assistant in 2011.
Since 2013, Moncrief has worked as an analyst on Bucks broadcasts on Fox Sports Wisconsin.
The final tally on Moncrief’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-3
Conference Semifinals: 4-5
First Round: 5-2
Next: 10. Two MVPs But Never A Finals
10. Steve Nash
Phoenix Suns 1996-98, 2004-12; Dallas Mavericks 1998-2004; Los Angeles Lakers 2012-14
Born in South Africa and raised in Canada, Steve Nash took an unconventional path to NBA stardom. Taken 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns out of Santa Clara, Nash eventually turned into one of the top point guards of all-time.
Primarily a reserve during his first two seasons in Phoenix, the Suns were bounced in the first round in both 1997 and 1998, with Nash tallying a total of 66 minutes in the two series combined.
His career turned on draft night in 1998 when he was traded to the Mavericks for forward Martin Muursepp, guard Bubba Wells and the rights to forward Pat Garrity, plus a first-round pick in 1999.
Dallas was obviously very high on Nash.
They were right.
Nash was a two-time All-NBA player with the Mavericks and was chosen for two All-Star games. The rebuilding club missed the playoffs in 1999 and 2000 before breaking out with a 53-win season in 2000-01.
Dallas survived a Game 5 against the Utah Jazz in the first round, but was thumped in five games by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round. In 2002, a first-round sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves was followed by a five-game loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavs took the next step in 2003, getting through a pair of Game 7s in the first two rounds to eliminate the Portland Trail Blazers and the Kings, but they lost the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Spurs.
But a disappointing first-round exit ended 2003-04.
In July 2004, Nash returned to Phoenix as a free agent and his career took off to the stratosphere.
The NBA’s Most Valuable Player in both 2004-05 and 2005-06, Nash was an All-NBA player five times in his second stint with the Suns and was named to six All-Star games. Besides his two wins, Nash was runner-up for MVP in 2006-07 and had three other top-10 finishes.
He also led the NBA in assists five times and in free-throw percentage twice. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in free-throw shooting at 90.4 percent and had four 50-40-90 seasons to join an elite group of shooters.
In 2005, the Suns powered past the Memphis Grizzlies and Nash’s former club, the Mavericks, before losing the Western Conference Finals in five games to San Antonio.
The next season, Phoenix doubled up on seven-game series wins over the Los Angeles teams—the Lakers and Clippers—before losing the conference finals to the Mavericks in six games. In 2007, the Suns were bounced by the Spurs in the second round.
San Antonio got the Suns again in the first round in 2008 and the Suns missed the playoffs in 2009 despite 46 wins.
In 2010, Phoenix made another deep run, beating the Trail Blazers and sweeping the Spurs to get back to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in six games to the defending champion Lakers.
After two straight playoff misses, Nash went to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade.
Things didn’t work out so well in L.A.
Nash missed 32 games with a fractured leg in 2012-13 and played in only two of the Lakers’ four straight losses to San Antonio in the first round.
In 2013-14, Nash played in only 15 games because of nerve root damage in his back and legs as Los Angeles missed the playoffs. The same ailment ultimately led Nash to retire in March 2015, after he missed the entire season to that point.
He is currently third on the NBA’s all-time list with 10,335 assists, and 10th with a 42.8 career 3-point percentage and an average of 8.5 assists per game.
The final tally on Nash’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-4
Conference Semifinals: 4-3
First Round: 7-5
Next: 9. Never Had A Championship Answer
9. Allen Iverson
Philadelphia 76ers 1996-2006, 2009-10; Denver Nuggets 2006-2008; Detroit Pistons 2008-09; Memphis Grizzlies 2009
Taken first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 draft out of Georgetown, Allen Iverson was The Answer in Philly for many years.
Often misunderstood by the media but revered by his peers, Iverson was the 1996-97 Rookie of the Year and the 2000-01 Most Valuable Player while with the Sixers and was a seven-time All-NBA performer and an eight-time All-Star.
He was also a four-time scoring champion who led the NBA in steals three times and an ironman who led the league in minutes per game five times as a 76er.
He also finished in the top 10 in the MVP voting six times for Philadelphia—fourth in 1998-99, seventh in 1999-2000, ninth in 2001-02, sixth in 2002-03, fifth in 2004-05 and 10th in 2005-06.
The 76ers missed the playoffs in his first two seasons before reaching the second round in 1999, where they were swept by the Indiana Pacers. Another second-round exit to Indiana followed in 2000.
