Top 20 Best Athletes Who NEVER Won a Championship
#20: Dick Butkus
Athletes who played in the NFL during the 1960s and ‘70s had a reason to fear Dick Butkus. The Chicago native was a fearsome force on the defensive line for the Chicago Bears between 1965 and 1973. His strength, determination and size resulted in turnover after turnover. Despite this, the Bears struggled to earn wins during Butkus’ tenure, and the linebacker never went all the way to a Super Bowl win. But this took nothing away from how intimidating, tough and relentless he was in pursuit of victory.
#19: Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks was another Chicago sports legend who, despite a stellar career, never won the big one. Banks started his career in the Negro Leagues playing for Kansas City, but he’s most remembered for his tenure with Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs. Banks thrived, winning National League MVP honors twice and as well as a Golden Glove award. This shortstop and first baseman retired in 1971, and later took a coaching position on the roster. His number was retired by the team and although the Hall of Famer may not have won a World Series, he certainly captured the hearts of the Chicago faithful.
#18: Steve Nash
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Steve Nash’s career accolades read like an embarrassment of riches. Two time NBA MVP, eight time all-star, a number of all NBA first, second and third team honors; the list goes on. He was a deadeye from the free throw line and was reliable when it came to shooting three pointers. As such, he’s regarded by many as one of the NBA’s greatest players and arguably the greatest Canadian basketball player period. Unfortunately, Nash couldn’t capture an NBA championship during his tenures with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Lakers.
#17: Jim Kelly
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The world is chock-full of “what if? scenarios, and hypothetical, alternate timelines. For our money, we’d like to live in a world where the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly won the Super Bowl championship he deserved. The Bills made it to the dance an astonishing four times, yet they ultimately failed to capitalize. This, of course, takes nothing away from Kelly’s remarkable play at the quarterback position and his ability to perform under pressure. One of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, it’s just a shame there isn’t a single superbowl ring on any of his fingers.
#16: Carl Yastrzemski
Better known simply as “Yaz,” he’s one of the biggest names in the history of Major League Baseball. Carl Yastrzemski was a hero in Boston during his time with the Red Sox. Despite playing during a time when that club was still allegedly under “The Curse of the Bambino,” this legend hit over four-hundred home runs, falling just behind fellow Red Sox players Ted Williams and David Ortiz. Yastrzemski was a consistent, reliable presence for the Sox. Yet despite his sensational play and astronomical numbers, he was only able to lead Boston to two world series appearances, both of which the Red Sox lost.
#15: Patrick Ewing
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The history of the NBA is littered with broken championship dreams. Patrick Ewing played the best years of his career with the New York Knicks, the latter of which held a longstanding rivalry with the Chicago Bulls. You guys can see where this is going, right? There’s no denying the generational talent that was Patrick Ewing and his skills on the court. Yet, the Bulls held down the Knicks championship dreams five out of six meetings, between 1989 and 1996. Still, Patrick Ewing remains one of the NBA greats, while also going down in the history books as a member of the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team.”
#14: Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Hawerchuk played for his fair share of teams during his time in the National Hockey League. The Toronto, Ontario native played with the Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabers, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets during his sixteen-season career. Despite this, Hawerchuk was never able to hoist up a Stanley Cup as a member of any of these teams. The former NHL Rookie of the Year and Hall of Famer consistently racked up both points and assists. Dale Hawerchuk moved on to coaching after his NHL career was over, heading the Barrie Colts during the Ontario Hockey League’s 2010-11 season.
#13: Don Mattingly
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Don Mattingly was a lifelong New York Yankee during his playing career. He played fourteen years with the team, amassing 2153 hits, 222 home runs and a batting average of .307. Unfortunately, the Yankees’ good fortune seemed to bookend Mattingly’s career, and not in a good way. That’s because the club won the World Series the year after Donnie Baseball retired. Mattingly’s career also had to contend with a strike in 1994, and a Yankee club that struggled, despite the player’s best efforts. Nonetheless, the word “best” still rings true when speaking of Don Mattingly’s performances on the baseball field. He was truly one of the greats.
#12: Tony Gonzalez
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Tony Gonzalez was a beast of a tight end when he played with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, yet a Super Bowl just didn’t seem to be in the cards. Because he was always a reliable ball-handler out on the field, it was almost as though his hands seemed to be made of glue. As of the time of writing, he leads all tight-ends in receiving yards and receptions, and is second in touchdowns with 111. A mainstay at the NFL’s Pro Bowl, Gonzalez was a fan-favorite and is considered one of greatest tight ends to ever play football.
#11: Bo Jackson
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Bo Jackson excelled in both football and baseball, having had successful NFL and MLB careers. The only professional athlete to be named an All-Star in 2 major sports in North America, Jackson was noted for his speed. Unfortunately, this talent alone was never enough to win either a Super Bowl or World Series. Jackson played with the Los Angeles Raiders in the NFL and with the California Angels, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals during his time in the MLB. He practically defined the term “well-rounded,” and excelled as an athlete with basically everything he did.
