Greatest NBA player ever, without a championship?
539729
I would probably say Elgin Baylor.\n\n27.4 ppg, 13.5 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists per game (back when an assist was really an assist)... pretty good for a small forward.  \n\nBaylor started the 1972 season with the Lakers, but was forced to retire because his kness were totally shot (they had been for several years). The Lakers did win the championship that year, but Baylor was not around to celebrate.\n\nHe was also the third leading rebounder of the 1960s, after Chamberlain and Russell:\n\nMost Rebounds in the 1960s:\n\n1. Wilt Chamberlain  19,112\n2. Bill Russell      17,501\n3. Elgin Baylor       9,786\n4. Walt Bellamy       9,716\n5. Jerry Lucas        8,831\n\n(As a side note, I hear a lot of people say that Wilt and Russell were only good rebounders because there were more shots missed back then...but if this were the case, EVERYONE'S rebounding numbers would look ridiculous. The reason Wilt and Russell rank where they do, with the totals that they have, is because, quite simply, they were the best, and they wanted the d*** ball).\n\nI would put Malone and Barkley right behind Baylor, and Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich and George Gervin behind them.\n\nI wouldn't put Iverson or Nowitzky in the top five.
6394
bill russell\n\nWilliam Felton Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a former American basketball player remembered for his central role in the Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in the 13 seasons that he played. His major contribution to the sport was raising defensive play to a new level; he is commonly considered the greatest defensive center to ever play the game.\n\nhe was one of the first to be able to affect the outcomes of games on the defensive end. he AVERAGED 22.5 reb/game, had 51 boards in one game, 49 in two others, and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. blocks weren't recorded as an official stat until 73-74, but he could swat with the best of 'em and gave wilt a run for his money.
1134281
The Celtics w/ Bill Russell. They had an amazing team and you said it, they won an insane amount of championships. I think that the Bulls w/ MJ in his prime would beat the Celtics, but they don't have the Nba titles that the Celtics do.
149497
First of all to all of you who put in players from today you people need Jesus!!!!\nLeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and A.I. do not hold a candle to the men who came before them. \n\n1. Micheal Jordan (Hands Down)\n2. Bill Russell (10 rings is hard to f with)\n3. Larry Bird\n4. Karl Malone (2d on all time leading scoring list)\n5. Kareem Abdul Jabbar (he is the all-time leading scorer isn't he)
1037270
Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain
469834
Michael Jordan is a legend.
7936
id wanna say larry brown. gut instinct. kansas back in the day and then the detroit pistons. i think he has an ABA title as well, maybe.
367589
I have to agree with GISMCIERI.  Each decade has its player-of-all-time, but it's pretty hard to argue against Jordan.
1166009
THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY \n\n\n\nKareem Abdul-Jabbar\nNate Archibald\n\nPaul Arizin\n\nCharles Barkley\n\nRick Barry\n\nElgin Baylor\n\nDave Bing\n\nLarry Bird\n\nWilt Chamberlain\n\nBob Cousy\n\nDave Cowens\n\nBilly Cunningham\n\nDave DeBusschere\n\nClyde Drexler\n\nJulius Erving\n\nPatrick Ewing\n\nWalt Frazier\n\nGeorge Gervin\n\nHal Greer\n\nJohn Havlicek\n\nElvin Hayes\n\nMagic Johnson\n\nSam Jones\n\nMichael Jordan\n\nJerry Lucas\n\n Karl Malone\nMoses Malone\n\nPete Maravich\n\nKevin McHale\n\nGeorge Mikan\n\nEarl Monroe\n\nHakeem Olajuwon\n\nShaquille O'Neal\n\nRobert Parish\n\nBob Pettit\n\nScottie Pippen\n\nWillis Reed\n\nOscar Robertson\n\nDavid Robinson\n\nBill Russell\n\nDolph Schayes\n\nBill Sharman\n\nJohn Stockton\n\nIsiah Thomas\n\nNate Thurmond\n\nWes Unseld\n\nBill Walton\n\nJerry West\n\nLenny Wilkens\n\nJames Worthy
653660
has to be Magic Johnson-He led the lakers to the title his rookie year
445267
Wang Zhizhi from China did it.  He accomplished this before joining the Dallas Mavericks when he was on the Chinese National Team.  It is well documented.  The first and only triple-triple in the history of basketball.\n\nAlthough he is no longer in the NBA, he is truly the greatest player of all time (yes, surpassing Michael Jordan, Wilt and others).
521603
One player can't win an NBA championship.  The answer is zero.  Maybe if he joined a good team and became a team player for a change.
241945
The best white player of all time would have to be Mr. Larry Bird. The best player EVER would have to be Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was the most dominant player the NBA had ever seen. Jordan has set the bar so high for players like, LeBron, Anthony, and Kobe that they might never be able to reach it.\n\nMichael Jordan was SO good that the whole NBA could be considered overrated talent compared to him. Jordan is what hype is compared to. IF you don't reach up to Jordan's level you could be percived as failure. I believe that if Lebron, KG or Wade never a championship during their career, they will be called "overrated."\n\nJordan is the greatest basketball talent to ever play the game.
33967
While Wilt Chamberlain did score 100 points in a game, and players such as Dr. J, Magic, Kareem, and a host of others are all historical great, only one player is the legend:\n\nMichael Jordan
790206
wow, that was.... VERY well put, and i completly agree. KG is probably the 2nd best player (lebron) in the NBA right now, but there seems like there's no hope for him to do anything with the rest of his career. He's still great, but as he is finishing his days, there's no way he's gonna win. There's no point in being the best player ever without winning it all. Think of Jordan without any rings, he's would not be who he is without his 6 rings. Sure, John Stockton and Karl Malone are hall of famers, top 50 ever, great players, but without winning the champship, they'll always be behind MJ and Magic and Bird. The ring is what seperates great from the best. T-wolves owe it to Kevin to put him in a position to win after all his years of taking them even close to the Finals by himself.
22431
Wilt Chamberlain:\n\nscored 100 points in a single game\nscored over seventy points on five occasions\naveraged more points per game in his career than jordan\naveraged fifty points per game one season\naveraged over 25 rebounds per game in five seasons\nlead the league in assists one season\n\nTrue Jordan was probably a better team player and he did win many more championships (which may arguably be the best indicator of a great player; but if this is true then it could be Bill Russell won eight championships) but I believe that Wilt Chamberlain is the single best, most dominant player to ever play NBA basketball.
749632
1-Chamberlain (Once avg 50 ppg and 25 boards in a season... \n                           he changed the game)\n2-Julius Erving (Has his championship ring... a combination of \n                          athleticism and creativity like no one else who\n                          has ever played the game)\n3-Sir Charles (Greatest ballplayer never to win a championship)\n4-Billy Cunningham (Skilled in every area of the game, and\n                         completely unselfish....a winner)\n5-Iverson (The most overrated player in NBA history...will never \n                        a champion unless, like Gary Payton, he is willing  \n                        to come off somebody's bench late in his career)