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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Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

3. Charles Barkley

  • Years Active: 1984 to 2000
  • Teams Played For: Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets
  • NBA Finals Appearances: 1

If all you know about Charles Barkley is what you see on television, then you’re missing out on quite an athlete. Barkley is one of the greatest players in NBA history, with a combination of accolades, the eye test, and statistics that support his place in the top five of this list of all-timers without a championship.

That all begins with the fact that Barkley is one of just four retired players to be named NBA MVP and never win a championship.

We’ve already seen two of them.

Some have debated whether or not Barkley should’ve toppled Michael Jordan for MVP, but there’s plenty of evidence that he deserved it. For one, Phoenix won a league-high 62 games that season, with Barkley starring as the clear No. 1.

He averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 block per game. Statistically, the case was clear.

That made Barkley the second player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 block per game in a single season. The only first to do so: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

To enhance the greatness of that legacy-defining season, Barkley validated his success by reaching the NBA Finals and giving Jordan, arguably, his toughest test on that stage. All six games in that series were decided by 10 points or fewer.

Beyond the MVP season, Barkley was named to the All-NBA First Team on five separate occasions and has an incredible 11 total All-NBA nods on his résumé. He led the league in two-point field goal percentage in five consecutive seasons and averaged at least 10.0 rebounds per game in every one of his 16 NBA seasons aside from his rookie year.

He was a force of nature with the Philadelphia 76ers and a transcendent talent with the Phoenix Suns.

Barkley was not only a player who overcame insurmountable odds as an undersized power forward, but an all-time great who has become rather underrated in such discussions.