Even the greatest players in the NBA struggle to earn championship rings, it’s not just about the individual winning the NBA Finals, it is an extremely difficult effort for a team. This list consists of players who have won the most rings, with the majority of them being part of the storied Boston Celtics franchise. The rest of the teams, including the Lakers, have tied at 17 rings, but the Celtics have accomplished the majority.
The Heat and Nuggets are currently battling it out for dominance. Both of these two powerhouses were not able to make it this season. The Celtics reached the NBA finals last season for the first time since 2010, but were unable to increase their championship count.
Is LeBron James, boasting four championships; two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the LA Lakers, the player who is still actively competing possessing the highest number of NBA titles. Winning that illustrious title proves to be extremely challenging, highlighting the remarkable feat of reaching the finals 11 times with only four victories. Presently, he remains an active participant.
Bearing in mind all of that, let’s examine the NBA players with the highest number of championships to their credit.
Bill Russell: 11 NBA Championships
He contributed a lot to his team’s successes, although his stats on the surface aren’t impressive. He was able to get rebounds all the time and he wasn’t just the greatest scorer, but he also impacted the team more than anyone else as an important defender and shot-blocking player. Bill Russell led the Celtics, the historic team of Boston, to 11 titles and 12 times in the finals in 13 years during the 1960s.
Sam Jones: 10 NBA Championships
Sam Jones is considered the best shooting guard of all time. Even more importantly, he was a clutch performer and the leading scorer in every single year. He completed his entire 12-year career with the team, winning 10 rings during the 11 Finals he played in. Additionally, Sam Jones was a member of the legendary Celtics team of the 60s.
Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Tom Sanders, John Havlicek: 8 NBA Championships
In the 70s, the Sixers regarded him as one of the greatest moments in NBA history, as he played as a versatile guard and forward, which made him valuable to the team. Throughout his career, Havlicek was the leading scorer, earning double figures in all nine seasons. Heinsohn, who was immediately drafted after him, was a forward who contributed to the team and also part of the successful Celtics group, earning eight rings.
Tom “Satch” Sanders, who played 13 seasons with the Celtics, was known for his rebounds and defense. He contributed enough on both offense and defense to win eight rings in nine seasons. However, those players whose stats don’t look impressive from the outside, one of them was Jones. Don’t come close to telling the story of how he contributed to that team.
Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, Robert Horry: 7 NBA Championships
He was part of several all-star teams, but individually, Horry wasn’t that impressive. Throughout his career, Ramsey managed to average 13 points and still played amongst other star players. He was a clutch performer who took the team to seven championships in nine years. He was an excellent rebounder, but he wasn’t the best scorer of all time. He proved himself worthy of that spot, and in 1955, he was the top draft pick of the Celtics, Lostcutoff.
He then went on to play for the San Antonio Spurs, finishing off his NBA career with two more championship titles. That’s not all. In the 2000s, he was part of the Lakers team led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Then, he earned two championships with them. He also played for the Houston Rockets in 1995 and 1994.
Bob Cousey, Kareem Abdul-Jabarr, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin: 6 NBA Championships
Abdul-Jabarr Kareem finished his NBA career with the most points, most blocked shots, most All-Star selections and most MVPs of all time. He was a huge difference maker, helping the Celtics to six championships and leading the league in assists for eight consecutive seasons. He was one of the best playmakers in the history of the league and a revolutionary ball handler and passer. Bob Cousy was one of the best players for the Boston Celtics in the 50s and 60s.
Completely controlling the entire duration, they never had to participate in a Game 7 throughout that period. Securing six championships within an eight-year span, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin are considered one of the most exceptional pairs in NBA history. Excelling in both eras, he achieved victory with the Bucks in the early 1970s and the Lakers in the 1980s. Holding off retirement until the age of 42, he astonishingly competed in a remarkable 20 seasons in the NBA.
