The Deep 3 Podcast - We Tier Listed The Best NBA Stars Of All Time With NO RINGS | TD3 Clips

Episode Date: February 3, 2026

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We are going to put the best NBA stars to never win a championship into a tier list. All the ringless superstars from over the years, or most of them, obviously not all of them. I have 19 of them right here that I think kind of tell the story of especially the modern NBA, our era. Let's start off with one of the most infamous players that obviously belongs on this list. James Hardin, where do you want to go with him on here? He could fall into a lot of these categories. I think you got to consider him as a ringless goat. Oh, my God.

No. He's definitely not. You're not that guy. That's ridiculous. He literally turns into the guy where he choked every single year And you look at him and you're like you're not that guy Maybe you can go playoff rod if you want to say he loses because of his own fault every time It's it's very much on him

I'm not giving James we're not giving James Hardin excuses and outsies Okay so it's either playoff fraud because you think he's never going to succeed I'm sorry we're not giving her excuses I was gonna say if man is possible if you want to say if you didn't have to play the greatest team of all time You would have won in 2018 that's fair he did just play the best team ever assembled or we can go play off rod and say you You've had a lot of opportunities, and he choked every time. He lost to them in 15 before they were the greatest team ever assembled. I don't know, man. He wasn't really like championship ready, though, at that time.

People were arguing that it was him or stuff for MVP. And there was a game five closer where he literally set set a playoff record for turnovers in an elimination game, 13 turnovers. So am I hearing playoff rod? This guy's not good in the place. No, we can't do playoff rod. Why? If there was ever, I mean, these are all great players, obviously. So it's not.

If there was ever somebody that is known for. being a great player that fails in the playoffs over and over again, it probably would be James Hardin. I'm looking at these other tears and I'm like, other than ringless goat, he doesn't fit in any of the other than any of the other than literally one season. But that was his year to win. So like that is a, that's a realistic if.

But there's more years he failed and went outside. Exactly. He still went outside in his later years. I think playoff fraud is fine. He did. They should have beat the Nuggets last year. They went to game seven and don't look up his staff. You'll fucking throw up. You're my goal in my hour, Hardin. Damn. Carmelo Anthony.

You're not that guy, pal. Should have never been that guy in the first place. Simple as that. Can't say he's a playoff fraud because, you know. How many times, you know? You're not that guy, pal? Is he just, like, not good enough to be the number one on a championship team? I think so.

Is that just like the reality that had to be accepted? No, it's more of like an if, man. Because he had, he had, what's the if? He had that one series in 2009. It was like, ah, if everything. Because if they, if they, if they, he's where the if man comes. If they beat the Lakers. Because that series was tied to, too.

They beat the Lakers. Who they play? Dwight Howard and the Magic? Yeah, we're on that. Are you sure? I think so. No. I think so.

I don't know if that's enough to give him if, man. Yeah, and that's one singular year compared to, like, I don't know, 17 year career. There's one singular if up there. So that's all I'm comparing it to. If James Harding can't get if, man, I don't think Carmelo can either. Yeah. It's either you're not that guy pal or a terrible teammate. If you want to say that, like, he just, like, didn't work for whatever reasons.

And some of the stuff that it was his fault that he, like, made the teams not work. I think he's just not that guy. Should have never been that guy. Not if you're trying to win a championship. Donovan? We'll go terrible teammate. Why? Terrible teammate.

Because there also was the stuff in O.K.C. Had he adjusted earlier into what his role was supposed to be with Russ and PG, that team probably could have went a little bit better, but that entire season was... But even like, they were never going to win. Yeah, that's really past his problem, though. Like, it's not really fair to hold that up against him. It's really, do you think he could have won in New York? Denver.

No. And did they lose because he's a terrible teammate or because he just wasn't good enough? He's probably does you not a little bit about you want a terrible teammate?

No, that's a lie. You're lying on his name. People, you think all of his team would be like you're a terrible team. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just not putting him in you're not that guy. Exactly.

