Where Al Horford ranks on list of games played without a championship ring

Celtics big man Al Horford is like the Gandalf of the NBA Playoffs, having navigated six Eastern Conference Finals and now, soon, his second NBA Finals in a storied 17-year career.

With a whopping 181 playoff games under his belt, Horford has been a postseason fixture since he first laced up for the NBA. Only twice has he missed the playoffs—once as a rookie with Atlanta in 2007-08 and then in 2020-21, when his season was abruptly shortened with the Thunder.

Despite all that playoff experience, Horford has yet to snag the elusive championship ring. His closest brush with glory before 2024 was in 2022 when the Celtics were vanquished by the Warriors in a six-game Finals showdown. His other deep playoff escapades were thwarted thrice by LeBron James’ Cavaliers and once by Jimmy Butler’s Heat.

As Horford eyes the pinnacle of NBA success in the 2024 Finals, one might wonder: where does he rank among the players who’ve racked up the most playoff games without ever hoisting the trophy? His journey has been filled with near-misses and almost-there moments, but could this be the year he finally reaches the summit? The clock is ticking, and the story is tantalizingly poised for a potentially epic conclusion.

Most NBA Playoff games played without a championship

Horford may be a seasoned playoff veteran, but when it comes to the unfortunate distinction of most postseason appearances without a championship ring, he’s playing second fiddle to the Utah Jazz legends of the 90s.

Karl Malone and John Stockton, the dynamic duo of Salt Lake City, sit atop this dubious leaderboard with 193 and 182 playoff games played without tasting the sweet nectar of victory, respectively.

Those two Hall of Famers led the Jazz to the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998, only to find themselves repeatedly thwarted by the unstoppable force known as Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. Talk about a case of bad timing.

Malone also had a fleeting taste of Finals action with the Lakers in 2004, but alas, the Pistons emerged victorious, denying him yet again.

Now, Horford finds himself in striking distance of Stockton’s unfortunate record. With his second game in the 2024 NBA Finals, he’ll surpass the Jazz legend in playoff appearances without a title. But there’s a silver lining amidst the disappointment: a chance for redemption. If the Celtics can defy the odds and claim the Larry O’Brien trophy, Horford could finally scratch his name off this list of playoff near-misses and etch himself into the annals of NBA history as a champion.