In his MVP campaign, the 76ers beat Indiana and survived Game 7s against both the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks to reach the NBA Finals, where they fell to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
A first-round exit in 2002 was followed by a second-round ouster by the Detroit Pistons in 2003. Philadelphia missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2006 and exited in the first round in 2005.
In December 2006, Iverson was traded to the Nuggets, where he was an All-Star twice more and led the NBA in minutes per game two more times.
Denver was a first-round casualty in 2007 and 2008 and in November 2008, Iverson was swapped to the Pistons.
While Detroit was swept in the first round in 2009, Iverson was sent home by the club late in the season and did not play in the postseason.
He signed as a free agent with the Grizzlies in September 2009, but was waived in November. He returned to the 76ers in December and was released in March 2010.
Out of the NBA, Iverson signed with Turkish club Besiktas in October 2010, but injured his calf in January 2011 and returned to the U.S.
He officially retired in October 2013, 22nd on the NBA career scoring list with 24,368 points. His 26.7 points per game average is seventh-best all-time and his 2.2 steals per game average is eighth.
Iverson was the subject of a 2015 documentary on his life, Iverson, which aired on Showtime in May 2015 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016.
The final tally on Iverson’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-0
Conference Semifinals: 1-3
First Round: 4-4
Next: 8. Launched A Bill Simmons Theory
8. Patrick Ewing
New York Knicks 1985-2000, Seattle SuperSonics 2000-01, Orlando Magic 2001-02
Patrick Ewing was already something of a legend before he was the first overall draft pick by the New York Knicks in the 1985 NBA Draft, the first time the NBA rigged used a lottery to determine the first pick. Ewing had been the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior and the Naismith Player of the Year as a senior at Georgetown.
He didn’t disappoint with the Knicks. He was the 1985-86 Rookie of the Year, was named to seven All-NBA teams, three All-Defensive squads and 11 All-Star games. He also finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting seven times, never higher than fourth (1988-89, 1992-93, 1994-95).
But New York didn’t make the playoffs until his third season, 1987-88, and when they got there, they were bounced in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
In 1989, the Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers before losing in six games to the Chicago Bulls. The following year brought another second-round exit, this one in five games to the defending champion Detroit Pistons.
New York went down in a first-round sweep to the eventual champion Bulls in 1991 and went the distance in two series in 1992, beating the Pistons in a Game 5 in the first round and going down to defending champion Chicago in a Game 7 in the second round.
The Knicks took the next step in 1993, with wins over the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets before a six-game loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Bulls.
In 1994, New York beat the New Jersey Nets and needed Game 7s to take care of Chicago in the second round and the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ewing’s first trip to the NBA Finals also lasted seven games, with the Houston Rockets winning Game 7.
The Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers before losing a Game 7 to Indiana in the second round in 1995. The following year saw a sweep of Cleveland and a five-game loss to eventual champion Chicago in the second round.
New York swept the Hornets in the first round before losing a Game 7 to the Miami Heat in the second round in 1997. In 1998, the Knicks upset favored Miami in a first-round Game 5 before they went down to Indiana in the second round.
In 1999, the Knicks made a run, but did much of it without Ewing, who injured his Achilles in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference against Indiana after the eighth-seeded team had knocked off Miami in a Game 5 in the first round and swept the Atlanta Hawks in the second round. The Knicks reached the Finals, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, but Ewing did not play.
In 2000, New York swept the Toronto Raptors, upset the Heat in a second-round Game 7 and lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pacers.
In September 2000, the unthinkable happened as Ewing was swapped to Seattle as part of a four-team deal that also included the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns and featured 13 players and five draft picks.
The Sonics missed the postseason—the first time Ewing had not played playoff basketball since 1987.
In July 2001, Ewing signed as a free agent with the Magic, who lost in the first round to Charlotte.
Ewing retired in September 2002.
He is currently 20th on the all-time scoring list with 24,815 points and is sixth all-time with 2,894 blocked shots.
Ewing is currently the associate head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, a post he’s held since 2013. He has also been an assistant with the Washington Wizards, Rockets and Magic. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
The final tally on Ewing’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 2-2
Conference Semifinals: 4-7
First Round: 11-3
Next: 7. Lost To LeBron
7. Kevin Durant
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 2007-16
The Seattle SuperSonics got the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and “settled” for Texas’ Naismith and Wooden award winner Kevin Durant.
