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