That's the real answer. He's not that guy. That's all putting this down to. It's you're not that guy, pal. He's just not quite good. I didn't make this. I think it's more damned to say terrible teammate

than you're not that. guy. Exactly. It makes you sound like you're a fucking cancer in the locker. Yeah. You're not the guy pal. I was like, you're just not one of the 30 best players of all time that can carry a team to

championship. It's okay. You're just not quite that good. It's so demeanor when you say it like that. I'd rather be demeaned than to be given the toxic label. Like I'm just like the reason why these fell apart. It just hurts. For instance,

Paul George. He's all. Oh, he could. You're not that guy pal. He could be if man when it comes to the leg injury. Oh, that is a good.

He may be like the... But I don't know if he was ever going to be like top 10 level without the injury. Who knows? I think you're probably not that guy. That's the biggest if you can't say that. I think he's probably you're not that guy, pal. Yeah, probably. I don't know.

He might be the face of if, man. He's very similar to Kamala, I think. He can't be the face of it, man. He could be. Why? I mean, right? Like, it took him like three, four years to bounce back to his peak year back in, what was 2018 where he was third in MVP voting?

You're obsessed with that year? Back in, I think the year was 2012 or 2013. He was, he was, he was, went ban for band with LeBron the first round I have to go back and watch that series we say that and like I know he played well

I cannot rationalize going band for band with LeBron with peak LeBron like he would say that was he actually going band for band no he had a really well round of a team it means his team had a good series I don't know if we can like go back and be like yeah Paul George is out here

giving LeBron 35 every single night that did go back a match that's funny regardless Yeah, exactly. Derek Rose. Obviously, if, man. Complete if man. Who knows that he could have accomplished him his needs to fall apart?

He could have been going toe to toe with LeBron for six days ago. Someone said that recently. Reggie Miller said that. Yeah, god damn. Yeah, I mean, listen, I can assign anything I want to Derek Rose's career what could have been.

I could say he'd battle off 10 championships. You can't tell me I'm wrong. If man. He's a pro seaboard of if man. Yep. Alan Iverson. I feel he has ringless go. I feel like he's so loved by people.

Nobody cares at all. He doesn't have a ring. Nobody's ever held it against him. Nobody wants to hold anything against Alan Averson because he's awesome. He's the people's stamp. We're going to ringless go. Exactly. He could have had negative rings and people would still not care.

Yeah. Yeah. He's a face. Okay. He could have went 0 for 82 and people wouldn't care. And it's because like he's not a lot of, a lot of people who don't have rings, even people who do have rings.

They're just super grumpy. Alan Averson is, especially now, not a grumpy guy. He does not care. Mm-mm. Yeah, if you display the lack of care If we're not having a ring, nobody else would care Yeah Mm-hmm

Jimmy Butler Listen, lo-key, he kind of elevated It's weird to put him in the same tier as AI But he low-key has like kind of elevated himself Into this like myth legend type of guy Like playoff Jimmy but doesn't have a ring Yeah, I would say it's not your fault Is kind of up there

I would say it's not your fault You jug your team to two finals The team wasn't good enough around you It's not your fault you couldn't get it down You got him there You just need some help Yeah, but also I feel like no one really expected that either Exactly.

So it's super not your fault. You shouldn't even be these conversations, but you earned us up to get finals appearances. It is not your fault at all. Yeah, and you played Prime Braun and Prime Yokic. It's super not your fault. Yeah, who expects you to beat those guys? Okay. It could be ushered into ringless goat, but that's fine.

I think in order to be a goat, you have to be like... It's goat. Like ultra talented. He's obviously he's talented, but he's not like a top five talent at his position of all time. Definitely not. Like other guys. Tracy McGrady. If man

Or playoff fraud For sure But there's a lot of ifs though Like he really never had There's a lot of years Wasted a teammate injuries A lot of years to his own injuries He did have some playoffrod

Moments But there's also a lot of if man moments He's really to make sure of both Well We will respect Team Mac in this moment And we'll put him in if man But just no Those injuries are saving you

From playoff rod I don't know man No first on exits Come on man Not once not once. He could go playoff rod, but I think you combine his own injuries and then like Grant Hill injuries ruining his magic year, stuff like that where the team fell around him, there's enough

ifs. Time out. We got to put him up to, it's not your fault. No, stop. Who's the coach? Doc Rivers. Come on now. If, man, if you didn't have Doc Rivers, what would have it?