It’s worked out OK for the franchise. Durant was the Rookie of the Year in 2007-08 and the NBA MVP in 2013-14. He’s a six-time All-NBA player with seven All-Star appearances who has also won four scoring titles and led the NBA in free throw shooting in 2012-13.
The Sonics missed the playoffs in 2008 and the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in the summer of 2008.
After missing the playoffs in their first season in Oklahoma, the Thunder lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in 2010.
In 2011, Oklahoma City beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round and took a Game 7 from the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round before going down in the Western Conference Finals in five games to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks.
The following season, the Thunder swept defending champion Dallas in the first round, beat the L.A. Lakers in five games in the second round and took down the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Finals. But the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals in five games.
After beating the Houston Rockets in the first round in 2013, Oklahoma City lost in five games to the Grizzlies in the second round, missing star point guard Russell Westbrook.
In 2014, the Thunder won a first-round Game 7 against Memphis, took down the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the second round, but lost to San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals in six games.
Limited to 27 games because of a foot injury in 2014-15, the Thunder were back with a vengeance with a healthy Durant this season, taking a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals before the Golden State Warriors came back to take the series.
Durant is averaging 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 37.8 minutes per game in his career, shooting .483/.380/.882.
Durant’s 27.4 points per game average is third-best in NBA history and he will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016.
The current tally on Durant’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-3
Conference Semifinals: 4-1
First Round: 5-1
Next: 6. Eight Wasn’t Enough
6. Elgin Baylor
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers 1958-71
The Minneapolis Lakers chose Elgin Baylor, who had led Seattle University to a NCAA Tournament championship game, with the first overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, two years after trying to land him in the 1956 draft when Baylor left the College of Idaho to transfer to Seattle.
Baylor was the Rookie of the Year in 1958-59 and was named to 10 All-NBA teams and 11 All-Star games. He was also in the top-10 of the MVP voting eight times, finishing second in 1962-63.
As a rookie, Baylor dragged the 33-39 Lakers to the NBA Finals with upsets of the Detroit Pistons and defending champion St. Louis Hawks in the Western Division semifinals and finals before they were swept by the Boston Celtics.
Losing to the Celtics in the Finals would become something of an unfortunate career theme.
In 1960, Minneapolis swept the Pistons in the Western semifinals before losing a Game 7 in the Western Division Finals to the Hawks.
That offseason, the team was relocated to Los Angeles and in 1961, the Lakers took a Game 5 from Detroit in the division semifinals before dropping a Game 7 at St. Louis in the Western Division Finals.
Los Angeles returned to the Finals in 1962, earning a bye to the Western Division Finals by winning the regular-season title. The Pistons went down in six games before the Celtics posted a Game 7 win for their fourth straight championship.
The Lakers won the West again in 1962-63, needing a Game 7 to get past St. Louis in the Western Division Finals before losing to Boston in a six-game NBA Finals.
Los Angeles was bounced by the Hawks in a Game 5 in the division semifinals in 1964, but returned to the top of the division in 1964-65. They beat the Baltimore Bullets in six games in the Western Division Finals and lost to the Celtics in five games the NBA Finals.
The Lakers were West champs again in 1965-66, beating St. Louis in Game 7 to win the Western Division Finals before losing at Boston in Game 7 of the NBA Finals as the Celtics won their eighth straight title.
In 1967, Los Angeles was swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the division semifinals, but in 1968, beat the Chicago Bulls in the division semifinals and swept the Warriors in the Western Division Finals. Once again, however, there were the Celtics in the NBA Finals and … well … yeah.
The Lakers beat the Warriors in the division semifinals and the now-Atlanta Hawks in five games in the Western Division Finals. This time getting Game 7 at home in the NBA Finals, the result was the same as Boston won another championship.
Los Angeles needed a Game 7 in the 1970 division semifinals to get past the upstart Phoenix Suns, but swept the Hawks in the Western Division Finals. In the NBA Finals, there was a new opponent, but the New York Knicks won Game 7 to capture their first championship and again deny Baylor his.
Knee injuries limited Baylor to just two regular season games in 1970-71, so he wasn’t around for their Western Conference Finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and in 1971-72, Baylor retired after just nine games because the knees were too far gone.
In a cruelly ironic twist, the Lakers won the championship that season.
Baylor is 25th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list with 11,463. Despite never winning a scoring title, his average of 27.4 points per game is fourth-best in league history and his 13.5 rebounds per game is ninth.
