Being eliminated in the playoffs is never a good thing, but there’s a certain solace in knowing you were only beaten by the eventual NBA champion. From the early BAA days to the modern NBA, here are the players who have most frequently lost to the team that would go on to lift the championship trophy at season’s end.
Much criticism was leveled against Wilt Chamberlain for coming up short in title count with just two championships. However, in 10 of the other 12 seasons he played in the NBA, it was only the eventual champion who managed to eliminate him. Of course, seven of those defeats came at the hands of Bill Russell and the Celtics dynasty that dominated the 1960s.
Derek Fisher had a knack for being in big games. Besides his six titles with the Lakers, as if that weren’t impressive enough, he also stood in the way of future champions with three different teams. Not just with the purple and gold, but also with Utah and Oklahoma City. Ultimately, though, only his time in Los Angeles gave him the chance to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Like Wilt Chamberlain, another player who had to endure the Celtics dynasty era in the 60s. Jerry West was Boston’s biggest threat at that time, including becoming the only player ever to win a Finals MVP award in a losing effort. West’s suffering didn’t end with Bill Russell’s retirement. He also had playoff defeats at the hands of other dominant teams, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Bucks and Walt Frazier’s Knicks
Being a legitimate GOAT candidate doesn’t equal winning all the time. For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, losing was also part of a long and decorated career. From the Knicks’ first championship run in 1970 to the rise of the Bad Boys in 1989, defeating Kareem in the playoffs became a badge of honor for some of the most legendary teams across two decades
Another example of an all-time great who repeatedly ran into champions. LeBron James made it to 10 NBA Finals, a historic feat considering he accomplished it with three different teams and also in an era with 30 franchises. Whether due to his teams’ heavy reliance on him, facing historically dominant opponents, or simply having off series, LeBron’s career is filled with epic battles that ended in defeat.
The 2004 Detroit win over Lakers was one of the most surprising NBA Finals outcomes in history. But beyond that title, Rasheed Wallace’s Pistons were usually a stepping stone or the final obstacle for some of the best teams in the 2000s
Elgin Baylor is the first player on this list who never won an NBA championship, although the Lakers awarded him a ring for their 1972 title, which was earned just months after his retirement. His playoff heartbreak began with a loss to the St. Louis Hawks in 1959, during the final postseason run of the Minneapolis Lakers, and continued through a decade marked by repeated defeats at the hands of the dominant Celtics.
From playing in the inaugural BAA season to winning his first and only championship in 1957, Andy Phillip led several contenders with limited success. His title hopes were often dashed by powerhouses of the era, such as Minneapolis and Syracuse, before finally earning a chance to reach the top as a role player in the Celtics’ first championship run.
Two titles as Finals MVP with the Warriors cemented his legacy as one of the best offensive players ever. But outside of his Bay Area stint, Kevin Durant found himself in teams that didn’t reach their potential. Still an undeniable star for any team, KD may yet have more opportunities to win that elusive third ring.
