would fall short in the championship series, losing in six games, it’s impossible to fault Barkley – who put up 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the 1993 Finals – for that.īarkley would never reach the Finals again in his career, which goes to show just how unfair basketball can be. Couple that with his ball-handling and face-up game and you have the makings of a player who truly was ahead of his time historically.īarkley’s 11-year peak saw him post ridiculous numbers, averaging 24.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals from 1985-86, his second campaign as a pro, through 1995-96, leading the league in rebounds once in that stretch and in two-point percentage five times, despite his size-related limitations down low.īarkley’s best all-around campaign had to undoubtedly be 1992-93, a year that saw him put up 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals, take home league MVP honors, lead the Phoenix Suns to a 62-20 regular season and all the way to the Finals, where they faced Jordan in the Finals.Īnd although Barkley and Co. The undersized-yet-wide power forward stood around 6-foot-6 while weighing well over 250 pounds, yet he had no trouble scoring down low over taller, longer opponents thanks to his outrageous strength and explosiveness. If not Malone, the player who gets thought of first when discussing the best NBA players to never win a ring is Charles Barkley, one of the greatest and most unique big men basketball has ever seen. Major accolades: One-time league MVP, 11-time All-Star, five-time 1st Team All-NBA After all, prior to hurting his knee in Game 3 of the series, Malone had been an important piece for the Lakers, averaging 12.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the first 19 games of L.A.’s playoff run that year. The first two times, Michael Jordan stood in his way, as he did for a few other players coming up on this list, while his final opportunity in Los Angeles fell short at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.īut who knows? Had Malone stayed healthy in that Finals matchup against Detroit, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Malone came closest to finally winning a championship three times, in 1996-97, 1997-98 and in 2003-04, the former two of which came as a member of the Utah Jazz and the latter as a Laker. What’s more, Malone’s 36,928 career points ranks second all-time in league history while his 14,968 career rebounds ranks seventh. One of the Top 3 power forwards in NBA history, Malone was an absolute monster throughout his 19-year career, with a bruising post-game and finesse-driven face-up game, great rebounding chops and underrated passing skills all in his arsenal.įor his career, Malone averaged 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists, career marks that can only be equaled by two other players historically: Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain. When people talk about the best NBA players without a ring, Karl Malone is usually one of the first names that pops up. ![]() ![]() Major accolades: Two-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, 11-time 1st Team All-NBA ![]() Career Win Shares: 234.6, fourth all-time
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