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50 Greatest NBA Players Without A Championship (Updated Through 2015-16)

By Phil Watson

May 14, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) shoots over Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) shoots over Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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NEW YORK - CIRCA 1995: Mark Price #25 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives on Patrick Ewing #33 of the New York Knicks during an NBA basketball game circa 1995 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Price played for the Cavaliers from 1986-95. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1995: Mark Price #25 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives on Patrick Ewing #33 of the New York Knicks during an NBA basketball game circa 1995 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Price played for the Cavaliers from 1986-95. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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

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