Top 5 players from Phoenix Suns who could've won the NBA Championship but didn't
The Phoenix Suns are coming off their third appearance in the NBA Finals in franchise history, but like the other two, they came out second best. Of course, there should be no shame in losing to the 1970s Boston Celtics, Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, and arguably the most dominant player since Shaquille O'Neal in Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks.
However, some of the players that have been on the losing end of those series would definitely agree that those NBA Finals' series were lost by small details. The 1976 NBA Finals, for instance, had a memorable, triple-OT Game 5 that could've sent the series either way.
The 1993 NBA Finals went to six games and saw another triple-OT game and a championship-winning shot in Game 6 with 3.9 seconds left by John Paxson.
5 Players who came close to winning an NBA title with the Phoenix Suns but failed to do so
Moreover, the 2021 NBA Finals saw one of the greatest individual performances in league history by Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it might be normal to lose those series, it is clear that Phoenix Suns fans will not be as accepting of those realities.
However, with a franchise that has had great, MVP-caliber players in its history, having no NBA championships can make it straightforward for us to select the best players in Phoenix Suns' history.
Our criteria for the upcoming list will not only take into consideration the greatest overall players in the history of the Phoenix Suns, but also those who came closest to touching the Larry O'Brien trophy while wearing the Phoenix Suns' uniform (not including current players).
Without further ado, let us take a look.
#5 Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson had a stellar NBA career and all but 52 of his 735 career games came with the Phoenix Suns. Despite what many might think about KJ's career and where he ranks among the greatest point guards ever, he was a borderline superstar with the Phoenix Suns.
Johnson's career started in 1987 and finished in 2000. To give you an idea of what he was up against, here are some of the names that were in the All-NBA squads during that period: Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Mark Price, Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, just to name a few.
With the Phoenix Suns, from 1988, Johnson made it to three All-Star games and five All-NBA teams. He was the starter of the 1992-93 Phoenix Suns' offense, which made it to the 1993 NBA Finals. Throughout the 1993 NBA Playoffs, Johnson averaged around 18 points, eight assists and two steals per game.
#4 Alvan Adams
Alvan Adams was not considered a superstar during his time in the NBA, but he certainly had a huge impact on the Phoenix Suns' run to the 1976 NBA Finals. He came extremely close to winning the franchise's elusive first NBA title.
Adams' resume isn't all that impressive as he made it to only one All-Star Game, earned one All-Rookie selection and won the 1975-76 Rookie of the Year award. However, all of those honors came in the same season, and the Phoenix Suns finished two wins away from beating the Boston Celtics in an iconic 1976 NBA Finals series.
Adams averaged 19 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the 1975-76 regular season. He then put up 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the 1976 NBA Playoffs. Adams also led the team in scoring in the NBA Finals with 23 points per game, along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.