Baylor was an assistant coach and later head coach of the New Orleans Jazz from 1976-79 and later spent 22 years as general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, earning Executive of the Year honors in 2005-06. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
The final tally on Baylor’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-8
Division Finals: 8-2
Division Semifinals: 6-2
Next: 5. Rocketed Out Of L.A. Like Magic
5. Dwight Howard
Orlando Magic 2004-12, Los Angeles Lakers 2012-13, Houston Rockets 2013-16
The Orlando Magic had the top overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and they used it to take phenom Dwight Howard from the Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy.
With the Magic, Howard was the Defensive Player of the Year three times (2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11), made six All-NBA teams, five All-Defensive teams and was a six-time All-Star. He also finished second in the MVP voting in 2010-11.
Howard won four rebounding titles with Orlando, led the league in blocks per game twice and had the top field-goal percentage in the NBA in 2009-10.
The Magic missed the playoffs in his first two seasons and were swept in the first round by the Detroit Pistons in 2007.
In 2008, Orlando knocked out the Toronto Raptors in five games before losing to the Pistons in five games in the second round.
The Magic were primed in 2009 and made a deep run, beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, taking a Game 7 from the Boston Celtics in the second round and upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. But in the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers captured the title in five games.
Orlando swept the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks in the 2010 playoffs before going down in six games to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The following year, the Magic lost to Atlanta in the first round.
Howard missed Orlando’s first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers in 2012 with a back injury and in August 2012, he was moved to the Lakers as part of a four-team deal that included 12 players and four draft picks.
He earned his seventh All-NBA selection in Los Angeles as well as his seventh All-Star game bid while leading the NBA in rebounding for the fifth time.
But the Lakers were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs and Howard signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Rockets in July 2013.
Howard picked up an eighth All-NBA selection and eighth All-Star nod with the Rockets, but Houston lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs in 2014.
Howard missed half of the 2014-15 season because of a knee injury, but came back in the playoffs to help the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.
The 2015-16 Rockets were a .500 team that was bounced in Round 1.
He is fifth in NBA history with a 58.2 field-goal percentage and is 13th all-time, averaging 12.7 rebounds per game. In 12 NBA seasons, he also averages 17.8 points, 2.1 blocks and 1.0 steals in 35.3 minutes a game.
Howard declined his $23.3 million option for 2016-17, choosing to become an unrestricted free agent.
The current tally on Howard’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-1
First Round: 4-5
Next: 4. The Ringless Mound Of Rebound
4. Charles Barkley
Philadelphia 76ers 1984-92, Phoenix Suns 1992-96, Houston Rockets 1996-2000
The Philadelphia 76ers took Auburn’s Charles Barkley with the fifth overall pick in 1984 and the undersized power forward became a star very quickly.
Barkley was named to seven All-NBA teams as a Sixer along with six All-Star games. He was also in the top 10 of the MVP voting six times, including a runner-up finish in 1989-90.
He led the NBA in rebounding in 1986-87, as well.
As a rookie in 1985, Philadelphia beat the Washington Bullets in the first round and swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round before losing in five games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The following year, the 76ers got a Game 5 first-round win over Washington before losing a Game 7 to Milwaukee in the second round.
Philadelphia was eliminated by the Bucks in a first-round Game 5 in 1987 and missed the playoffs in 1987-88.
The 76ers were back, briefly, in 1989, absorbing a first-round sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks.
Philadelphia won a Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in 1990 before losing in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the second round.
The 76ers swept Milwaukee in the first round in 1991 before falling to eventual champion Chicago in five games once again in the second round.
Philadelphia missed the 1991-92 playoffs and Barkley was dealt to the Suns in June 1992.
Barkley was the NBA MVP in 1992-93 and was a four-time All-NBA pick in Phoenix, running his career total to 11. His four All-Star berths as a Sun gave him 10 in his career.
Phoenix took a first-round Game 5 from the Los Angeles Lakers in 1993 before advancing to eliminate the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round and win a Game 7 against the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals. But in the NBA Finals, there were the Bulls—two-time defending champions—and Phoenix lost in six games.
The Suns swept the Golden State Warriors before losing a Game 7 in the second round to eventual champion Houston in 1994 and in 1995 it was a sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers followed by another second-round Game 7 loss to the Rockets, who would go on to win their second straight title.
Phoenix lost in the first round to the Spurs in 1996 and Barkley was traded to the Rockets in August 1996 with a draft pick for four players.
