Entering the NBA at the age of 20, Paul has always been a very good point guard, but he spent many years to touch the floor of the Western Conference Finals, until last season, the 35-year-old did not debut on the stage of the Finals, unfortunately he did not win the championship in the end, but he has been luckier than many players, many superstars have not reached the NBA Finals until retirement, and they have not experienced the feeling of playing in the Finals.
Stephen Nash – 18 years
Nash was drafted by the Suns with the 15th pick in the first round in the 1996 NBA draft when he was 22 years old. In 2014, at the age of 39, he announced his retirement, ending an 18-year NBA career. During his career, he played 1217 games and averaged 14.3 points, 3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks per game, shooting 49 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from three-point range.
He has won 2 regular season MVPs, 3 times to the Best Team First Team, 2 times to the Best Team 2, 2 times to the Best Team 3, 5 times to the Assist King, 8 times to the All-Star, but he has never led the team to the Finals.
The most unfortunate thing is 2007, when the Suns achieved a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, ranking second in the West and also a favorite to win the championship. They met the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals, and in game four, Nash was knocked off the field by Horry, with the two sides clashing in a massive conflict, with Kos and Dior suspended for leaving the bench during the clash, causing the Suns to lose the crucial Battle of King's Hill and later eliminated by the Spurs 4-2.
If you can pass the Spurs level, the Suns in the Western Conference Finals are facing the Fourth Ranked Jazz team in the West, the Jazz team's number of wins is a full 10 games less than the Suns, the strength gap between the two sides is very large, the Suns to reach the Finals is a nail in the coffin, the opponent of the Finals is the Cavaliers led by the young James, Nash led the team to defeat the Cavaliers dream of the championship the probability is very large, but unfortunately there is no if.
Vince Carter – 22 years
Carter entered the draft in 1998 and was selected with the fifth overall pick in the first round when he was 21 years old. In 2020, the 42-year-old Carter announced his retirement, playing in the NBA for 22 seasons, the longest player in the NBA. He has played in 1,541 games, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1 steal, 0.6 blocks, shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range.
He has won 1 Best Rookie Award, was selected to the Best Rookie Team one time, was selected to the Best Team 2 team once, the Best Team 3 times, and was selected as an All-Star eight times. As a very famous star, Carter has never appeared on the stage of the Finals, but many people remember that he played in the Finals, which is actually an illusion, because he has rubbed shoulders with the Finals three times.
In 2003, the Nets reached the Finals under Kidd, but Carter was still playing for the Raptors at the time, and later Carter was traded to the Nets, and the Nets never reached the Finals again. In the 2008-2009 season, Howard led a one-star squad to the Finals, and Carter joined the Magic at the end of the season, but the Magic never reached the Finals again.
In the 2010-2011 season, Carter played for the Suns, Nowitzki led the Lone Ranger to the Finals and won the championship, after the end of the season Carter joined the Lone Ranger, the Lone Ranger was swept out by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, if Carter went to the Nets two years earlier, the Magic team a year earlier, and the Lone Ranger team a year earlier, he could play the Finals and have a chance to win the championship, but unfortunately he rubbed shoulders with the Finals, creating a trick.
Carmelo Anthony
Anthony entered the NBA draft in 2003 and was selected by the Nuggets with the third pick in the first round when he was only 19 years old. Now a 37-year-old veteran, this season is his 19th season in the NBA, but he has never been to the Finals, and he is the only one of the four Banana Boat brothers who has not reached the Finals.
So far in his career, Anthony has played 1247 games, averaging 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1 steal, 0.5 blocks, shooting 44.7% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range. He has been named to the All-Rookie Team twice, the All-Rookie Team 3rd Team four times, the All-Rookie Team First Team once, a scoring champion, and the All-Star 10 times.
Anthony is a very offensive star, but his ability to lead the team is not very good, and there are even rumors that he is happy as long as he scores 30+, even if the team loses, and when he scores low and the team wins, he is not even a qualified leader. His best result with the team is the Western Conference Finals, did not enter the Finals, these years he ran around for the championship, originally thought that joining the Lakers this season can make him realize his dream, but the Lakers are in a very bad state, and now they are still working hard for the playoffs, do not see that they have the strength to compete for the championship, Anthony does not know what year and month it will take to get on the stage of the Finals.
In addition to the above three superstars, do you know which superstars have never reached the finals in their careers? Welcome to leave a message to add!