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Just about every professional athlete dreams of winning a championship in their sport. It's one of, if not the best, accomplishments a team can achieve and there are quite a number of players who end their careers without ever hoisting the trophy. In the NBA, you often hear players in the twilight of their careers “ring chase” to leave little room for doubt on a player's legacy.
Some succeeded. Some failed. Meanwhile, some just so happen to be on the right team at the right time. Here's a look at the three players who had to wait for ages to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
3. PJ Brown (38 years and 247 days)
If it weren't for the NBA's Boston Celtics begging PJ Brown to sign with the team, Brown might've finished his career without a title and off this list. After playing the 2006-07 season with the Chicago Bulls which ended in a 2nd round exit at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, Brown, who was 37 at the time, unofficially retired.
Brown refused to sign with any team in the offseason and spent the first five months without a team. After countless calls from Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, Brown signed on with the Celtics after the All-Star break.
As expected, Brown played more of a backup role but did have a few important performances in the playoffs, especially against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Final and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.
2. Juwan Howard (39 years and 135 days)
Despite adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the offseason, Juwan Howard's dream of winning an NBA title still came short when the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals in 2011.
The following season, instead of retiring, Howard decided to run it back. The Heat signed him to a veteran's minimum contract mostly to serve as a locker room presence.
While Brown played somewhat of a significant role on the Celtics, Howard spent most of his first championship season from the bench. Howard would only play in 28 of the Heat's regular season games. In the playoffs, he played nine games averaging 0.8 points in 2.7 minutes played, but still won a title along with Miami in 2012.
1. Kevin Willis (40 years and 282 days)
Kevin Willis proved for decades that he was a serviceable NBA center, whether it was as a starter or a backup. By the time he approached the tail-end of his career, Willis wanted to have at least one championship ring to his name.
After making six different stops over his career, Willis signed with the Spurs in 2002 seeking his first title. While these days LeBron James makes playing at 40 seem effortless, back then it was rare. At 40, Willis played an impressive 71 games as David Robinson's backup and even started six games.
By the playoffs, though, Willis was a non-factor, averaging only 2.6 points. However, he did end the season with what he wanted — an NBA championship — also taking the number one spot as the oldest NBA player who had to wait decades to win his first title.