At the scene of every crime is Doc Rivers. He's always there. He's always around. He's involved somehow. Yeah, he could get it's not your fault, but he did never make it out of the first round so we can't quite go that far. But Doc Rivers tax is going ban for ban with no first round. He could have got a ring. He could have been

a guy with Tim Duncan to get rings. Come on, man. But Doc Rubber said nah. Your peeps can't get on the plane. That's so funny. Russell Westbrook. I have no idea. Here's the thing. I think he's not that guy. But

it's either he's not that guy or ringless goat. He's certainly not ringless goat. Okay, I low key, he kind of has to be in terrible teammate. No, but it's not terrible. Terrible teammate, you want to rename this? Terrible teammate makes it sound like it has to be behavioral. He's just hard to fit around with other stars and like he just didn't work. That means you're not that guy.

Should I say hard? If it's hard to fit around, I don't think you're that guy. Hard to win with? Hard to win with. Is that different than you're not that guy pal? But like they, they got to the conference final so many times. The reason why I'm playing terrible teammate is just because there are so many times where the final image of the Thunder in the series

is Russell Westbrook taking some like ill-advised 35-footer and it's like oh Russ like you didn't have to do it you don't have to do that so that's what I'm saying terrible teammate because I just I have this vision of him of him taking shots and everybody else just

just being like so that that's my reason for terrible teammate terrible team it makes it sound like it's about people and like being hard to get along with and he's the opposite of that so it feels bad. But yeah, that probably has to be the right answer here.

Yeah, because he had terrible team. He also had... I don't like this, man. I don't like this list. He also had, like, decent playoff series to where it's not... He's not, like, choking

in the same way that, like, Jim Tarding is. Yeah. We can rename it if we can think of a better name. But you're the problem is kind of the... Sometimes you're the problem. How about that? Let's see how that fair is, I guess.

Sometimes it's your fault. Sometimes... the problem. There you go. And you know what? Sometimes he's the problem. Yeah. Many times he's the problem.

Chris Paul. If, man. What's the if? If man. All these damn injuries. Are we sure he's not playoff fraud? Injuries did rob him in 2018, potentially.

I mean, not only 2018. It was also that year where they faced the Spurs was in the first or second round. In the first round. Yeah, injuries robbed him a few times. But it's, yeah. There's just so many sliders. indoors with the Clippers.

Yeah. 2021 he got there. They just lost. He didn't have Doc Rivers. Did have Doc Rivers tax. Maybe it's not his fault. Listen, he came into the Phoenix Sun's life, fixed them, got them to the finals. The rest of the guys could do their part.

He might be a ringless goat. I'm kind of feeling it is not his fault. He kind of, it might be, it's not your fault. He really might be. He got two of finals. The Phoenix Sun didn't get there before or after him when the Devon Booker era? What's the difference between him in AI?

Like what's not stopping him from? Cloud. Cloud MVP, just a little bit better, I guess, to people. He doesn't have MVP. Okay. Okay. To people. You're not those people.

If you ask me who would rather start my team with, I might pick Chris Paul. I do, I obviously, I understand if people pick out on Iverson, but I just want to make sure I wasn't, I wasn't claiming that. I don't know. At the very least, I don't know. It's not your fault? Yeah. It's Doug Rivers' fault.

Okay. Truly. It's Doc Rivers and DeAndre Haynes' fault. We'll put it on them. Why am I blanking? Who's the coach for that year for the Phoenix Suns? For what? For the 2021 Suns.

Monty Williams. Monty Williams. Yeah, it's Monty Williams' fault. Charles Barkley. Ringless. Yeah. One of the more talented players at his position ever still. MVP again.

No, if we had terrible teammate on here still. Terrible. No, he's a ringless goat. I think, because he's done everything else, and he is part of, like, his losses came down to going up against the goat. So people are like, it's fine. It's whatever. He got an MVP in one of those, like, peak years.

