30 best NBA players to never win a championship

5. Allen Iverson

Several times throughout this list, the word “iconic” has been used. No other player that makes an appearance here, though, embodies that word in the way that Allen Iverson does. The dubiously listed 6-foot guard became an absolute legend for how he played, the levels of success he was able to reach while using that style of play and, of course, for his off-the-court persona as well.

Taken with the first-overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Georgetown, Iverson was a scoring machine right out of the gate, posting 23.5 points per game while getting his first taste of the league. That was just the tip of the iceberg for him, though.

From 2000-06, Iverson played an absurd amount of minutes as he averaged 42.7 per game. He was not an efficient scorer by any metric. And though that might make his numbers look less impressive, they also require some context. Over that span “The Answer” averaged 30.1 points, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Yes, the per-36 minute numbers aren’t as wowing. But when you consider that Iverson was essentially required to play those minutes and do everything for those Sixers teams, it’s much more impressive.

Iverson dragged sub-par 76ers team deep into the playoffs and even to the NBA Finals near single-handedly. Those teams would likely have not made the playoffs if not for Iverson, but he was dominant and clutch enough to take them to those heights. So yes, the analytics community may point out his many flaws with warranted criticism. But when you look at the situation he was playing in, what he was able to accomplish is unmistakably incredible.