Don’t give up LeBron. Dallas didn’t. Nor did Harrison Frazar, who won his first PGA tournament last weekend, just 15 years and 355 starts after turning professional in 1996.
Frazar is a Texan, born in Big D, so last Sunday had to be doubly sweet for him after the Mavericks pushed the “Big 3” out of their own playground. But don’t give up LeBron, you came within two games of a world championship. And you get Wade and Bosh back next year as teammates so it doesn’t really matter who Riley picks to support you guys does it? (Although I was thinking maybe Allen Iverson would be a fun addition).
Speaking of Iverson, I ran across an article written in May of 2010 by Bob Evans, who has in his byline, “Cavaliers Featured Columnist.” The piece is titled, “The 10 Best Players Who Have Never Won an NBA Title,” and it begins thus, “After watching yet another early playoff exit for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, a question came to mind: Will two of the NBA’s greatest players fall victim to the exclusive no-ring club?”
I guess we have the answer to that. The list Evans compiled ranks his greatest players who never quite made it to the top. He uses a numerical formula, which caused the first two players to tie for the No. 10spot. They were Tracy McGrady and Dominique Wilkins. I still remember that ridiculous game where T-Mac scored 13 points in 30 seconds to beat the Spurs by a point.
Number 8 – Dirk Nowitzki. According to Evans, “After 103 playoff appearances with Dallas, I think it may be time for him to move on to a contender and less money for a chance at the ring.” Wrong Bob. The big German no longer qualifies.
Number 7 – Patrick Ewing – “Poor Patrick. Like Dominique, he fell victim to the MJ reign in the East during his career.”
Number 6 – Allen Iverson. Another MJ victim. I saw him play against the Razorback’s championship team in December in Memphis. Never seen a quicker player. According to Evans, “Iverson will always be known for his amazing scoring ability and his great isolation game, but one of the statistics that many people fail to realize is his 6.2 assists per game for his career.”
Number 5 (tie) – John Stockton. Oh so close. In 1997 and 1998 the Utah Jazz behind Stockton and Karl Malone made it to the finals. Problem was, so did Jordan and Pippen.
Number 5 – Jason Kidd – While Stockton’s nemesis was MJ, Kidd’s were Shaq and Kobe in 2002 and Tim Duncan in 2003. But 2011 was different. Please take your place off this list with teammate Dirk.
Number 3 – Charles Barkley – “Will go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history,” Evans wrote, “and the Hall of Famer will always find himself in the top of this list as well.” Thanks again Michael.
Number 2 - Elgin Baylor – Before my time; he was rookie of the year when I was two.
An inadequate academic record kept Baylor out of college until a friend arranged a scholarship at the College of Idaho, where he was expected to play basketball and football. After one season, the school dismissed the head basketball coach and restricted the scholarships. A Seattle car dealer interested Baylor in Seattle University, and he sat out a year to play for Westside Ford, an AAU team in Seattle, while establishing eligibility at Seattle. Baylor led the Seattle Chieftains (now known as the Redhawks) to the NCAA championship game in 1958, where they fell to the Kentucky Wildcats; Seattle’s last trip to the Final Four. Following his junior season, Baylor joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958.
As a professional, Baylor was always a Laker, whether in Minneapolis or L.A. He retired nine games into the 1971-72 season because of his nagging knee problems. It was bad timing as the Lakers went on to win the NBA Championship that season.
Number 1 – Karl “The Mail-man” Malone. “Like Stockton, I bet Malone has nightmares of the day MJ returned to the NBA,” Evans wrote.
Evans also included a (dis) honorable mention to his list; Included were Alex English, Vince Carter, George “Iceman” Gervin, Reggie Miller (In 1995, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks, leading the Pacers to a stunning 107–105 victory), “Pistol” Pete Maravich (Evans – “I have to give credit to a guy who can average 24.2 points
per game WITHOUT a three-point line for a part of his career. The Pistol probably would have averaged over 30 points per game with one.”), and Steve Nash, who, like Vince Carter, still has a chance to escape from this list.