Barkley picked up his 11th career All-Star nod in Houston in 1996-97.
The Rockets swept the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and beat Seattle in a Game 7 to get out of the second round, but lost to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals in six games.
In 1998, Houston lost a first-round Game 5 to the Jazz and in 1999 was eliminated by the Lakers.
Early in the 1999-2000 season, Barkley ruptured his quadriceps tendon and returned for a final game in April before retiring.
Since 2000, Barkley has been a studio analyst for TNT’s NBA coverage. His 12,546 rebounds are 18th all-time and his 23,757 points are 25rd. His average of 11.7 rebounds per game is 20th and he is 24th with a 54.0 field-goal percentage.
The final tally on Barkley’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-1
Conference Finals: 1-2
Conference Semifinals: 3-5
First Round: 8-5
Next: 3. Half Of Famous Duo That Fell Short
3. John Stockton
Utah Jazz 1984-2003
Long before Gonzaga became known as one of the premier mid-major programs, it produced the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, a point guard named John Stockton.
Great pick by the Utah Jazz. Stockton was an 11-time All-NBA selection, named to five All-Defensive teams and 10 All-Star games. He also finished in the top 10 in the MVP voting five times, topped by a seventh-place finish in 1988-89.
Stockton led the NBA in assists nine seasons in a row, 1987-88 through 1995-96, and also led the league in steals in 1988-89 and 1991-92.
Utah took out the Houston Rockets in a first-round Game 5 before losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the second round in 1985, but lost in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks in 1986 and in a first-round Game 5 to the Golden State Warriors in 1987.
The full-time starter at point guard for the first time in 1987-88, Stockton helped the Jazz to a first-round win over the Portland Trail Blazers before they lost a Game 7 to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
In 1989, Utah was shockingly swept by the Warriors in the first round and in 1990 went down in a first-round Game 5 to the Phoenix Suns.
The Jazz beat Phoenix before losing to Portland in five games in the second round in 1991. A breakthrough finally happened in 1992—Utah survived Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in five games in the second round before a six-game loss to the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
In 1993, Seattle beat the Jazz in a first-round Game 5. The following year, Utah beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round and took out the Nuggets in a second-round Game 7 before losing in five games to the eventual champion Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
Defending champion Houston eliminated the Jazz in Game 5 of the first round in 1995. In 1996, the Jazz beat Portland in a Game 5 in the first round, knocked out the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round and lost a Game 7 to Seattle in the Western Conference Finals.
The door finally got knocked down in 1997. Utah swept the Clippers and beat the Lakers in five games in the second round, then took down the Rockets in six games in the Western Conference Finals. But the defending champion Chicago Bulls took the NBA Finals in six games.
In 1998, the Jazz took a first-round Game 5 from Houston, wiped out San Antonio in five games in the second round and swept the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference Finals before another six-game defeat at the hands of the two-time defending champions from Chicago in the NBA Finals.
Utah survived a Game 5 against the Sacramento Kings in 1999 before losing in six games to the Trail Blazers in the second round. It was a similar pattern in 2000—the Jazz won a Game 5 against Seattle before losing in five games to Portland.
Utah lost a Game 5 to the Mavericks in the first round in 2001 and lost to the Kings in 2002 and 2003.
Stockton retired in May 2003 as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals. He is also third all-time in games played. His average of 10.5 assists per game is second all-time and his average of 2.2 steals per game is ninth.
Stockton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.
The final tally on Stockton’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-2
Conference Finals: 2-3
Conference Semifinals: 5-5
First Round: 10-9
Next: 2. Stuck In Second Round
2. Chris Paul
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, New Orleans Hornets 2005-11; Los Angeles Clippers 2011-16
The New Orleans Hornets used the fourth overall pick in 2005 to take Wake Forest’s Chris Paul and then watched as he helped the franchise through a tough challenge.
The Hornets were relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons after Hurricane Katrina and Paul made them interesting, winning Rookie of the Year in 2005-06 and earning three All-NBA nods, three All-Defensive team selections and four All-Star berths. He was runner-up for NBA MVP in 2007-08 and finished fifth in 2008-09.
Paul also led the NBA in assists in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and in steals in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2010-11.
The Hornets missed the playoffs in the two years in Oklahoma City, then returned to New Orleans to win the Southwest Division and beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round in 2008 before losing a Game 7 at home to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the second round.
In 2009, New Orleans lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets, missed the playoffs in 2010 as Paul missed 37 games with injuries and lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011.
