The NBA finals begin Tuesday night and it pits the two most
exciting teams and best teams the NBA has to offer. Miami's big three, the Heat,
led by MVP LeBron James versus an up-and-coming, very exciting Oklahoma City
Thunder team that features another superstar, three time scoring champion Kevin
Durant. Will this 2012 Finals give James yet another chance to escape the
shadow of can he do it in the fourth quarter, in crunch time, against a good
player, against a good team, when it matters most? And what about Durant?
Should his team come out on top, would he be the true heir to Kobe Bryant as
the NBA’s best player? If the Thunder hoist the trophy, would Lebron James,
even after nine years in the league, start being categorized as one of the best
players of all time never to win it all? It also gets me wondering across all sports,
who are some of the best players never to win a championship? Before we get
into the list, here are some honorable mentions:
Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Patrick Ewing, Dan Fouts, Reggie
Miller, Warren Moon, Randy Moss
Without further ado, the top 12 athletes never to win a
championship:
12. John Stockton – In NBA history, he is first all time in assists
and steals. Stockton also hit many big shots in his Hall of Fame career,
including a series clinching three pointers that propelled the Jazz to the
first NBA Finals appearance in 1997.
11. Tony Gwynn – He could have taken more money, gone
elsewhere and could have won a championship in another city. However, Tony
Gwynn stayed loyal to San Diego. His National League record eight batting
titles helped the Padres get to two World Series.
10. Charles Barkley – He still claims he isn’t a role model
and is definitely not graceful on the links. Sir Charles played on the first
two “Dream Teams” and was among the best in scoring and rebounding. His 1993
MVP led the Phoenix Suns to the Finals, losing in six games.
9. LaDainian Tomlinson – When you trail only Emmitt Smith
and Jerry Rice in touchdowns, you’ve had a great career. Tomlinson was a pillar
of consistency for years who could do it all. He still holds the record for
touchdowns in a season, 31 total TDs in 2006.
8. Elgin Baylor – He was called the Michael Jordan of his
time. He had flair and grace and could fly through the air on his way to the
hoop. It was unfortunate timing when Baylor retired just before the 1971-72
season, the season the Lakers won their first title in Los Angeles.
7. O.J. Simpson – The Juice was dominant in college and even
better in the NFL. He was the first running back to rush for 2000 yards, back
when the season was just fourteen games. That was in 1973 when he AVERAGED 143
rushing yards per game, a mark that may never be touched.
6. Karl Malone – The Mailman is 2nd all time in
points in the NBA, trailing only the great Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. He won two
MVPs, the first coming in 1997 which was the first of two straight Finals
appearances. He and Stockon lost both in six games to Jordan’s Bulls. He also
came up short when joining Lakers in 2004, earning the league’s minimum.
5. Barry Bonds – Focusing on his career pre-steroids, Bonds
won three MVPs and was the 2nd player in history to reach the 40-40
mark. Ironically enough, it was Bonds’ poor performance in post season play
that played a large part in him never winning a World Series.
4. Ken Griffey Jr. – It was always the discussion, who was
better? Griffey gets the slight nod over Bonds because his career was not
linked to steroids. There may not have been a more gifted player in MLB history.
Over 600 homeruns, two MVPs, some of the best defensive play in centerfield and
the prettiest swing in baseball couldn’t add up to even one Series appearance.
3. Barry Sanders – Those kids who never saw Barry Sanders run
truly missed out on electricity. Sanders never wanted the spotlight and even
retired just a season shy of passing Walter Payton for most rushing yards in
NFL history. The stats don’t even paint a picture of how great and how exciting
Barry Sanders was.
2. Ted Williams – The last man to hit over .400 in a season
is still highly regarded as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Teddy Ballgame
never won a World Series, but he fought for our country in two different wars,
losing five years of his prime. In my opinion, Ted Williams is among the
biggest legends in sports.
1. Dan Marino – “Yeah he was great, but he never won the big
one.” Dan Marino was the man. He was everything you wanted from a quarterback.
He had the arm strength, the quick release, and the swagger. Every passing record
Brett Favre broke once belonged to Marino. He is without question the greatest
athlete never to win a championship.
