Ranking the five greatest Spurs players to never win a championship

Championships are obviously amazing accomplishments to have on your resume, but they aren't the only thing that validates greatness. There are a handful of players who left an impact without a ring, and that's true for some of the biggest stars to don a Spurs jersey.

While this franchise has a long history of winning, it's also had its fair share of championship droughts. But they still had players who stepped up and performed during those cold periods. Here is a ranking of the five greatest Spurs to never win a title.

#5: Willie Anderson

Willie Anderson was selected with the 10th pick in the 1988 NBA Draft and immediately established himself as a high-impact player next to David Robinson. In his first year, he averaged 18.6 points per game and made the All-Rookie First Team.

He was a great piece alongside The Admiral and Terry Cummings, and Anderson shined during his first postseason appearance. He averaged 20.5 points per game on 51.8% shooting in the 1990 NBA Playoffs. The next year, he averaged 19 points per game on 48% shooting on that stage. Anderson was a staple of their pre-championship era in the late 80s to 90s.

#4: Terry Cummings

The Milwaukee Bucks traded Terry Cummings to San Antonio on May 28th, 1989, and he made an immediate impact. The star guard helped the team go from 21 wins in the 1988-89 campaign to 56 the following season, securing a spot in the NBA Playoffs.

He spent six years with the Spurs, putting up solid scoring and rebounding numbers while helping them achieve multiple 50-win seasons. But he suffered a knee injury in 1992, which significantly hindered his production. While his time in San Antonio ended in 1995 (four years before their first title run), he still helped set the stage for their era of contention.

#3: LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge should be on anyone's list of 2010s stars who deserved a ring. He signed a four-year, $80M contract with San Antonio in the summer of 2015, stepping up as their next star power forward at the twilight of Tim Duncan's career.

Aldridge never established a dynasty like the Big Fundamental, but he was still great. He made three All-Star Games and two All-NBA teams during his tenure and helped lead San Antonio to a pair of 60-win seasons and four consecutive playoff appearances. This included a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2017.

#2: Mike Mitchell

Mike Mitchell is easily one of the most underrated bucket-getters in NBA history. He was traded to the Spurs in 1981 and averaged at least 19 points per game for them in five consecutive seasons. He currently has the sixth-most points in franchise history.

The winning results were there, too. He helped the Spurs make the playoffs several times throughout the 1980s, including two Western Conference Finals appearances in 1982 and 1983. He was the perfect Robin to George Gervin's Batman and even averaged more points than him in the 1984-85 season.

#1 George Gervin

This was an obvious pick. George Gervin was San Antonio's first megastar since joining the NBA in 1976, adopting quite possibly the greatest nickname in basketball history. The Iceman averaged 27.3 points per game on 51.4% shooting in a Spurs jersey, and his 19,383 points rank third in franchise history.

He made nine All-Star games, seven All-NBA teams, and won four scoring titles during his tenure. Even though he never brought the franchise a championship, he still established himself as one of the most dynamic scorers in league history.

It's evident throughout the Spurs' history: a lack of championships doesn't mean a player isn't great. Each of these legends made an impact for this franchise during their time and laid the groundwork for future stars to take what they did a step further.

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