Times change, those veterans who are not crowned

As the Nuggets were eliminated early in the second round, Westbrook once again passed by the championship. The MVP winner who once swept the league in the name of a triple-double king, now plays the spiritual leader and source of energy on the bench on the Nuggets, but he still has not added a meaningful championship ring to his career.

This scene is definitely familiar to fans who are familiar with the NBA. Familiar faces, these heroes who once stood at the top of the league, are still working hard for their dream of a championship.

As time goes by, we have come to a turning point of generational alternation. New generation stars such as Vinbanyama, Edwards, Halliburton, and Alexander are rising. At present, these young people are dominating the 2025 playoffs in full, while the Mesozoic stars who once dominated the league are facing the dusk of their careers. Below

, we will take stock of the ten uncrowned Mesozoic players who are still rolling in the league but still not winning the championship to see their current situation and their final sprint moments. Chris Paul is 40 years old. From 2005 to 2025, Paul is the most representative uncrowned star. His field control ability, field vision and leadership have been talked about for many years. In 2021, he led the Suns to the finals, and once only two games away from the championship, but he eventually lost to the Bucks.

Since then, he has been transferred to the Warriors, Spurs and other teams to assist the team's core with a substitute veteran. Although his playing time has decreased, his game value does not lie in his data, but in his experience and inheritance. Unfortunately, at present, the championship still seems out of reach for him.

Russell Westbrook

36 years old, 2008-2025

From the triple-double machine in the Thunder era, to the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, to the Clippers and Nuggets in recent years, Westbrook's journey is full of twists and turns, but he has never changed his full-time game style. Even if such a style of play will be criticized sometimes, no one questioned his fighting spirit.

He played the sixth player role in the Nuggets in 2025, and he can still bring energy on the court in a short period of time, but as the Nuggets stopped in the semi-finals of the playoffs, his dream of winning is still waiting to be realized.

James Harden

35 years old, from 2009 to 2025, Harden's career has been a turnaround. From the protagonist of the Rockets, to the Big Three of the Nets, to the 76ers and the Clippers, he has partnered with almost all contemporary superstars. Although he won the MVP and wrote about his super crazy season with an average of 36 points per game, the championship has always missed him.

In 2025, the Clippers were eliminated in seven games in the playoffs. Faced with the decline in age and athletic ability, Harden's goal to win the championship is gradually closing.

Demar DeRozan

35 years old, 2009-2025

DeRozan fought hard in the Raptors for many years, but after being traded, he saw the Raptors win the championship. It is the biggest regret in his life. He transformed into an organizational striker in the Spurs, and later continued to show his mature style of playing with the Bulls, but the overall strength of the team has never been able to break through.

In 2025, he still plays in the league, playing as a substitute scorer or veteran, and still maintains the true nature of a mid-range killer. Compared with other stars, for him, the hope for the championship is much smaller.

Paul George

35 years old, 2010-2025 George's most glorious period in his career was the era when the Pacers fought against the Heat's Big Three. Then he formed the Big Three in the Thunder to play the strongest season, and turned to the Clippers' partner Leonard to form a double star, and was once regarded as a favorite to win the championship. But injuries and abnormalities at critical moments have led to his repeated misses with Honor.

In 2025, George switched to the 76ers to reorganize the three-core lineup again, but the team was once again unable to enter the playoffs due to injuries. For this All-Star who has reached the end of his career, he has not had much time left.

Damian Lillard

34 years old, 2012-2025 Lillard's story is moving enough. He has been sticking to the Trail Blazers for many years, and finally chose to leave for the championship, joining the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, but the two sides have always been in a difficult manner.

In the 2025 playoffs, the Bucks were eliminated early, Lillard suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and he was basically reimbursed next season. In the future, he may still be able to shoot a commendable three-point bomb at critical moments, but his age and defensive pressure have gradually made him withdraw from the lead position.

Jimmy Butler

35 years old, 2011-2025

If you talk about the playoff killers, Butler will definitely be on the list. He has led the Heat to the Finals twice. Whether it is the quarantine park in 2020 or the magical playoff counterattack in 2023, he shocked fans with his amazing performance.

In the 2025 playoffs, Butler, who was traded to the Warriors, was once again highly expected, but as Curry retired from injury, Butler himself failed to perform as his previous level due to injury. The Warriors finally fell in front of the new wolf king Edwards. Butler's story is full of adversity and bloodiness, but if he cannot win the championship in the end, his legend will still be a little dim.

Bradley Bill 31 years old, 2012-2025, Bill has been with the Wizards for many years and has made his reputation as a shooting guard. After joining the Suns, he hoped to join forces with Devin Booker and Durant to compete for the championship. But things went against my expectations. Although the trio was strong on paper, they were subject to injuries and tactical imbalances.

The Suns can't even enter the playoffs in 2025, so Bill naturally cannot escape the blame. With an annual salary of tens of millions, his offensive firepower has seriously declined. His role and team structure have made it difficult for him to show his full strength. As the Suns choose to enter reconstruction, Bill's NBA career seems to be coming to an end.

Joel Embiid was 31 years old. From 2014 to 2025, Embiid also entered this veteran list.

Looking back at Embiid's career, it was like a lively tragedy. He had the most destructive inside skills in the league and had won the MVP, but injuries always pulled him into the water at critical moments. In 2025, he failed to attend full due to a knee injury again, and the 76ers were eliminated early in the absence of the main force.

He was once the only faith of Philadelphia fans, but now he is questioned whether he can lead the team to win the championship. Strictly speaking, Embiid seems to have a chance to make waves, but with the full maturity of the new generation of stars, Embiid's golden time seems to have passed. Can he wait for a year when health and opportunity coexist in the future? It's really not optimistic.

Devin Booker is 28 years old, and in 2015-2025, although he is only 28 years old, Booker has suffered several playoff losses. In 2021, he led the Suns to the finals, but since then, the Suns' team building direction has been changing, resulting in insufficient chemistry for the team.

The teammate Durant and Bill formed the luxury three again in 2025, which also shakes Booker's status as a star. As one of the most ornamental scorers of the contemporary era, compared with the previous veterans, Booker has the most chance to reach the championship in the rest of his career, but with the reconstruction of the Suns, his career is also entering a crossroads. If he can't make any breakthrough, his historical positioning will probably be difficult to improve much.

For the above-mentioned uncrowned champions, they may have been the face of the league and may still provide combat power. They were also the cornerstone of the team and the protagonist of the game, and were respected and praised by countless fans. However, they always lack the final championship affirmation.

On the road to chasing glory, some choose to transfer teams, some choose to be loyal, and some choose to be a veteran silently. Champion is never the only criterion for testing greatness. For this group of stars, this championship ring represents not only achievements, but also the greatest affirmation of the veterans' years of hard work and persistence.

But the championship is not accumulated by time. No matter how strong an individual is, if he does not encounter the perfect team or the right opportunity, he may still gain nothing in the end. On the contrary, some players may not be so dazzling, but they won the championship ahead of schedule because they took the right ride. This has nothing to do with fairness or not, but is a real enough microcosm of the league.

For these uncrowned Mesozoic stars, they are not not outstanding enough, but the rhythm of fate always passes by them. Time waits for no one, opportunity is fleeting. Now that they are coming to the second half of their career, they are still firm in their beliefs. This is not simply obsession with a champion, but a kind of persistence in their careers. If you are destined to be unable to realize your dream, you must fight to the last moment with dignity.