The 25 best NBA players who never reached the Finals

Nash is a two-time MVP, but he was never able to parlay that into the ultimate team success. He came close a handful of times, though, reaching the Conference Finals with both Dallas and Phoenix. In 2003 and 2010, however, his teams lost to the eventual champion.

Not only has Embiid never made the Finals, but his 76ers have never even reached the Conference Finals. Injuries haven't helped, as Embiid's frequent time missed has limited his impact. He's also had bad luck with match-ups, like when they faced the eventual-champion Raptors in the 2019 second round.

After coming over to the NBA in the late '70s, Gervin quickly became one of the league's most iconic players, leading the league in scoring four times. None of those years, though, did he make it to the Finals. He was stopped by tough Bullets and Lakers teams in 1979 and 1983, respectively.

For years, Lillard was loyal to Portland despite the franchise's relative lack of team success. Their best shot at a title came in 2019, when they lost 4-0 to the Warriors in the Conference Finals. Dame was expected to contend for a ring when he joined Giannis in Milwaukee, but those teams didn't even advance past the first round.

One of the most explosive scorers of the '80s and early '90s, 'Nique was as exciting as NBA players came. He wasn't the most successful on a team level, though. He only really sniffed the Finals once, when his Hawks pushed the Celtics to 7 games in the 1988 Conference Finals.

'Melo is one of the first guys that comes to mind when you think of extraordinary talents who didn't have the team success to match. His 2009 Nuggets were a great team, but their peak was a 2009 Conference Finals appearance. Carmelo didn't fare any better in his New York years, either.

Some would argue that Webber was robbed of his best shot at a title. In the infamous 2002 Western Conference Finals, his Kings were up 3-2 on the Lakers, but Game 6 went LA's way amid what many believe to be Laker-favoring officiating. The Kings weren't able to recover in Game 7, and it was Shaq and Kobe who went all the way and ended up securing the title.

The '80s were full of big-time NBA stars, but English might be one of the most historically overlooked; in his 11 seasons with the Nuggets, he averaged a hair under 26 points per game. Those teams didn't usually get too far in the postseason, though. Their best run with '85, when they lost to the Lakers in the Conference Finals.

Despite his high-flying and high-scoring play, Carter never got to the promised land. He did have a memorable playoff moment, though, with the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He and Sixers star Allen Iverson went back and forth through the seven-game series, with AI dropping 54 in Game 2 and Carter answering with 50 of his own in the next match-up.

It's definitely too early to write Edwards off, as he's still just a few years into his 20s and already one of the league's big stars. His Timberwolves have started making some good playoff runs over the past couple of seasons, though. They made the Conference Finals in both 2024 and 2025, but lost both series in five games.

George's career has, unfortunately, been hampered by a regular onslaught of injuries and extended absences. He had a real shot at making the Finals with the Pacers in 2013, though. That team pushed the Heat to a Game 7 in the Conference Finals that year, but LeBron and company closed it out.

Griffin's career was much more defined by personal prosperity than it was by team success. His Clippers teams never had extended postseason runs. Griffin also reached the Finals with the Celtics late in his career, but the 2023 team lost a seven-game Conference Finals to the Heat.

Injuries were a frequent concern for Amar'e, preventing his career from being what it could have been. It was still pretty great, though, and there were a couple of deep playoff runs, including Conference Finals appearances in 2005 and 2010.

Mitchell was a fantastic rookie: Once he got his feet under him, the Jazz won 30 of their final 35 regular-season games thanks to his leadership. He guided the team to the Conference Semifinals, which is pretty good for having a rookie as your No. 1 option. However, Mitchell hasn't yet made it deeper into the postseason than that.

Young is still comfortably in his 20s, but even at his young age, he's had some big postseason moments. In 2021, his Hawks reached the Conference Finals. In 2023, they lost to Boston in the first round, but Young was a real thorn in the Celtics' side all series.

Towns is a veteran at this point, having spent over 10 years in the league. Most of those seasons, he didn't venture deep into the playoffs. That has started to change recently, though: He made the Conference Finals with the Timberwolves in 2024 and the Knicks in 2025.

Aldridge was something like his generation's Tim Duncan: a fundamental-driven big with sustained production. The big difference between the two players, though, is the postseason resume. He only made the Conference Finals once, when his Spurs were swept by the Warriors in 2017.

It can be forgotten how tough O'Neal was in his day; He finished third in MVP voting in 2004. That year, he also took the Pacers on the deepest postseason run of his career. Unfortunately, they ran into the Pistons in the Conference Finals, and that team went on to win it all.

Randolph's career was stronger than his mere two All-Star appearances suggest: During his eight-year peak from 2004 to 2011, he averaged 20 points and ten rebounds a game. However, he had limited playoff exposure during that time. In '13, his Grizzlies were swept by the Spurs in the Conference Finals.

"Iso Joe" was as threatening as they came in terms of one-on-one scorers. He led some good Hawks teams in the 2000s and 2010s, but they never made it to the big show. Johnson never got to the Conference Finals, actually, making his run most notable for his regular-season exploits.

Over his first nine seasons in the NBA, Brand averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks a game. He spent the bulk of his career, though, on some not-great Clippers teams. There was a dim spark in '06, though, when LA made it to the Conference Semifinals.

Kemba's Charlotte teams were never that successful, but during that time, he became one of the league's most potent offensive guards. Walker gave himself his best shot to win a title during his stint with the Celtics. He came so close in 2020, losing to the Heat in the Conference Finals.

Vučević could be compared to Aldridge, but he's had even less postseason success. His only time past the first round was his rookie season, when he didn't get much run as the 76ers left in the second round. As he nears the tail end of his 30s, it looks like his window is closing, too.

Arenas had a stellar three-year peak, averaging 27 points a game for the Wizards during that run. Ultimately, though, he wasn't a regular in the postseason. His best playoff run was in '05, when Washington got swept by Miami in the Conference Semifinals.

Roy won the Rookie Of The Year award, which he followed with a three-year stretch as one of the league's best guards. Knee issues ended his career prematurely, so he never had much opportunity to make a postseason impact. He made the playoffs a few times but ultimately never got past the first round.