Hoops Habit
Fansided

50 greatest NBA players to never win a championship

By Maxwell Ogden

PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 01: Allen Iverson #3 of the Philadelphia 76ers expresses emotion after making a basket during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1, 2005 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 117-108 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 01: Allen Iverson #3 of the Philadelphia 76ers expresses emotion after making a basket during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1, 2005 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 117-108 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Vince Carter
Vince Carter (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

35. Vince Carter

  • Years Active: 1998 to 2020
  • Teams Played For: Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks
  • Conference Finals Appearances: 1

You can’t tell the story of the NBA without acknowledging the impact of dunk artist supreme Vince Carter. The Association’s evolution into the star of SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays may not have begun with Carter, but his high-flying acrobatics put a contemporary spin on what the ABA had accomplished 20 years prior.

Even more significantly, the NBA’s attempts to expand beyond the American market were greatly impacted by Carter’s success with the Toronto Raptors, and his career outside of Canada put the finishing touches on his Hall of Fame résumé.

Over the course of his record-setting 22-year NBA career, “Half Man, Half Amazing” wowed fans all over the world. He played for eight different franchises, won an Olympic gold medal in Sydney, Australia, and became synonymous with the brand that was being built by David Stern.

After winning Rookie of the Year in 1999, Carter would go on to make a pair of All-NBA teams and earn eight All-Star Game appearances—a mark that no eligible player has reached without ultimately making the Hall of Fame.

Carter finished his career at No. 19 on the all-time scoring list with a whopping 25,728 points. He led Toronto to its first-ever postseason appearance in 2000 and its first postseason series victory in 2000-01.

For what it’s worth: It took 15 years for Toronto to win another series, let alone a championship.

Carter would go on to start with the New Jersey Nets, help the Orlando Magic reach the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, and hit a buzzer-beater in a postseason setting for the Dallas Mavericks. It was a heck of a run for Vinsanity.

Although he may not have won a championship, the Hall of Fame is an inevitability.