After the lockout, the Hornets had a deal in place to trade Paul to the Lakers, but the deal was vetoed by NBA commissioner David Stern—the New Orleans franchise was under NBA ownership at the time.
After the trade was nixed, Paul was traded to the Clippers with two draft picks for three players and a draft pick.
Since coming to Los Angeles, Paul has five more All-NBA selections, running his total to eight. His five All-Defensive team nods give him eight as well and he’s been to five All-Star games to push his total to nine overall. He was third in the MVP voting in 2011-12 and fourth in 2012-13.
Paul led the NBA in steals in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 and was the assists leader in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Los Angeles won a first-round Game 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies before being swept in the second round by the Spurs in 2012. In 2013, the Clippers lost to Memphis in the first round.
With the backdrop of the Donald Sterling controversy, Los Angeles won a Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors in the first round in 2014 before falling in six games to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
In 2015, the Clippers became the ninth team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after taking a 3-1 lead, falling in the second round to the Houston Rockets. This season, Paul broke his hand during the first round as the Clippers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Paul’s average of 9.9 assists is third all-time and his mark of 2.3 steals per game is fifth. He’s also 11th with 7,688 assists.
For his 11-year career, Paul also averaged 18.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 35.9 minutes per game on .473/.365/.864 shooting.
Paul is under contract with the Clippers through 2017-18, with the final year a player option at almost $24.3 million.
The current tally on Paul’s playoff career:
NBA Finals: 0-0
Conference Finals: 0-0
Conference Semifinals: 0-4
First Round: 4-4
Next: 1. Couldn’t Deliver A Title
1. Karl Malone
Utah Jazz 1985-2003, Los Angeles Lakers 2003-04
The Utah Jazz tabbed Louisiana Tech forward Karl Malone with the 13th overall pick in 1985.
They got the other half of perhaps the most famous duo in NBA history along with John Stockton, drafted by the Jazz the previous year.
Malone was the NBA MVP in both 1996-97 and 1998-99, was a 14-time All-NBA selection, made four All-Defensive teams and was selected for 14 All-Star games.
Utah lost in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks in 1986 and in a first-round Game 5 to the Golden State Warriors in 1987.
Malone helped the Jazz to a first-round win over the Portland Trail Blazers before they lost a Game 7 to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
In 1989, Utah was shockingly swept by the Warriors in the first round and in 1990 went down in a first-round Game 5 to the Phoenix Suns.
The Jazz beat Phoenix before losing to Portland in five games in the second round in 1991. A breakthrough finally happened in 1992—Utah survived Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in five games in the second round before a six-game loss to the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
In 1993, Seattle beat the Jazz in a first-round Game 5. The following year, Utah beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round and took out the Nuggets in a second-round Game 7 before losing in five games to the eventual champion Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
Defending champion Houston eliminated the Jazz in Game 5 of the first round in 1995. In 1996, the Jazz beat Portland in a Game 5 in the first round, knocked out the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round and lost a Game 7 to Seattle in the Western Conference Finals.
The door finally got knocked down in 1997. Utah swept the Clippers and beat the Lakers in five games in the second round, then took down the Rockets in six games in the Western Conference Finals. But the defending champion Chicago Bulls took the NBA Finals in six games.
In 1998, the Jazz took a first-round Game 5 from Houston, wiped out San Antonio in five games in the second round and swept the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference Finals before another six-game defeat at the hands of the two-time defending champions from Chicago in the NBA Finals.
Utah survived a Game 5 against the Sacramento Kings in 1999 before losing in six games to the Trail Blazers in the second round. It was a similar pattern in 2000—the Jazz won a Game 5 against Seattle before losing in five games to Portland.
Utah lost a Game 5 to the Mavericks in the first round in 2001 and lost to the Kings in 2002 and 2003.
Malone signed with the Lakers in July 2003. Los Angeles beat the Rockets in the first round, the Spurs in the second round and took down the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the Western Conference Finals. But in the NBA Finals, the underdog Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers in five games.
Malone retired officially in February 2005. He spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech and has worked with big men for the Jazz since May 2013.
He is the NBA’s all-time leader in free throws made and attempted, is second all-time with 36,928 points, seventh with 14,968 rebounds and 10th with 2,085 steals. His career average of 25 points per game is 11th all-time.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
The final tally on Malone’s playoff career:
Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
NBA Finals: 0-3
Conference Finals: 3-3
Conference Semifinals: 6-4
First Round: 10-9