The following is a list of National Basketball Association (NBA) players who won the most championships.
The NBA is a major professional basketball league in North America. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). [1] The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). [2] The NBA Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of the sport's postseason. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Players from the winning team usually receive championship rings from the team honoring their contribution, with "rings" becoming shorthand for championships. [3] The number of championships won by NBA superstars is often used as a measurement of their greatness. [4]
Boston Celtics center Bill Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won with 11 titles during his 13-year playing career. [5]
As of 2020, Robert Horry, John Salley, LeBron James and Danny Green are the only players to have won championships with three different teams. [6]
Pos | G | Guard | F | Forward | C | Center |
* | Denotes players who have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||
^ | Denotes players who are currently active in the NBA | |||||
† | Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration [a] |
a A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
b Russell was inducted both as a player and as a coach.
c Heinsohn won two additional championships in 1974 and 1976 as head coach of the Boston Celtics.
d Jones won four additional championships: in 1972 as assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, in 1981 as assistant coach of the Boston Celtics, and in 1984 and 1986 as head coach of the Celtics.
e Sanders was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor. [91]
f Loscutoff did not play in the 1960 Playoffs and Finals due to injury. [92]
g Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 after winning his first championship. He also won two championships as an assistant coach with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. [93]
h Nelson was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach.
i Kerr won additional championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
j Sharman won an additional championship in 1972 as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
k Wilkes did not play in the 1985 playoffs due to injury, but remained on the roster until after the Finals. [94]
l Kupchak was injured 26 games into the 1981–1982 season, resulting in him missing the remainder of that season including the playoffs. He did not remain on the roster, but he did receive recognition as a member of the 1982 championship team.
The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, a shared arena with the NHL's Boston Bruins. The Celtics are commonly regarded as the most successful team in NBA history and hold the records for most NBA championships won, with 18, and most recorded wins of any NBA franchise.
Larry Joe Bird is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, an arena they share with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA with 17 championships, the second most in the league behind the Boston Celtics.
Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player. Standing 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Chamberlain was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and elected to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. Following his professional basketball career, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association (IVA). He served one term as league president and is enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame. Renowned for his strength, he played the antagonist in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan the Destroyer.
Daniel Ray Ainge is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his 18-year career as general manager for the Boston Celtics, Ainge was known for making bold moves to help the team rebuild, and clearing cap space. He served as the Celtics' president of basketball operations from 2003 until his retirement in 2021.
Walter Ray Allen Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. Allen is widely considered to be one of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time, and he held the record for most three-pointers made in a career from 2011 until 2021, when he was surpassed by Stephen Curry.
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Robert Lee Parish is an American former professional basketball player. A 7'1" center, nicknamed "the Chief", Parish played for four teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1976 to 1997. During his 14-year tenure with the Boston Celtics, Parish teamed with Hall-of-Fame forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to form one of the greatest front lines in NBA history.
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NBA All-Star and was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History.
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Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As of 2024, he has played for 11 NBA teams in 15 seasons.
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