NBA: Who are the greatest NBA players to fall short in the playoffs?
By Rahul Raja
Win an NBA championship: Karl Malone
Karl Malone is easily one of the best players in NBA history. He’s a two-time MVP winner. He’s the second-leading scorer in NBA History with an incredible 36,928 career points scored. He’s a 14-time All-Star, only six players have more appearances. He’s tied with Kobe Bryant for the second most First-Team All-NBA selections with 11.
With easily one of the best resumés in history, the only thing missing is a ring. Malone made the playoffs every season in his career, but his two best shots were in the 1997 and 1998 finals. Paired with his longtime backcourt mate John Stockton, both times the Utah Jazz ran into the buzzsaw known as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Both times they lost in six games.
After an impressive 18-year run with the Jazz, in the 2003-04 season, he decided to ring chase and teamed up with superstar duo Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the Los Angeles Lakers. Also accompanied by Gary Payton, another ringless (at the time) veteran, they ran into the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 Finals. They lost and it turned into the end of the Lakers dynasty. Everyone went their separate ways and Malone retired without a championship.