In American men's basketball, the Triple Crown is the achievement of an individual player winning an NCAA championship, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal during his career. [1] [2] [3] [4] Eight players have accomplished this feat: [5]
| Player | NCAA championships | NBA championships | Olympic gold medals | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde Lovellette | Kansas Jayhawks (1952) | Minneapolis Lakers (1954) Boston Celtics (1963, 1964) | Team USA (1952) | [6] |
| Bill Russell | San Francisco Dons (1955, 1956) | Boston Celtics (1957, 1959–1966, 1968, 1969) | Team USA (1956) | [7] |
| K.C. Jones | San Francisco Dons (1955, 1956) | Boston Celtics (1959–1966) | Team USA (1956) | [7] |
| Jerry Lucas | Ohio State Buckeyes (1960) | New York Knicks (1973) | Team USA (1960) | [7] |
| Quinn Buckner | Indiana Hoosiers (1976) | Boston Celtics (1984) | Team USA (1976) | [7] |
| Magic Johnson | Michigan State Spartans (1979) | Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) | Team USA (1992) | [7] |
| Michael Jordan | North Carolina Tar Heels (1982) | Chicago Bulls (1991–1993, 1996–1998) | Team USA (1984, 1992) | [7] |
| Anthony Davis | Kentucky Wildcats (2012) | Los Angeles Lakers (2020) | Team USA (2012, 2024) | [5] |
Clyde Lovellette was the first Triple Crown winner, [8] completing the trifecta over a two-year span with a college championship and Olympic gold medal in 1952 followed by an NBA title in 1954. [6] K.C. Jones and Bill Russell were teammates on championship teams in college (San Francisco Dons), the NBA (Boston Celtics) and the Olympics (Team USA); Lovellette joined them on the 1963–64 Celtics title-winning squad. [7] Quinn Buckner, Jerry Lucas, and Magic Johnson also won a high school basketball state championship. [9]