Suns legend Charles Barkley is the greatest player never to win an NBA title, according to a former Celtics champion

Charles Barkley, one of the most dominant and charismatic figures in NBA history, left a lasting mark on the game—especially during his time with the Phoenix Suns, where he was the heart and soul of the team in the 1990s. Though he never captured a championship ring, his influence on the court remains undeniable. That legacy was underscored recently when a former Boston Celtics champion labeled Barkley “the greatest player in history to never win a title.”

During a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins named Barkley the best player ever to fall short of an NBA championship. “Charles Barkley was ahead of his time,” Perkins said. “He had that ball on a string. The handles, the stepbacks—just think about what he had to do. I think his career average was something like 22 and 11, and he did it against monsters. He was a monster himself, but I’m talking about legit seven-footers guarding him night in and night out.”

Barkley was one of the most impactful power forwards the league has ever seen. Over 16 seasons, he reached the playoffs 13 times but made it to the NBA Finals only once—where he ran into the decade’s most dominant dynasty.

Charles Barkley’s journey

Barkley is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and complete players in NBA history, even without a championship to his name. Nicknamed “Sir Charles,” he burst onto the scene in 1984 after being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite standing just 6-foot-6, he made a name for himself with his relentless rebounding, elite scoring, and unorthodox ability to dominate from the power forward position.

Kendrick Perkins attend the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game during the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend at Wolstein Center on February 18, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.

After his time in Philadelphia, Barkley reached his peak with the Phoenix Suns, who acquired him in 1992. In his first season with the Suns, he won the league MVP award and led the team to the NBA Finals, where they faced off against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Barkley averaged 27.3 points and 13 rebounds per game during the series, but even that wasn’t enough to overcome a Bulls team in the middle of their historic run.

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Barkley later joined the Houston Rockets in the twilight of his career, teaming up with fellow stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler—later replaced by Scottie Pippen—in a last-ditch effort to win a title. But injuries and a lack of chemistry derailed the Rockets’ plans, and Barkley never came as close to a championship again. He retired in 2000, ringless, but far from forgotten.

Despite the absence of a title, Barkley remains a revered figure in basketball. He was an 11-time All-Star, a member of the iconic Dream Team that won Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992, and a 2006 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His legacy lives on not only for what he accomplished on the court, but also for his candor and influence as a broadcaster in retirement. When the conversation turns to the greatest players never to win it all, Barkley is always at the top of the list—a generational talent who came within inches of finishing his career with the ultimate prize.