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One-title Wonders: 5 NBA Players whose legacy was impacted most by winning one championship

Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat - Game Six
Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat - Game Six

The NBA Championship is one of the most sought-after accolades in the sport of basketball. A long and arduous journey, featuring an 82 game season and four grueling seven-game series’ against the teams with the best records to finally earn the right to be called champions.

Players enter the league with title hopes. Teams are tailored to be strong enough to make a run for a victory. The Boston Celtics, in their fledgling days in the NBA, absolutely dominated the league, winning 11 titles served by stars like Bob Cousy and Bill Russell.

The NBA Championship is an elusive dream to chase. Many players have come along and ended their careers having never won a ring. Hall of Famers such as Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and the duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone are just some of the names on a long list of players who came up short in their run at the ring.

The NBA Playoffs are where legends are born and the NBA Championship is where legacies are put down in stone. Here are five players whose legacies were impacted the most by winning a championship.

#1 Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett shoots a free throw for the Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett shoots a free throw for the Boston Celtics

Kevin Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1996 NBA Draft. Known as “The Big Ticket,” Garnett would help take the Timberwolves to eight consecutive NBA Playoffs immediately after being drafted.

However, due to early postseason exits against dominant teams of that era, Garnett would only make the Western Conference Finals once in the 2003-04 season. The Timberwolves came up short against the LA Lakers in six games.

Kevin Garnett missed the playoffs for the next three seasons and would finally be traded to the Boston Celtics. Joining Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics immediately made a successful title run.

The ring helped in solidifying Garnett’s legacy as one of the best big men in the game. An aggressive player with a knack for psychological warfare, Garnett has an NBA Playoff career average of 18.2 points and 10.7 rebounds.

#2 Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki shoots over Spencer Hawes at the Philadelphia 76ers v Dallas Mavericks game
Dirk Nowitzki shoots over Spencer Hawes at the Philadelphia 76ers v Dallas Mavericks game

Dirk Nowitzki was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1998 NBA Draft. Playing at power forward, Dirk was one of the first European players to bring in the concept of the “stretch 4’ into the game.

Having made it as far as the NBA Finals, where he lost to the Miami Heat in 2006, Dirk’s consistent appearances in the playoffs hadn’t amounted to much.

It was only in the 2010-11 season that the Mavericks would finally win their first title as a franchise after beating the Miami Heat in six games. Dirk Nowitzki’s championship is still one of the most impressive title runs in the history of the NBA.

Dirk has a playoff average of 25.3 points per game and 10 rebounds. He is also ranked sixth in the NBA’s All-Time Points Leaders with 31,560 points.

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