#10: Allen Iverson
Nicknamed “The Answer,” Iverson was an essential member of the Philadelphia 76s for 10 years, but never could solve the problem of winning a championship. His best chance came in 2001, when he averaged 31.1 points per game, won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and led the 76ers to the Final against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite putting up 35 or more points in 4 of the series’ five games, A.I. and his ‘Sixers were defeated by the Lakers. To add insult to injury, Iverson’s only Olympic appearance was in 2004, as part of the only United States men’s basketball team to not win the Gold medal since 1988.
#9: Elgin Baylor
Baylor was one of those players who drew the short straw and played for the Lakers in the wrong era. Although Los Angeles dominated the early 2000s in terms of titles, the team couldn’t win the big one in the 1960s – although they sure made it to the Finals enough. Baylor spent almost his entire playing career with the Lakers, where he was named an All-Star 11 times and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1959. He appeared in eight, yes, eight NBA Finals, but was never on the winning side, as the Lakers were defeated each time, with 7 of the losses coming against the Boston Celtics.
#8: Ken Griffey, Jr.
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Had Griffey’s career not been plagued by injuries, he may have gone down as the greatest baseball player of all-time. Over the course of his 22-year career, Griffey hit 630 home runs, won 10 Gold Glove Awards and was named an All-Star 13 times. Despite his success, he never made it further than the American League Championship Series, although it’s hard to blame Griffey – his showing in the 1995 ALDS, when he hit 5 home runs and helped Seattle rally against the Yankees after being down 2-0 in the series, is one of the greatest post-season performances of all time.
#7: Charles Barkley
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Also known as “The Round Mound of Rebound,” Barkley dominated the paint with his physical play and is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. He finished with a career average of 22.1 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game, and was named an All-Star 11 times. Unfortunately, in his only NBA Finals appearance, Barkley’s Suns were defeated by Michael Jordan’s Bulls in six games. He was, however, an important member of the United States’ “Dream Team” which won Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996, but as a professional there was no crown for Sir Charles.
#6: Ty Cobb
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Cobb’s last MLB appearance was in 1928, meaning there aren’t too many people alive who had the pleasure of watching him play. To sum up, Cobb set approximately 90 different MLB records during his career, including stealing home 54 times, and finished with a career batting average of .367. He won the American League batting title 12 different times and the Triple Crown in 1909. Cobb led the Detroit Tigers to three straight World Series’ appearances from 1907-09 but was on the losing side of all three, including dropping two straight to the – brace yourselves – Chicago Cubs.
#5: Karl Malone
Despite the fact that they quickly became one of the most impressive pairings in the NBA, Malone and his teammate John Stockton were never able to lead the Utah Jazz to a championship. We elected to go with Malone for this list, because the power forward was named NBA MVP twice, finished his career with the second most points in NBA history and even had his own line of sneakers. He also finished with a then-record 95 playoff losses. Michael Jordan’s Bulls defeated Malone’s Jazz in the finals twice in the late ‘90s, and the Mailman’s last ditch attempt at a one-year stint with the Lakers in 2003-04 also came up short at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
#4: Marcel Dionne
As difficult as it is to win a Stanley Cup, almost all the greatest hockey players have their name engraved on the trophy at least once. Dionne is one of the few who does not. Despite playing for 18 years and scoring 731 goals, he never played in a Stanley Cup Final. Regardless, Dionne remains one of the greatest players in history, scoring over 100 points eight different seasons, which ranks third all-time behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. He also helped Canada win the 1976 Canada Cup, playing on a powerful line with Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito, but a championship was something Dionne never experienced in the NHL.
#3: Barry Sanders
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The NFL has seen some great running backs over the years, and while O.J. Simpson is definitely one of the more famous examples to have never won a Super Bowl, Sanders’ stats are even more impressive. He was named to the Pro Bowl every year he played, was named NFL MVP in 1997, when he rushed for over 2,000 yards, and finished his career with over 15,000 rushing yards, ranking fourth all-time. Unfortunately, Sanders was a member of the Detroit Lions squad, who won a total of one playoff game during his 10-year career. Many people believe that Sanders retired far too early, but considering how dreadful the Lions were in the early 2000s, he may have made the right decision.
#2: Ted Williams
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Like many athletes on our list, Teddy Ballgame had the bad luck of playing on the wrong team at the wrong time. Entering the MLB in 1939, the Kid played all 19 years of his career with the Boston Red Sox, while the team suffered through the infamous 86-year-long “Curse of the Bambino.” Williams’ accomplishments during that time are too many to list: he won the Triple Crown twice, was named an All-Star 19 times, and won two league MVP awards. He also served three years in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during World War II, but a World Series victory was not in the cards. In fact, his only World Series appearance came in 1946, when an injury to his elbow left him ineffective.
#1: Dan Marino
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Marino played 17 years as quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, and came to be known for his strong arm and speedy release. He broke multiple passing records in only his second season, and led the Dolphins to a Super Bowl appearance that season against the San Francisco 49ers. Although his team lost, Marino looked poised to win several Super Bowls before he retired – but he never made it back to the big show. A beloved pop culture figure as well as a star athlete, #13 stills holds a dozen NFL records and finished his career ahead of the 2000 season with over 60,000 passing yards. But he will forever be known as the best quarterback in NFL history to never win a Super Bowl.
Who do you think deserved to go all the way during their career? Let us know in the comments!