We should really add a tier. This is blocked by Jordan. Some of these guys just got blocked by MJ for the whole 90s. We can't, well, I don't know who else is on this list, but I'm okay putting him in a different tier than other people. Okay. I didn't put nasty amount on this list. So you're asking. Yeah.

I would never. Then, yeah, we could put, uh, blocked by Jordan as a tier below this. Okay. That makes a little sense because there's many of these guys that just straight up couldn't be M.J. Or blocked by goat in general because there's another guy too. Okay, maybe we'll revise it. You can't. That's a different conversation. What?

Now everybody was blocked. For sure. People were having meals. Eating, feasting. Okay, so blocked by Jordan is where Charles Barkley goes right here. Damn. That don't feel right. Let's feel like that's here.

Patrick Ewing. Do we count him? was blocked by Jordan. Do you feel like the Knicks could have got one? Yes, but the best season that they could have gotten it, MJ wasn't there. So I do think if, man, is the, is the thing, because you can, you can, the series that, like, he had a game seven mislayup. If that went in, they beat the Pacers, they probably go on to, to win a ring that year. And they go out and they lose to Hakim.

Yep. And if the energy in the building doesn't change because OJ gets, you know, gets arrested, they start playing that in the arena, then I have no idea what happens. So you're from Ifman? Yeah, I actually do think Ewing is more if man. Okay. Then not your fault. I'll take it for that one. Reggie Miller.

Also, if man. Okay. Also if man. Low key, his best chance to get a ring, he wasn't going to be the best player, but his best chance to get a ring was in 04. and then they fought everybody in the stands. So if the malice and the palace didn't happen, you could have got one? They listen. And obviously people swear over now, but like those were the two best teams in the league at the time.

They swear they was getting a chip that used. Well, I'm sure a lot of people swear a lot of things. No, man. What about the 90s teams? That's blocked by it. Well, even then, not really blocked because they were, they had a couple or had a series where you lose to the Knicks. Like they weren't in the East Conference Pines every single year like that.

That's what I'm saying. Where does he fit on this then? Probably if it's either if man or not your fault. Because like Reggie Miller did do his part. Yeah, I think we'd say we go not your fault. Yeah, I think we would not your fault then. If you don't feel like Block by Jordan is a good narrative for it. Yeah.

Not your fault feels fine. Nobody ever slandered Regimler for falling short in the playoffs. Yalming. If man. I guess so. Where else could he be? Why is he on here? Yeah, he shouldn't be here at all.

Like, I almost want to say, like, I never thought about y'all being in this context. Yeah, you're not that guy. I'm like, damn, man, if y'all got a ring, like, Hugh, it's the cool story, bro. Where would, yeah? What does this mean to y'all's legacy?

I never thought of that. I just want to see what she's saying. That's crazy. You're not that guy, yeah. I'm sorry. DeBar de Rosen. Again, you're not that guy. That's mean for yeah.

Is it? You're not that guy? He was cool. He was a good guy. He just wasn't a top 35 player of all time or whatever. I mean, no, but he was also a super. He's not top 35 player of all time. Yeah, that's cool.

He's never been that guy. He could have been. I guess. He's like 7 and 6.3.50. That's a cool story. I'll put him in if, man. His feet were bound to break down. Okay.

DeMarter Rosen. You're not that guy. Playoff rod? No, you're just not that guy. Again, why is he on this list? He never scored 30 a year in his fucking life. He never won a fucking MVP. He never went to the fucking finals at all.

And that's something that all these guys can say that they've done to some regard. Steve Nash. Yeah. Why did the 04 and 05? Why did the seven seconds or less teams fail? That's when he obviously had his best chance to win. Historian Donovan. Where does this go?

You can say it's not your fault. You can say if, man. You can say if the fight. didn't happen between them and the spurs and then people step onto the core and people get suspended and they actually do the spurs. We have two people on here that have impacted my fights. Okay, put some on there next to each other.

