LeBron James has failed twice in the NBA Finals. (GETTY IMAGES)
LeBron James collected his second regular season most valuable player trophy in 2010, becoming the 10th player in NBA history to claim back-to-back MVPs. However, the key words there are REGULAR and SEASON. Legends are born in the playoffs, and James knows that in order to wear the crown of the king he must be fitted with a championship ring.
Since 1956 when the first NBA MVP award was handed out, two players who won the MVP award finished their pro careers without winning a championship and four are still in pursuit of that elusive chip. LeBron is currently a member of this dubious ringless fraternity.
Here are the six NBA players with regular-season MVPs, but don’t own a championship ring:
Charles Barkley (MVP in 1993)
Sir Charles captured the MVP during the 1992-93 season and led the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals that season. But Barkley’s Suns ended up losing to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’93 Finals, and Barkley never got back to The Finals. Barkley finished his career with 23,000 points and 12,000 rebounds. He has said that not winning a NBA title shouldn’t define his career, but you know deep down Sir Charles would give up all those points and rebounds for one ring.
Karl Malone (MVP in 1997 and 1999)
With the help of his good friend John Stockton, The Mailman delivered two MVPs to the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, Stockton and Malone couldn’t deliver a title to Utah. Malone led the Jazz to appearances in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, but both times his teams lost to Jordan’s Bulls. Then, in 2004, Malone joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal with the L.A. Lakers hoping to make one final push for a ring. But Malone fell short again in The Finals, losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games. Malone finished his career as the second-leading scorer in history (36,928), and will go down in history as one of the greatest power forwards to ever play.
Allen Iverson (MVP in 2001)
When we’re talking about Iverson, we’re talking about the best little man in basketball. AI answered the call several times throughout his 13-year career, putting together a MVP season in 2001 and leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. But Iverson ran into Goliath in the form of Shaq and the Lakers, and the Sixers were defeated in five games. After stints in Detroit, Denver and Memphis (extremely short stint there), Iverson rejoined the Sixers but did not finish the season. He took his talents to Turkey, but now he’s itching to get back in the NBA. In a recent interview with SLAM Magazine, Iverson said: “I want to finish my career out in the NBA, if that’s possible.”
Steve Nash (MVP in 2005 and 2006)
Nash is the only two-time MVP winner not to reach The Finals. He captured his first regular season MVP in 2005, leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record, but the San Antonio Spurs bounced Nash and the Suns in the Western Conference finals. Then, in 2006, Nash won his second MVP but was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks led by his good friend Dirk Nowitzki, who removed himself from the ringless fraternity in 2011. Voters made a huge mistake by giving Nash the MVP in 2006. Nash didn’t deserve to win it over Kobe Bryant, who had one of the best statistical seasons that year and should have won MVP.
Derrick Rose (MVP in 2011)
It’s almost unfair to put Rose on this list because he’s only 22 years old. But, the fact of the matter is, D-Rose has an MVP trophy sitting at his home but doesn’t own an championship ring nor has he set foot in the NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls have a very nice nucleus and Rose is only going to get better. Also, head coach Tom Thibodeau is one of best defensive minds in the game, so the Bulls will always be competitive.
LeBron James (MVP in 2009 and 2010)
LeBron is one of four players on this list who can still change their fate. The very reason why LeBron left Cleveland for Miami is because he believed he had a better shot at winning a title if he was surrounded with better players, and they don’t come any better than Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But the storybook ending didn’t happen in 2011, as Nowitzki and the Mavericks outlasted James and the Heat in the six games and now LeBron will have to hear those echoes of doubt all over again in the offseason. And it probably will never go away until he wins that elusive championship ring. LeBron certainly didn’t help his cause by playing so poorly in 2011 Finals, especially in the fourth quarter in which he looked incredibly passive. The longer James goes without a title, the pressure will only get worse.
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