The 5 Greatest Players To Never Win An NBA Title (That You May Have Never Heard Of)

by Stephen Caronia

We all know about Malone, Stockton, Wilkins, Ewing, and Barkley.  You might consider Iverson, Carter, and McGrady worthy of the list.  Most know of the exploits of Baylor, Gervin, and Maravich. These names are at the top of most lists of the greatest NBA players to never win the big one.  But there are many others who never got that beloved ring.  Hall of Famers.  All-Stars.  All-time greats.  I’ve picked five of my favorites from way back that some of you may be hearing about for the first time.  Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Nate Thurmond

 While we all remember Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as all-time great centers from the 1960’s, many of us forget about Nate the Great Thurmond.  Thurmond possessed ahead-of-his-time strength and athleticism, and almost 50 years ago had a physique that would impress in today’s NBA.  Russell and Chamberlain’s accomplishments are well-documented, but Thurmond has a couple of his own.  He holds the NBA record for rebounds in a quarter with…18.  He had the first ever quadruple-double in NBA history, tallying 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks for the Bulls in 1974.  He was a 7 time NBA all star, is a Hall of Famer, and had his jersey retired by 2 different teams (the Warriors and Cavs).  In 1967, he played against Chamberlain’s 76ers in the NBA finals, grabbing at least 20 rebounds in all six games (a feat only reproduced by Russell and Chamberlain) in the series loss, the closest he ever got to a ring.  Most important of all, he owned Big Nate’s BBQ in San Francisco for over 20 years (now it’s Cathead’s BBQ).

2. Connie Hawkins

The Hawk won an ABA title in 1968 (and the MVP), but he makes this list because, well, the ABA ain’t the NBA.  I may be a little biased as he’s a Brooklyn native like me, but if you’ve ever watched Hawkins play or checked out his numbers, you know that he belongs among the best ever.  He was held out of the NBA for 8 years due to a bogus point shaving rap in college, during which time he was in the quickly defunct American Basketball League, a Harlem Globetrotter, and in the ABA.  Upon finally being allowed on the biggest stage, Hawk’s dizzying array of moves and tremendous athleticism led him to 4 all star appearances, an All-NBA First Team nod, and a near-upset of the Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain led Lakers in 1970.  He was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame and had his number 42 retired by the Phoenix Suns.  His story, told in Foul! The Connie Hawkins Story by David Wolf, is one of the more fascinating in NBA history (he and his five brothers were raised by their blind mother, for starters).  Watch him here in one of the coolest highlight reels you’ll ever see:

3. Dave Bing

Dave Bing was once known as a new breed of point guard who could core and run an offense with equal capability.  Before Bing, point guards (not named Oscar Robertson) didn’t do stuff like that.  Starting his career with the Pistons, Bing won rookie of the year and followed with a scoring title in year two.  He made 7 All-Star teams and made NBA 1^st Team twice.  Bing was the king of the circus dump off pass in the paint, drawing in his defender and sneaking the ball to a teammate for a quick bucket.  His deft ball-handling and quickness to the rim enabled him to be named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players and a Hall of Famer.  In spite of his accomplishments, the closest Bing came to a championship was a 2-point game 7 loss to the Chicago Bulls in 1974.  After retiring from the NBA, he founded Bing Steel and became extremely wealthy supplying automobile companies.  He currently holds perhaps the most unenviable position in the United States – mayor of Detroit, Michigan.

4. Walt Bellamy

Walt Bellamy ( or Bells) is often overlooked in the pantheon of great NBA big men, but he shouldn’t be.  He was chosen number 1 overall in the 1961 NBA draft and responded with one of the greatest rookie campaigns in the history of the league.  He averaged 31.6 points, 19 rebounds, and 42.3 minutes per game and had a PER of 26.3.  To put that in perspective, Tim Duncan had 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 39.1 minutes, per game with a PER of 22.6, and he’s pretty good by my estimation.  However, this was Bellamy’s best season as a pro, and he bounced around the league a bit, most notably being traded by the Knicks to the Pistons for Dave DeBusschere (this trade resulted in Bellamy playing in a still-standing NBA record 88 games in the 1968-69 season).  Bellamy had a phenomenal career overall – he’s one of 7 players in NBA history with 20,000 points and 14,000 rebounds, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame.  Some of his accomplishments transcend sports: he was on the first NBA team to start 5 black players, is a noted civil rights activist, and is in a fraternity with Martin Luther King Jr, Jesse Owens, and Thurgood Marshall.

5. David Thompson

He was known as the Skywalker. David Thompson.  Known for his other-worldly leaping abilities, he’s credited by many (including Michael Jordan) for making a player’s vertical leap even a topic of conversation.  He was one of the greatest college basketball players in history, leading NC State to an undefeated season in 1973 and title in 1974.  He was then drafted number one overall by BOTH the ABA and NBA in 1975.   Winding up the the Denver Nuggets, he almost out-dueled Dr. J in the 1976 ABA dunk contest, only to fall victim to the dreaded free-throw line dunk.

Upon entering the NBA, Thompson promptly made 4 All-star teams, winning the MVP of the game in 1979.  His finest moment may have taken place on the last day of the 1977-78 season.  He was locked up in an exceptionally tight battle for the scoring title with George Gervin.  He scored 73 points, including 53 in the first half, to take the lead.  Later that evening, Gervin matched Thompson’s first half with 53 and finished with 63.  Gervin won 27.22-27.15, the closest race in history.  After this performance, Thompson became the highest paid player in the history of team sports with a 5 year, $4 million contract.  Unfortunately, Thompson’s prime was cut short by injury and substance abuse problems (he infamously injured his knee falling down the steps of Studio 54).  He still is enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He helped pave the way for high-flying stars.  As Chuck Klosterman once put it: David Thompson created Michael Jordan.

Honorable Mention: Earl Manigault

I won’t go into the legends about the Goat, and he has no NBA career to speak of.  But I’ll say one thing: upon retiring from the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Manigault was the greatest player he had ever played with or against.  You may have heard of a few of Jabbar’s other teammates and opponents.

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