They used to fight. A lot. It used to be a thing. I would love to see a title race impacted. What if Chad Holmgren and Wembe just boxed? It got suspended for the year and ruined OKC title. We saw that in 2016.

Oh my God. Dremont's throwing punches. True. No, he's going feet. no he flicked his hand up on bronze balls oh I'm thinking of Stephen Adams That was the same year Yeah that was a culmination of that But yes violence does swing Title you know titles

From time to time You can't tell of course NBA history without violence Okay Steve Nash is not your fault It's not Luca Donchich Sometimes you're the problem I don't know where to put him just yet I can't say it's not your fault

In 2024 I think Yeah Since you got trade to Lakers, team hasn't been good enough. So in terms of the Lakers, this year, it's just not your fault. What the fuck are you going to do? So, 2024, losing, you got hurt, and you weren't 100%. But you were attacked defensively, but you got them there in the first place. But that doesn't excuse you from playing bad defense.

Yeah. Injury to some extent does. I mean, he was hobbled being attacked by the best offense and the best system ever to attack him. No, I'm saying, like, the fact that you got them there. Sure, but it makes it not your fault necessarily. they're only there because of you and your offense. Yes, but now we're in like this series. You're getting attacked.

Like sometimes you are the problem. You are a problem is different than the problem. Is what I'm saying? They were getting blitz regardless. I think he's a part of the problem. Yeah. So inherently makes him a problem. He is, he is that guy.

He is not a playoff fraud. I don't think we have enough situations for him to be an if man. It's not, not his fault. Yeah. He's not a goat. Yeah. I think sometimes you're the problem is the most apt tier for him. Nico Harrison's watching this is screaming on top of his lungs.

I was thinking probably is not your fault. Because the 24, 2024 is the only year he really could have won. They did not lose as a Celtics because of Luka Donchich. But he didn't, he didn't play well. Sure. They didn't lose his Luka Dantzich.

And I think for it to be you're the problem, like you're the reason they lost. Like there's some things we can pinpoint if they lost because Russell Westberg wanted to have a shootout with Ricky Rubio. This is a little bit different, you know? there's things with looking up in point too like the amount of his defensive effort from time to time was just so fucking bad you're already losing half of the game

like offensive you already have your struggles yeah to be just like that big of a blip you're part of the problem and I can say like if Kyrie wasn't in his own head trying to Kyrie was so bad too I forget about that like if Kyrie played at the same level that he did the previous three rounds they probably they would have had a much better chance they just weren't nearly good enough as a roster

to be one of the greatest modern teams of all time. So like I feel like if we're really indexing on 2024 to say you're the problem, is like a lot of revision of history based on how the last two years it went. So I just don't want to, I don't want to hold the Lakers being bad against him for 2024, is all I'm doing.

I'm sorry, sometimes you're on the problem. He's in the league right now. If you want to say, just part of the problem today, that's fine. Joel and Bede. Could do if man. If men or playoff fraud, depending on your point of view.

I think it's most of the first. the injuries, so if man. Yeah. That's fine. I don't know, honestly. Even before all the injuries piled up, like. That's the problem.

The injuries were always piling up from day one. He missed the first year of his career. They'd never not piled up. Most of the years he went outside and played poorly. He was playing through injury and he's the victim of his own

ability to play through injury and not miss games for a lot of those series. So he did play poorly and you've run on the court, you're held the standard of being the best player on the team, but he was usually not 100%.

Just so bad. So how do you parse that? I can't, like, get out of the thought in my mind when he was up 0-2 or 2-0 against the Boston Celtics back when they had Hard and Maxu, so they were obviously two. Up 3-2 and lost the last two games. Lost the game seven. Yeah. Again, it was super not healthy for any of these runs. But if that's just your reality, what am I supposed to do with that?

Yeah, man. He's never had a healthy playoff. Never made to cover the finals. If Hart is there, maybe he has to be playoff fraud as well. Yeah, put him together. You say big Hardin. Yeah. Maybe you got to be played out fraud.

