Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Moderators: Clav, Domejandro, ken6199, bisme37, Dirk, KingDavid, cupcakesnake, bwgood77, zimpy27, infinite11285
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- General Manager
- Posts: 8,125
- And1: 4,818
- Joined: Aug 29, 2006
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
I like the DJ mention in the modern day and Malone is probably the most notable one. I'll throw in Byron Russell following malone as a new mention. Antwan Jamison also ring changed for both LA teams to end his career. David West was a good contender for this until he finally got one. Matt Barnes has so much quantity but he also arguably chased rings with the LA teams back to back, and then with the Warriors which worked out for him.
What about Wesley Matthews in the past 3 years? Joined the team with the best record for basically the minimum for the 2020 season. Left said team after they came up short, to join the defending champions. Team came up short again, only for his previous team to win the championship. Rejoined his original team and they were eliminated inthe second round.
What about Wesley Matthews in the past 3 years? Joined the team with the best record for basically the minimum for the 2020 season. Left said team after they came up short, to join the defending champions. Team came up short again, only for his previous team to win the championship. Rejoined his original team and they were eliminated inthe second round.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 14,452
- And1: 10,983
- Joined: Aug 02, 2008
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
It's got to be Karl Malone. He spent 18 years with the same team, couldn't make it to the Finals when Jordan was playing baseball, lost to Jordan twice in the Finals, then couldn't make it back after Jordan retired. Then he went to join Kobe and Shaq, and that's the one season when all hell breaks loose with the Kobe/Shaq relationship, Rasheed Wallace gets traded, waived, and picked up by the Pistons midseason, and Karl gets injured.
But considering Malone got a 13 year old girl pregnant, I can't really feel bad for him.
But considering Malone got a 13 year old girl pregnant, I can't really feel bad for him.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 4,703
- And1: 2,116
- Joined: Feb 13, 2019
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
bisme37 wrote:I felt kinda bad for LMA this year. Went to the Nets for a ring and not only got swept in the 1st round but didn't even get to play.
Great point, don't forget he left Portland to join Pops in San Antonio to chase rings too.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- NeoWarriors
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 4,700
- And1: 2,468
- Joined: Aug 25, 2015
- Location: Small town Oklahoma via San Jose
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
He did better than that. He won two rings.Charlesareed wrote:dc wrote:IIRC, David West took about a $10M pay cut to sign with the Spurs in 2015-2016 and didn't win one that year.
Yes he failed but he did win a ring with GSW

Sent from my Golden State Warriors Protoast Elite toaster using RealGM mobile app

Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- NeoWarriors
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 4,700
- And1: 2,468
- Joined: Aug 25, 2015
- Location: Small town Oklahoma via San Jose
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
TheHartBreakKid wrote:Matt Barnes has so much quantity but he also arguably chased rings with the LA teams back to back, and then with the Warriors which worked out for him.
He didn't really chase a ring with Golden State. We called him when Kevin Durant got injured to fill in for the last month of the season. So technically we chased him.

Sent from my Golden State Warriors Protoast Elite toaster using RealGM mobile app

Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 11,625
- And1: 8,757
- Joined: May 26, 2020
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Nick Young
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Analyst
- Posts: 3,368
- And1: 2,239
- Joined: Feb 12, 2015
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Karl Malone comes to mind
Inadequate perception I reckon it's from the Valium
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Analyst
- Posts: 3,102
- And1: 3,807
- Joined: Oct 29, 2012
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
NZB2323 wrote:It's got to be Karl Malone. He spent 18 years with the same team, couldn't make it to the Finals when Jordan was playing baseball, lost to Jordan twice in the Finals, then couldn't make it back after Jordan retired. Then he went to join Kobe and Shaq, and that's the one season when all hell breaks loose with the Kobe/Shaq relationship, Rasheed Wallace gets traded, waived, and picked up by the Pistons midseason, and Karl gets injured.
But considering Malone got a 13 year old girl pregnant, I can't really feel bad for him.
‘Sheed never got waived. He played one game with ATL then got traded to Detroit.
February 9, 2004: Traded by the Portland Trail Blazers with Wesley Person to the Atlanta Hawks for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Dan Dickau and Theo Ratliff.
February 19, 2004: As part of a 3-team trade, traded by the Atlanta Hawks to the Detroit Pistons; the Boston Celtics traded Chris Mills to the Atlanta Hawks; the Boston Celtics traded Mike James to the Detroit Pistons; the Detroit Pistons traded Željko Rebrača, Bob Sura and a 2004 1st round draft pick (Josh Smith was later selected) to the Atlanta Hawks; and the Detroit Pistons traded Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter and a 2004 1st round draft pick (Tony Allen was later selected) to the Boston Celtics.
Interestingly enough, Lindsey Hunter who was part of that trade, did get waived before playing a game in Boston and resigned back with the Pistons back when there was no rule against that. Helped them win a tittle
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Ballboy
- Posts: 46
- And1: 37
- Joined: Jun 13, 2016
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Even tho he got his rings Shaqs was a little sad. He went to Phoenix who had the best record in the league for like 3 years in a row and didnt even make the playoffs. Then went to Cleveland and lost against the Celtics in the second round, and finally he then decided to join the team who beat him risking his entire laker legacy in the process for going to their biggest rivals only to lose again in the second round to another of his former teams
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- JasonStern
- RealGM
- Posts: 12,202
- And1: 4,268
- Joined: Dec 13, 2008
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
ManyaWarrior wrote:Even tho he got his rings Shaqs was a little sad. He went to Phoenix who had the best record in the league for like 3 years in a row and didnt even make the playoffs. Then went to Cleveland and lost against the Celtics in the second round, and finally he then decided to join the team who beat him risking his entire laker legacy in the process for going to their biggest rivals only to lose again in the second round to another of his former teams
Beat me to it! Late career Shaq definitely should be a contender on this list.
Put the Suns over the top - fail
Win a ring for The King - fail
Catch Kobe with The Big Three - fail
While I am sure they are over it now, the last stint with the Celtics really pissed off a lot of Lakers fans at the time. It's one thing to leave, but to go to your rival immediately after they met in the finals...
I don't have a cool avatar image because Dame came home.
"Hate all you want. The Bucks will trade Doc Rivers for me."
- Chauncey Billups
"Hate all you want. The Bucks will trade Doc Rivers for me."
- Chauncey Billups
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- -Sammy-
- Retired Mod
- Posts: 10,180
- And1: 22,276
- Joined: Sep 03, 2014
- Location: Back at Frontier Burger
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
ken6199 wrote:Tmac was one Manu/Kawhi free throw away from a ring.
Security literally brought out the yellow tape in Miami with Spurs up by 5 with 28 seconds left.
I need your memory to be less good.

Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 41,064
- And1: 27,931
- Joined: Oct 25, 2006
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
dc wrote:IIRC, David West took about a $10M pay cut to sign with the Spurs in 2015-2016 and didn't win one that year.
He had it coming for previously choosing the Pacers over the Celtics.
Banned temporarily for, among other sins, being "Extremely Deviant".
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Junior
- Posts: 404
- And1: 452
- Joined: Dec 09, 2021
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
notcolangelo wrote:Marion Hossa for the NHL
Tried chasing with the pens and they made it to the finals against the Red Wings only to lose,
then offered same money but bailed for the Red Wings the next season. It was a repeat matchup, and the Red Wings lost to the penguins
He went on to win three cups with Chicago, though.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Senior
- Posts: 524
- And1: 1,274
- Joined: Dec 21, 2015
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- Sixth Man
- Posts: 1,914
- And1: 652
- Joined: May 22, 2011
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Chuck and Cp3
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 11,832
- And1: 10,474
- Joined: Oct 01, 2008
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
tamaraw08 wrote:bisme37 wrote:I felt kinda bad for LMA this year. Went to the Nets for a ring and not only got swept in the 1st round but didn't even get to play.
Great point, don't forget he left Portland to join Pops in San Antonio to chase rings too.
He likely would have had just as much success if he stayed in Portland compared to the Spurs years.
In 5 years with Spurs:
2 1st round exits
1 2nd round exit
1 WCF exit
1 Miss playoffs
Portland those same 5 years:
3 1st round exits
1 2nd round exit
1 WCF exit
They did fair better than Portland in the WCF, but ultimately still lost. Only the 2 seasons with the Nets did he truly get further than Portland, but that was a 2nd round compared to a 1st, and a 1st round compared to missing the playoffs.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 19,553
- And1: 12,682
- Joined: Jul 09, 2002
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
pace31 wrote:LAL1947 wrote:pace31 wrote:Gary Payton & Karl Malone
Payton got his in 2005-06
Oh yeah, spaced that
Understandable. Chased after rings usually don't add much to a players legacy. They may mean a great deal to the player themselves but not to the fans.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 12,020
- And1: 7,967
- Joined: Sep 13, 2005
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Drummond to the Lakers?
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- MartyConlonOnTheRun
- RealGM
- Posts: 27,611
- And1: 13,377
- Joined: Jun 27, 2006
- Location: Section 212 - Raising havoc in Squad 6
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
Profound23 wrote:LAL1947 wrote:Jeff Green? He's been on or joined quite a few teams with title aspirations but hasn't won one yet because something unexpected always happens. (OKC, BOS, CLE, UTA, BRK, DEN).
Karl Malone was unlucky too. He might've got one in LA if he didn't get hurt in the finals. Gave it his best shot though.
Green is a great pick because he left teams right before they won titles or joined teams that won titles and failed that year.
Wes Matthews was on the Bucks, watched the Lakers win a title. Went to the Lakers, watched the Bucks win a title. Went back to the Bucks and was on pace to win a title until Middleton got hurt. I feel bad for the dude.
Yeah and Wes was on the vet min playing decent minutes. Not just a 15th guy.
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
- -Luke-
- Analyst
- Posts: 3,257
- And1: 6,762
- Joined: Feb 21, 2021
- Contact:
-
Re: Unluckiest Ring Chasers?
I would not call either of them a ring chaser, but Erick Dampier and Anderson Varejão were pretty unlucky when it comes to rings.
Dampier lost in the Finals with Dallas vs Miami and five years later with Miami vs Dallas. Varejão lost with the Cavs against the Warriors and with the Warriors against the Cavs a year later.
Dampier lost in the Finals with Dallas vs Miami and five years later with Miami vs Dallas. Varejão lost with the Cavs against the Warriors and with the Warriors against the Cavs a year later.