10 NBA players with the most playoff games without a championship

11/15/2024 12:57 PM

Making the NBA playoffs is already a huge accomplishment. However, winning a championship altogether is a different animal. But while players can consistently make the postseason, being in the playoffs doesn’t always end with a title. Some players make many runs at a title and never get it. Here’s a look at 10 NBA players with the most playoff games without a championship.

10. Derrick McKey – 142

During his time in the NBA, Derrick McKey was a reliable perimeter defender, having made two All-Defensive Teams in his career.  Furthermore, he played a lot of playoff games in his career. But despite this fact, McKey actually only made the NBA Finals once in his career.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to earn him the elusive NBA ring. While the Indiana Pacers made it to the 2000 NBA Finals, they were outlasted by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

7. George Hill, Reggie Miller, Charles Oakley – 144

Three players are currently tied at 144 games without winning an NBA title. The last player to reach that tally is former Pacers player George Hill, who would be even higher on this list if he hadn’t been injured in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Hill is currently a free agent, but has not retired and is looking to make another run at a title.

Hill has played for several contenders in his career. However, he has only made the NBA Finals once with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, that was a forgettable Finals stint that saw him miss crucial free throws in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, leading to J.R. Smith’s infamous blunder.

Fellow Pacers player Reggie Miller was one of the best shooters to play in the NBA. Although his outside shooting was elite, Miller never had any success in the postseason in terms of championship rings.

The five-time All-Star had a handful of Eastern Conference Finals trips but were often denied by their conference rivals. While they did slip through to the Finals in 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant proved to be too much.

Another All-Star tied for 144 is Charles Oakley. With the New York Knicks, Oakley made his lone NBA Finals appearance in 1994. However, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets proved to be too tough to handle as the series reached seven grueling games. Since then, Oakley would never come close to a championship.

6. Kyle Korver – 145

An elite perimeter shooter, Kyle Korver has been a part of several contenders for his ability to space the floor. While Korver was a deadeye shooter, it hasn’t translated much to playoff success. While he did make deep playoff runs with the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks, it was always a LeBron James-led team that stood in his way.

Korver did eventually join James in Cleveland, leading to back-to-back Finals appearances with the Cavaliers. However, the Golden State Warriors spoiled his chances on both occasions.

5. Chris Paul – 149

Chris Paul is known as the “Point God.” But while CP3 is one of the best guards in the NBA, an NBA championship continues to haunt the San Antonio Spurs guard.

Paul has led several playoff teams but with little success. The closest he got was in 2021, when he led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks took care of business.

Fortunately for CP3, Paul is one of the three active players in this list, giving him a chance to still turn his title hopes around. But with a disappointing Warriors stint last season that saw the team miss the postseason, his championship window is closing fast.

4. James Harden – 166

The third active player on this list is James Harden. Harden currently leads the NBA among active players with the most playoff games without an NBA championship. It was originally a record held by Al Horford before the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship.

Things aren’t looking good for the former NBA MVP. The last time he made the NBA Finals was back in 2012, when he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Since then, Harden has transformed into an elite superstar with little success in the playoffs. In fact, even joining a handful of super teams hasn’t helped his title hopes. Although Harden is much younger than CP3, time is certainly ticking for the Los Angeles Clippers star.

3. Sam Perkins – 167

Just by looking at his NBA career timeline, Sam Perkins has to be one of the unluckiest players in the postseason. The former All-Rookie First Team player played for a handful of heavy hitters in the NBA. In fact, he made it to the NBA Finals with three out of the four teams he played for, including the Lakers, Seattle Supersonics, and the Pacers.

Unfortunately for Perkins, he always found himself on the losing end of the Finals. As a result, the 6’9 big man had to conclude his career without a ring.

2. John Stockton – 182

While John Stockton is the all-time leader in assists and steals, the former Utah Jazz guard was forced to retire without an NBA championship to his name. Stockton was the main facilitator of the Jazz team that made the NBA Finals in back-to-back fashion. Although Stockton was breaking records individually, he just couldn’t get the Jazz over a Bulls hump led by Michael Jordan.

1. Karl Malone – 193

Speaking of the Jazz, aside from John Stockton, Karl Malone was the focal point of that team. Unfortunately, the Mailman never cracked through Jordan and the Bulls on both occasions. However, he did have a crack at a championship when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2003-2004 season.

Unfortunately for him, the Detroit Pistons were ready to upset the Lakers and blitzed their way to an NBA title at the expense of the Purple and Gold. With a third Finals loss, Malone decided to hang up his sneakers.

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