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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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UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 28: Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers Brad Daugherty (43) in action, making dunk vs Phoenix Suns, Phoenix, AZ 2/28/1993 (Photo by John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X44029)
UNITED STATES – FEBRUARY 28: Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers Brad Daugherty (43) in action, making dunk vs Phoenix Suns, Phoenix, AZ 2/28/1993 (Photo by John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X44029) /

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