Top 12 Athletes to never win a Championship

Hi everyone, today’s Top 12 is sparked by the Chris Paul conversations as greatest Athletes to not win a Championship. Chris Paul and Mike Trout are probably the two most accomplished current athletes to never win a championship (James Harden may say hold my beard or beer). These two greats are honorable mentions (spoiler no active athletes made this list).

12. Dick Butkus (Football 1965-1973)

Regarded as maybe the best middle linebacker of all time (and a tough SOB, have to be to have the name Dick Butkus). Butkus was the local boy who had a legendary 9 year career with the Chicago Bears. For how great Butkus was the Bears never even made the playoffs in his career. Think if he was around for the 1985 team, that would have been a treat to watch.

#11. Allen Iverson (Basketball 1996-2011)

Arguably the toughest pound for pound player in NBA History Allen Iverson was one of the best true scorers of the late 90’s and throughout the 2000’s. He was notorious for crossing over Michael Jordan and giving media crap about making a big deal over Practice. Allen Iverson’s closest call to a championship was in the 2001 Finals when he had one of the Greatest Game 1’s of all time but would lose the next four games to a superior Lakers team.

#10. Ernie Banks (Baseball 1953-1971)

Ernie Banks was known as Mr. Cub as he spend his entire career on the north side of Chicago. Banks hit 512 homeruns and is regarded as the best Cub of all time but never even played in the playoffs in his 19 game career. The closest his Cubs came to making the dance was 1969 but a black cat crossed their paths and cursed them into a late season collapse.

#9. Ty Cobb (Baseball 1905-1928)

Many will say I have Ty Cobb way too low on this list. He hit .366 in his career and had 4,189 career hits which is second All Time. I am dinging Cobb for playing in an ERA with most of baseball’s pitchers working a day job and come to the ballpark (baseball once upon a time was a second job for most players). Cobb would have three chances in a row to win it all but would lose every World Series from 1907-1909 with the closest call being in 1909 losing to the Pirates in 7 games.

#8. Marcel Dionne (Hockey 1971-1989)

Marcel Dionne is widely regarded as the greatest hockey player to never win a championship. Dionne was influental in bringing Hockey interest to warmer cities spending most of his excellent career with the Los Angeles Kings. But he would never get to the Stanley Cup as most of his Kings playoff runs would end early and many of those years to Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers. Ironically right after Dionne left the Kings Gretzky would arrive into town.

#7. Ken Griffey Jr. (Baseball 1989-2010)

Known as the kid and one of the most popular Baseball players of my lifetime Ken Griffey Jr. was arguably the best player of the 1990’s during his time with the Seattle Mariners. For how great of a career and how popular Ken Griffey Jr. was he only played in the postseason twice with the furthest his Mariners getting in the big party was the miracle Mariners in 1995. Was a shame because he did run for President in 1996 but lost the primary for sleeping in too much :-).

#6. Charles Barkley (Basketball 1984-2000)

One of the most electrifying players in the late 1980s and early 1990s Charles Barkley is more known for his role as an analyst with TNT’s Inside the NBA. Barkley during his time with the 76ers and Suns was regarded as one of the best offensive players and rebounders in the game. His closest chance to winning it all was in 1993 but his Suns ran into apex Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls would would complete their first of two three peats in the 90s.

#5. Karl Malone (Basketball 1985-2004)

Karl Malone was the pioneer of the pick and roll which him and teammate John Stockton (honorable mention to this list) popularized during their many years with the Utah Jazz. Malone would make it to the Finals three times (twice with Jazz and once with the Lakers at end of his career) but could never win the big one thanks to some guy named Michael Jordan and the stingy defense of the 2004 Detroit Pistons (maybe the most random champion in NBA History).

4. Dan Marino (Football 1983-1999)

Dan Marino is still to this day regarded as the best Quarterback to never win a Super Bowl. He held many of the NFL passing records until the NFL Changed rules to really assist passing games to flourish in recent years. Marino would have what I still consider the best QB season of all time in 1984 throwing 5,084 yards, 48 td’s and a 109 passer rating (in today’s stats about 6,000 passing yards 62 td’s and a rating of 130, give or take a number here or there). Only time Dan Marino’s Dolphins would make the Super Bowl was that 1984 season when the 14-2 Dolphins would lose to the 15-1 49ers (two of the best ten teams in NFL history and easily the strongest Super Bowl Matchup of all time, 93 Cowboys-Bills and 09 Saints-Colts are in a fight for second, small football fact the 09 Saints were 13-0 and Colts 14-0 that season).

#3. Ted Williams (Baseball 1939-1960)

What would Ted Williams stats have been if he didn’t go on Military leave to fight in World War II from 1943-1945. Ted Williams is arguably the best pure hitter in Major League History (Tony Gwynn may say hold my beer and another honorable mention to this list which also shows how good this list is). Williams would only make it to the World Series once in his career (in 1946 first year back) but would fall in a heartbreaker to the Cardinals in 7 games. Williams had a chance to be the hero in the Top of the 8th inning of Game 7 with the go ahead run on 2nd but would popout. In the bottom of the frame Harry Walker would hit a go ahead double and the Cards would win the deciding game 4-3.

#2. Barry Sanders (Football 1989-1998)

Barry Sanders is widely regarded as the best running back of all time. I believe Barry Sanders is the best running back of all time. He averaged over 1,500 yards a season behind a bad Lions offensive line and outside of one good Scott Mitchell season bad quarterback play. The closest Barry ever got to playing in a super bowl was 1991 when the Lions lost to a far superior Washington Football team in the NFC Championship game. If Barry Sanders didn’t abruptly retire after the 1998 season he would have likely surpassed the 20,000 career rushing yard mark and create a record likely to never be broken. The highlights below speak for themselves.

#1. Barry Bonds (Baseball 1986-2007)

Barry Bonds has the 4th best WAR (wins above replacement) of All Time at 162.7 behind three players who haven’t played since the 1930s). In the last 50 years the closest position player to him (through the steroid ERA and beyond) is Alex Rodriguez at 117.5. Even if you go pre 2000 (before his alleged PED use) Barry had a career WAR of 100.2 which would place him 28th in baseball history. In other words Barry Bonds was one of the best 30 players of all time before PED use (allegedly) but after he would vault into the best baseball player in the modern era without anyone close enough to him to even spark a debate. He will almost certainly make it into the Hall of Fame and his 01-04 seasons will be studied and written about for centuries (especially 04 with absolutely stupid .609 on base percentage or a better percentage than Ben Simmons at the foul line). Bonds closest chance to that elusive ring was in 2002 when his Giants were 9 outs away from a championship with a 5-0 lead over the Angels in game 6 and a 3-2 series lead but the bullpen would blow the game and eventually the series. Barry Bonds is the best player of my lifetime and the only players that could threaten him is two Angels, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani (Othani maybe already has haha).