Top 10 athletes yet to win a championship

While it may not be fair, greatness in the sports world is generally measured by championships.

After Miami heat superstar LeBron James finally earned a championship ring on Thursday night, here is a list of the top 10 athletes in professional sports who are still seeking their first title.

Team: Washington Capitals

Years of experience: 7 seasons

Closest to championship: Game 7 Conference Semifinal (2008-09, 2011-12)

Breakdown: Ovechkin was supposed to be the saviour in Washington but the two-time Hart winner is yet to bring the Capitals past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Russian superstar was unable to defeat his rival Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals, and came up short in both 2011 and 2012. He has 59 points in 51 career playoff games.

Team: Phoenix Suns

Years of experience: 16 seasons

Closest to championship: Western Conference final (2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10)

Breakdown: The two-time MVP has made it to the Western Conference Finals several times but hasn’t made it to the NBA Finals yet. The Canadian point guard came the closest in 2007 when the Suns entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the West. Phoenix was locked in a 2-2 tie with the San Antonio but Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire was suspended for leaving the bench during an altercation. The Suns held a 16-point lead during Game 5 but the Spurs completed the comeback and edged Phoenix 88-85. San Antonio went on to take Game 6 and the series.

Team: Philadelphia Phillies

Years of experience: 15 seasons

Closest to championship: National League Championship Series (2010)

Breakdown: Halladay spent 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, never once making the post-season. The future Hall of Famer joined the Phillies in 2010 and immediately made an impact in the playoffs, pitching a no-hitter in his first ever post-season game. The Phillies swept the Reds in three games but fell to the eventual champions, the San Francisco Giants, in six games in the NLCS.

Team: N/A

Years of experience: 13 seasons

Closest to championship: Super Bowl (2004-05)

Breakdown: Donovan McNabb and the Eagles came so close during his tenure in Philadelphia. McNabb led the team to three straight NFC Championships from 2001-03 but came up empty all three times. Finally in 2004, it looked like McNabb had gotten over the hump, guiding the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX. But they ran into the New England Patriots, a team seeking to achieve dynasty status. McNabb tried to complete the comeback in the final minute but was unable to put the team on his shoulders.

Team: Calgary Flames

Years of experience: 15 seasons

Closest to championship: Stanley Cup final (2003-04)

Breakdown: The Canadian sniper’s best opportunity came when the Flames were a surprise team to reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. The Flames finished as the No. 6 seed but knocked off the No. 3 Vancouver Canucks, the No. 1 Detroit Red Wings and the No. 2 San Jose Sharks to become Western Conference champions. Calgary came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7. The lockout ruined Calgary’s chances of rebounding the following year and the Flames haven’t won a playoff series since.

Team: Ottawa Senators

Years of experience: 16 seasons

Closest to championship: Stanley Cup final (2006-07)

Breakdown: Bad luck may be the reason for Alfredsson’s lack of a Stanley Cup ring. Alfredsson led the current incarnation of the Ottawa Senators to their only Stanley Cup final in 2007, but when presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference champions, Alfredsson touched the trophy, which is considered a faux pas. The Senators ultimately lost in five games to the Anaheim Ducks.

Team: Seattle Mariners

Years of experience: 12 seasons

Closest to championship: American League Championship Series (2001)

Breakdown: Not many athletes have made an immediate impact as fast as Ichiro did in 2001. The Japanese rookie was the second player in league history to win the MVP award in his rookie season but unfortunately his 120-win squad was unable to dethrone the Yankees in the ALCS. Ichiro is widely considered one of the greatest hitters of his generation but the Mariners have been unable to stay competitive and he’ll likely need to leave town if he wants another title shot.

Team: New York Knicks

Years of experience: 9 seasons

Closest to championship: Western Conference final (2008-09)

Breakdown: Carmelo Anthony will always be linked with LeBron James as they were both top picks in the famous 2003 NBA Draft. Anthony remains the only player in the top five of his draft class without a ring after James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and even Darko Milicic have won titles. Before being shipped to New York, Anthony and the Nuggets came close before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 conference finals in six games.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Years of experience: 9 seasons

Closest to championship: Divisional Playoffs (2007, 2009)

Breakdown: It’s no fluke Tony Romo has been labeled a choker during his NFL career. The Cowboys quarterback has put up phenomenal numbers in the regular season but has only one playoff win in his career. It’s hard to forget the botched field goal hold in Seattle or the career record in December. Romo is still trying to shed his choker label and it won’t get any better until the Cowboys reach the promised land for the first time since 1995.

Team: Orlando Magic

Years of experience: 8 seasons

Closest to championship: NBA Finals (2008-09)

Breakdown: Howard may be hoping to leave Orlando in search of a ring like Shaquille O’Neal was able to do with Los Angeles amd Miami. The Magic centre has to be considered the most dominant big man of his era but has unable to carry his team to the top. He may not have been surrounded with the best supporting cast, but Howard came close to bringing Orlando a title before falling to the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals.

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