The NBA is perhaps the most competitive tournament in all major sports. That's why even some of the greatest players of all time have been forced to retire without a ring, or even without making the NBA Finals.
Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, and Allen Iverson are just some of the few examples that come to mind when talking about the greatest ringless players. And nowadays, Chris Paul seems like a lock to make that list as well.
Paul is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time despite barely finding success in the playoffs. That's why Stephen Curry believes not winning a ring won't hurt his legacy whatsoever.
NBA News: Stephen Curry Says Not Winning A Ring Won't Affect Chris Paul's Legacy
(via Anthony Slater of The Athletic)
“We’ll see how his career ends up, but there’s a category of guys who are undoubtedly top tier talent of their era. It’s the nature of the ball not bouncing your way here or there, injuries, breaks, stuff like that. But perennially, a guy like CP, you want him on your team no matter what. He’s made every team he has been on competitive and better than they would be otherwise. However you calculate that or quantify that, it’s winning. You want to have the championships.
But nobody questions his ability to impact the game and to win at the highest level. The championship will probably be nice for him, but that’s not going to define him. You got guys like Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, Reggie Miller, a who’s who of Hall of Famers who haven’t won a championship. You understand how hard it is.”
Paul has put together a legendary résumé since day one, and he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer even if he never makes it to the NBA Finals again. Hopefully, though, he'll get another shot at the ultimate glory.
