Feb 28, 1996: Minneapolis, MN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley (34) in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Analyst Explains Why He Chooses Karl Malone over Suns Legend

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI
By Connor Moreno | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 12:19 PM ET

One of the most engaging discussions in NBA discourse is who the best player to never win a ring is.

There are a ton of names one can think of, but the list has ultimately come down to two greats -- Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley and Utah Jazz great Karl Malone.

Former NBA player and current analyst Richard Jefferson gave his opinions on the matter, and Suns fans may not like what he had to say about Barkley on the latest episode of the Road Trippin Podcast:

"“The reason why I would pick Karl Malone over Charles is because of the level of professionalism that Karl Malone always approached. So when I look at Karl Malone versus Charles — when Charles was in Philly, he was in and out of shape, and then he would — some of his off-the-court partying that we knew about…I'm saying Charles was a rebel. He's not a role model. So I'm not taking shots at him. But I'm saying, when you look at a guy like Karl Malone who trained for eight hours a day, he played for 19 years. He was second in scoring. And if his body would have held up, he probably would have been the all-time leading scorer. So, when I look at the best player to not win a championship, I'm going to put Karl Malone as number one just because his professional approach was trying to maximize every bit of his talent for a lot of years."

The initial discussion rose from the question of whether Tracy McGrady was the best player to never win a ring. Jefferson, of course, didn't think McGrady was deserving of the title

"T-Mac was a different monster, Richardson said. "He was 6'9" and a half, 6'10", long, handled it like a guard, was stronger than you think, wanted that smoke, had all of the skill, all of the stuff. I kid you not, there was a rim. There was a ball, hits off the rim, pops straight up. Me and T-Mac, like it was a jump ball. I jump up, go to grab it, 99.9% of the time in my life, I have grabbed that ball. T-Mac was a hand over me. Grabbed it and just looked at me like — made like trying to make you feel small."

Much like the GOAT debate, this will be a conversation that lasts for generations to come. Whether you think it's Malone of Barkley, there soon may be another player worthy of stepping into one of their places soon.