Watching two teams battle it out in the final championship game is always exciting. There’s plenty of anticipation and speculation about who will win and who will lose. But which players have won the most championships in the NBA? Here’s a look at some of those stats and trends, as well as a few other records.
Championship Rings
Some of the teams are often seen in the finals than the others. The history of the NBA is dominated by two franchises, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Their streak was broken by an amazing performance of the Chicago Bulls.
There is more to an NBA team than a name. NBA Players, who were part of the winning team are awarded championship rings. The rings are made of silver or gold and have a great value besides their beautiful modeling. The rings are a symbol of a victory and every NBA player dreams to have just one of those.
Some of the players made this dream come true multiple times. One of them couldn’t fit his rings on both hands’ fingers! Let’s take a look at the dominating teams and their legendary players.
NBA History: Boston Celtics Dynasty
Boston Celtics former members are in the possession of the most championship rings. It shouldn’t be a surprise for any basketball fan, because the Boston Celtics won the most championships, 17 in total, eleven of them in thirteen years. This number has been tied by the Los Angeles Lakers.
11 NBA Rings
Bill Russell holds the NBA record for the most NBA championship rings in league history that he won with for the Boston Celtics. It was a truly golden time for the team, they won in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969 making the 60s Boston Celtics dynasty years. To commemorate his astonishing wins, the Finals MVP Award is called Bill Russel.
10 NBA Rings
Another Boston Celtics player, Sam Jones has 10 rings. He played with Bob Russell in all of the championships except for 1957. He was renowned for his quickness and effective shooting, for which he became a five-time All-Star.
8 NBA Rings
LeTom Heinhson, K.C Jones, Satch Sanders, John Havlicek have 8 championships won. All of the players won for the Boston Celtics with some abbreviations of years in which the Boston Celtics got the NBA title.
7 NBA Rings
Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey have both won 7 rings for seven championships as part of the Boston Celtics.
Robert Horry also has 7 rings, 2 won with Houston Rockets, 3 with Los Angeles Lakers, and 2 with San Antonio Spurs.
6 NBA Rings
Bob Cousy won 6 rings with the Boston Celtics, an all-star team of his time. He was at the beginning of their victorious journey and ended his career in 1963, also with a win.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 5 rings for the Los Angeles Lakers and 1 for the Milwaukee Bucks. Kareem Abdul Jabbar put his hand into the creation of the Lakers dynasty. Earlier, they were always one step behind the Celtics.
Michael Jordan won 6 rings for the Chicago Bulls. Scottie Pippen was part of the same squad and also contributed to the NBA championship wins.
Michael Jordan’s Winning Mentality
The Chicago Bulls were true kings of the 90s, but they worked very hard to get to the superstar level. When looking at this team, it comes to mind that there is more to winning than talent and skill. It comes with the right mindset. The Chicago Bulls went on a winning streak two times, from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998.
Before they became the champions, they had trouble making the playoffs. There is something in the player’s mind when he experiences loss after loss and it’s hard to overcome it. Even one win can be proof that something earlier unthinkable, can actually be done. That’s the factor that can outweigh an NBA finale outcome. For Jordan, the biggest motivation was the Detroit Pistons rivalry. They seemed like a roadblock impossible to cross, which molded Jordan to become the true NBA king.
On the other hand, being a reigning champion, as the Boston Celtics were for so many years, requires another type of winning mentality. It takes a special mindset to stay on the top for that long.
Active Players with the Most NBA Rings
Enough about the legends. There are several great NBA Players who managed to win more than two championships!
Free Agent LeBron James
LeBron James is an active player with the most championship rings. He has 4 of them altogether, two won with Miami Heat (2012, 2013), one with Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and one with Los Angeles Lakers (2020).
Udonis Haslem, helped Miami Heat win the championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013, which means that he has 3 rings.
Golden State Warriors Dynasty
Stephen Curry, a loyal member of the Golden State Warriors, led his team to victory three times, acquiring 3 championship rings in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Curry is a seven-time All-Star and dominates the league when it comes to three-point shooting.
Draymond Green, another Golden State Warriors star, won as a part of dream squad, 3 NBA championship rings, along with Curry in 2015, 2017, 2018. He is a three-time All-Star and NBA Defensive Player of 2017.
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors shooting guard, also had a hand in winning three NBA championships in the same years as his teammates above. He is a three-time All-Star and part of the lethal duo the “Splash Brothers” along with Curry.
Andre Igoudala won three NBA championship rings in his time playing Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, and 2018. After that, he changed the teams but ultimately got back with the Warriors. In 2015 he was named the NBA Finals MVP for his lawbreaking winning performance.
Patrick McCaw has altogether three rings, all of them won in consecutive years! He has two rings from playing with Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and the third one he got in 2019 being a part of the Toronto Raptors.
3 NBA Rings
Danny Green obtained his three rings by playing for three different teams. One is from winning a championship with San Antonio Spurs in 2014, the second he got with Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the third one with Lakers in 2020.
JaVale McGee won his two rings with Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and one more with Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Being an NBA Superstar
The NBA players who have won three or more championship rings have all had this same mindset in some way shape or form. They were either on teams with many other talented NBA players where they relied heavily on teamwork for success, or they were members of dynasties like Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls team which put effort into creating their dynasty from scratch by always being one step ahead of everyone else. Regardless of how these stars got there though, each player has been able to find ways to win as an individual player as well as part of a team-building process.
What NBA player has won the most championships with different teams?
Robert Horry, John Salley, LeBron James, and Danny Green are the only players in history to have won championships while playing for three different teams. Out of those four athletes, Horry holds the record with seven championship wins, two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and another two earned as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