It's really not your fault. You really are if man, but patterns are patterns or patterns. What are we going to do? I don't know. Harding is way worse, though, because he's been 100% like his time career. You have no reason at all. He was mad healthy. Just bricking.

Yeah. So I don't, he doesn't deserve to be next to Hardin. I don't know if he did. I think he's probably if, man. If Joelle Embed has a meaningfully better, like if Joelle and Bede has a 70th percent outcome for an average NBA players health-wise, he's one of the greatest of all time. Wasn't that he ran off the court by Terry Rose. in him? What year? You're talking about 23? No, like 2018.

Oh, against the Celtics, you're saying? Yeah. I don't know. I can't remember what happened in 2018. He wasn't nearly MVP level yet by then, so. If Yao was if, man, so was Joel and Bede. You know what? Fair. Fair. Come on, man. Fair. And you know what? Drop you out of playoff. No, no, no, no. Never got it done. Super Siegeet. You're appreciates for y'all being. Nah, man. I do think, though, that it is a good point that, like, especially in Alvies in the late years, If he missed playoff series, instead of playing through injuries, we talk about drool and beat entirely differently. Yeah.

Like, he really is the victim of gutting it out and being held to the standard as if he was 100%. Okay. Yeah, I agree. You're just disgusted? No, I said drop you out. You're insane. We'll discuss later. There was a very clear shift in when I lost all sympathy.

Oh, I forgot. Nick's fan. John Stockton, final name. why is he here Hall of favor I guess blocked by MJ yeah gotta be blocked for MJ

his definition yeah yeah you got their back to back here all time assistant leader couldn't create enough buckets

for others to be MJ paid to see it yeah what a sweet on it no one likes John Stockton actually no

I shouldn't say that many a white NBA fans mad at us every time he shit on John Stockton in the comments

they love him you will not stop though but he was blocked by M. You only make me hate harder I won't stop

And you know what this makes sense for James Hardin to stand alone Yeah yeah I agree He needs to be alone Luca is in terms of the problem He feels so unfair He needs to be alone Russ should also stand alone

Russ is also as uniquely flawed as James Hardin is Like rush should really stand alone Okay so where should put Luca I agree let's move him It's not your fault for Luca Let's alienate these guys Sit with yourself Think about what you've done to discourse

You didn't ask Roblin get a tray for you You didn't ask that Oh my God 24 is super not as well They were supposed to get belt to ask Like regards to that even if Kyrie was playing at his normal level They should have lost And they weren't supposed to be there

Like they were a mediocre team halfway through They just turned it up like Yeah because they redid They redid the team It was a different team that Sure yeah they had two important parts of course But like he was not the problem Of why they lost the 2024 finals

No but he was so unbelievably Everybody's part of it But I think that tier makes it sound like, you know, we know the difference in Lucas and Russell Westbrook. I don't know. I mean, from time to time. You don't know. We're doing a lot now.

We're doing a lot. You don't know. Time to time he get, he'd be getting blown by. You don't know. Come on now, man. Is he not a cone from time to time? And two separate playoff friends, have you not seen Lucas to be a cone?

What have you seen from Russell Westbrook in the playoffs? You've seen him be a lot of things. That's why I put him. And sometimes you're the problem. They both are problems sometimes. Yeah, but Lucas problem is solvable. You can't solve Westbrook.

Is it solved? Yes. Well, not even that. Lucas problem comes with a lot of good. When Russ has been the problem, there wasn't a lot of good, and that's why it's the problem. Luca has pros and cons like everybody does,

but the pros typically outweigh the cons by quite a fucking lot. Typically. So the words sometimes. Every time the playoffs, they have. If you want to say at the beginning of this year or last year when he's out of shape, I don't know, but like,

if 2020, for it again the only year he could have won a championship the pro is far outweighed the cons i think sometimes it's actually extremely accurate here's the dark part anybody can go to sometimes everybody's had a bad playoff series i just think with what we've seen from rus from time to time he just got to be alone just that's why he just has to be alone it's unique in history so is russell west yeah like you've never seen a superstar like russ ever in your life and you will never see it again It's true. Love him right.

That's fair. Yeah. You watched.