While strong regular seasons can bring NBA players wealth and recognition, it is truly their performances in the playoffs that forge legends. This standard has been, and will continue to be, the defining measure.
Consider the impact on legacies: Charles Barkley is often critiqued, fairly or unfairly, for not winning a championship. Kevin Garnett transformed his image from a star who consistently lost in the first round in Minnesota to the epitome of a leader after securing a title with Boston. Jerry West, despite being a great champion, had his career partly defined by the agony of losing his first eight trips to the Finals. Pat Riley, a man with nine rings, famously captured this intensity with the quote, “there is winning and there is misery.” More recently, MVP winners Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic validated their accolades by leading their teams to championships.
As the playoff season gets underway, here are six prominent NBA players who are still seeking their first championship and whose places in basketball history could be significantly cemented by a deep playoff run this year.
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic did not initiate his trade, nor did he specifically prioritize a move to Los Angeles, unlike many stars before him. However, he is now a Laker, which comes with its own set of high expectations. Doncic`s remarkable run to last season`s NBA Finals, highlighted by an outstanding Western Conference Finals performance where he averaged 33 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals, only raised the stakes. But his numbers in the Finals against the Boston Celtics dipped significantly, including poor 3-point shooting (24%) and 23 turnovers over five games, and his Game 3 disqualification left observers wanting more.
Doncic has started the current playoffs strongly, scoring 37 points in Game 1 of the Lakers` first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, though the Lakers ultimately lost that game 117-95. Achieving another deep playoff run, now with his new team, would not only challenge the feelings of a still-disgruntled Dallas Mavericks fanbase but also provide compelling evidence of the Lakers` potential, both presently and for the long term.
James Harden, LA Clippers
James Harden has had an unusual journey for an NBA superstar. Following the negative perception that arose from requesting three trades in under five years, his recent performance over the past two seasons has arguably left him underrated. In the Clippers` Game 1 loss, he scored seven of his team-high 32 points in overtime, then played a supportive role to Kawhi Leonard in Game 2, contributing a solid 18 points and seven assists.
Unfortunately, the 11-time All-Star and 2017-18 NBA MVP has a notable list of disappointing playoff games on his record, contributing to a narrative that he struggles in critical moments. Despite this, he has participated in over 125 career playoff games, a testament to his impressive consistency in making the playoffs in each of his 16 seasons. However, he hasn`t reached the Finals since his third season in the league in 2011-12 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and hasn`t advanced beyond the second round since 2018 during his time with the Houston Rockets, three teams ago. Guiding the Clippers to the Finals this year would certainly quiet many of his long-standing critics who have doubted his ability to achieve such a feat.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell has been a key player on teams that have achieved a .600 winning percentage or better in five different seasons. On two occasions, he led those teams to records exceeding a 70% winning rate, including the Cavaliers` 64-win season this year. Mitchell has enjoyed multiple excellent individual seasons, earning six All-Star selections and expected to be named to the All-NBA team for the second time this season. He has made the playoffs eight times – five with the Utah Jazz and three with the Cleveland Cavaliers – but has yet to lead a team beyond the second round. Last season, the Cavaliers were eliminated comprehensively by the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, in a series where Mitchell missed two games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
After finishing as the runner-up last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) is the leading candidate to win the MVP award this season. This honor carries significant prestige and is a strong indicator of a likely Hall of Fame career. However, it also brings the specific expectation that there is now only one major achievement left: leading a team to a championship. Despite a resume that is poised to include three consecutive First-Team All-NBA selections and three straight top-five MVP finishes, Gilgeous-Alexander is entering a new level of pressure. Following an early playoff exit last year, even as the top seed in the Western Conference, failing to make a deep run this year will likely have consequences for his reputation, a challenge he hasn`t truly faced until now.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson`s standing in New York is exceptional. He led the Knicks to their first consecutive 50-win seasons since the Pat Riley era in the 1990s and is the first Knick since Richie Guerin in the 1960s to average 25 points and 5 assists in back-to-back seasons. However, there is already a growing impatience that this current period of Knicks contention hasn`t yielded greater success, and concerns that the team, which made significant “all-in” trades last summer, may not be capable of ending the franchise`s championship drought, which dates back to 1973. As the central figure of this core, Brunson is the face of both the team`s successes and its shortcomings. The pressure to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000 is intensified by their recent poor record (0-10) against top teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder.
Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
No one questions “Playoff Jimmy” Butler`s proven ability to perform when it matters most; he famously spearheaded the Miami Heat through a series of playoff upsets and two trips to the NBA Finals during his tenure there. However, the circumstances of his somewhat contentious departure from Miami and the way his trade demand process unfolded, ultimately resulting in a lucrative nine-figure extension from the Golden State Warriors, make postseason dominance an absolute necessity. In essence, he needs to demonstrate he is worth the significant investment.
He typically delivers in the playoffs. Butler has made it a tradition to save his best performances for the postseason (despite not being named an All-Star since 2022 and making only one All-NBA team in the past five years, contrasting with his playoff impact). His new team, the Warriors, a franchise accustomed to dynasty-level success, is heavily banking on this. He has started this season`s playoffs well. After navigating the play-in tournament, the Warriors secured a Game 1 victory in their first-round series against the No. 2 seeded Houston Rockets, with Butler contributing 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. The one major achievement “Playoff Jimmy” has yet to accomplish? Winning an NBA championship.