50 greatest NBA players to never win a championship
27. Paul George
- Years Active: 2010 to Present
- Teams Played For: Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers
- Conference Finals Appearances: 2
Paul George has quietly pieced together a Hall of Fame level résumé. He’s one of the best defensive players of his generation, as well as a versatile scorer who has accumulated a significant amount of postseason experience with multiple franchises.
George also overcame a career-threatening injury to become an even better individual player than he was before the tragedy in Las Vegas.
George is a five-time All-NBA honoree, including the First Team selection that he received in 2018-19. He’s also been named All-Defense in four seasons and is a seven-time All-Star who could still add quite a few more accolades to his name before it’s all said and done.
Even if he were to retire today, however, George would have done enough to qualify for this list and make a legitimate argument for being in the Hall of Fame.
George has appeared in 89 postseason games, including two trips to the Conference Finals as the go-to scoring option.
A championship would change the perception of George, who has encountered some criticism over the way he seems to bow out of the Playoffs. Nevertheless, he’s a legitimate two-way player who has made multiple deep postseason runs in a featured role.
Furthermore, he’s made the Playoffs as a No. 1 or No. 2 with three different franchises. That’s no easy feat, which should only strengthen his case here.
George also has an Olympic Gold Medal, a Most Improved Player award, and a season as the NBA’s steals leader for good measure.