What players reputations would change the most with/without rings?

[coastalmarker99]

Of course in a team sport such as basketball rings should not determine how good a player was, but in practice they often do.




And they probably influence even people who try not to use them as an evaluation tool)

so everyone's reputation would take a hit without them (or a boost with them.


But who would be the biggest losers and gainers?


Lebron with only two rings instead of 4 would most likely drop out of the top three altogether when you consider his finals record would be 2 and 8.


Russell with 2 to 4 rings instead of 11 would most likely drop out of the top ten altogether.


Wilt with only one ring would most likely drop out of the top ten altogether.


If Hakeem has zero rings then most people likely get more critical about his countless first-round exits in the playoffs.


If Malone has 2 rings over a legendary dynasty in the Bulls then he is most likely viewed as a top ten player ever.


Shaq with only 2 rings to his name is most likely viewed as the biggest disappointment in basketball history.

[coastalmarker99]

If Kobe wins in 2008.

He'd have 6 rings

3 Finals MVP's

Two three-peats

He also would be 6 and 1 in the finals.


Kobe most likely as a result of this would be viewed nowadays as a top 5 player of all time.




But on the other hand, If Kobe loses in 2010 to Boston.

He'd have 4 rings

1 finals MVP

He would also be 4 and 3 in the finals.



Kobe as a result of this would most likely never be ranked as a top ten player ever

[LeCola]

Lebron 2011 (Destroyed his legacy) and 2016 (Barely saved his legacy)

Curry 2016 (Destroyed his legacy, he could be a top 5 player, now he is top 15)

Durant 2019 (He could won a 3-peat and 3 FMVP's. Same as Curry.)

CP3 2021. (He could end that playoff choker label)

[SouBeachTalents]

Huh? Literally every players reputation in history changes drastically if you add or remove titles, at least ones as the first option/best player.

[j3lademaster]

Who would change the most? The 3 most talked about guys of course: MJ, Lebron and Kobe.

[Wally450]

Who would change the most? The 3 most talked about guys of course: MJ, Lebron and Kobe.

Add Duncan as well. If they win in 2013 he's 6-0 in the Finals along with Jordan.

[FKAri]

Wiping out all of a person's accomplishments is too drastic a change. It's better if you do it by +/-1 ring or even down to a single series. It's gotta be the big PFs:

Dirk: This is the first one that pops in my mind. If he got hurt or played poorly in the WCF and we never saw that performance vs OKC, it completely changes how he is viewed. It probably goes back to the label he unfairly had just before this series. That of a choker. They were already writing his obituary after that first round series vs Portland.

Barkley: If he won in 93 Finals : Huge legacy boost.

Malone: Winning in 97 would have been huge. In 98 there was a higher chance of it being written off as The Bulls being too old. Although if he wins in 98 he probably doesn't turn the ball over.

[iamgine]

Biggest gainer would be those who are not expected to win.

Just imagine if Jokic wins this season without Murray and MPJ. Probably surpassed Hakeem in an instant.

What if Nique won in '93. He'd have beaten Jordan, Ewing, Barkley in the same season he just came back from an Achilles tear. It would be stuff of legend.

[SouBeachTalents]

Wiping out all of a person's accomplishments is too drastic a change. It's better if you do it by +/-1 ring or even down to a single series. It's gotta be the big PFs:

Dirk: This is the first one that pops in my mind. If he got hurt or played poorly in the WCF and we never saw that performance vs OKC, it completely changes how he is viewed. It probably goes back to the label he unfairly had just before this series. That of a choker. They were already writing his obituary after that first round series vs Portland.

Barkley: If he won in 93 Finals : Huge legacy boost.

Malone: Winning in 97 would have been huge. In 98 there was a higher chance of it being written off as The Bulls being too old. Although if he wins in 98 he probably doesn't turn the ball over.
This is a much better idea imo, and the biggest ones that come to mind

LeBron 2016
Magic 1991
Bird 1984
Shaq 2000
Either of Hakeem's
Kobe 2010

Of non top 10 players
Curry 2016, or to a lesser degree 2019
KD 2012, or vs. the Bucks last year
Wade 2006, or on the flipside 2011
Kawhi 2019
Isiah 1988

Then examples where one title completely changes a players reputation and standing in the sport
Harden & CP3 2018
Iverson 2001
Nash 2007
Ewing 1994
Drexler 1992
Either of Kidd's Finals

[Nowoco]

If C-Webb had won a ring in 2002, he would have have a reputation and standing similar to Dirk.

[John_Connor]

Isiah Thomas 1988 title and finals mvp giving him 2 fmvps and a 3 peat (without that phantom call)

boosts zeke from 25th or so to top 12-13

[8Ball]

If Pippen doesn't get ref robbed in 1994 and makes the finals that would have changed the entire narrative behind him.

Probably the 1 player whos legacy changes.

[Kawhi_Why_Not]

Bird if he wins in 1985 would of been a 3peat and then he could of won in 87 which would of been a 4peat. Also 5 total rings and making him a goat candidate.

Duncan if he didn't get carried by Manu in 2005 or if spurs didn't draft Kawhi, he only has 3 rings and is dropped down outside of the top 10 where he really belongs.

Then obviously a guy like Karl Malone with great stat totals would help cement him if he won 1

Dirk would be known as a choker who couldn't even crack top 30 if he didn't win his 2011 ring