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The NBA championship title is the pinnacle of achievements in the league, as many players and teams fortunate enough to win one would attest to. Whilst some players spend the whole of their career struggling to win one championship, some can boast of having more than one to their names.
The Boston Celtics team of the ’60s notoriously swept aside teams in countless finals, firing their way to 9 championship titles from 1960-1970. In recent times, the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team was another example of an all-conquering team. They played swashbuckling basketball in the ’90s, on their way to two three-peat championships, between 1990-1998.
Winning a championship lifts a player to an elite level, as your name gets to be etched in history forever. The list of players who have gone on to win a championship ring is countless, as numerous champions have passed through the NBA.
Although a few select players can boast about winning multiple championships, even with multiple teams, fewer can boast of winning back-to-back championships with two different teams.
Which players have won back-to-back NBA championships with different teams?
#1. Frank Saul
Franklin Benjamin Saul Jr., nicknamed “PEP” for his tenacity and guile as a player, was born on February 16, 1924, and was the first NBA player to win back-to-back championships with different teams. He made a name for himself in 1950s, after gaining entry into the NBA as the 12th overall pick in the 1949 NBA Draft, as selected by the Rochester Royals.
Saul made his debut in the 1949-50 season and went on to become a key player in the team's NBA championship title win in 1951. He was traded in the 1951-52 season to the Baltimore Bullets, who then traded him to the Minneapolis Lakers after featuring in 39 games for the Bullets.
That same season, the Minneapolis Lakers won the championship title, with Saul averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the playoffs. Saul and the Lakers went on to win two more titles, adding up Saul's championship title total to 4.
#2. Steve Kerr
The 8-time NBA champion is one of the most notable names in the league. Needed no extra explanation as to who he is or his status in the game. The current Golden State Warriors coach has known success as a player and a coach, winning 5 of his championship titles as a player, the others coming as coach of the Warriors.
Playing in the all-conquering Chicago Bulls team of the '90s containing NBA legend Michael Jordan, Kerr enjoyed great success, winning the last of his three-peat championships with the Bulls in 1998, before switching in January 1999 to the San Antonio Spurs in a sign-and-trade deal.
He ended up winning the championship that season with Spurs, joining Saul as the only two players with back-to-back championships under different franchises at the time.
#3. Chris Boucher
Chris Boucher joined the exclusive list of NBA players with back-to-back championships under different franchises in 2019. The Toronto Raptors power forward signed a 2-way contract with the Warriors in 2018 and featured in a single game for the Warriors.
He recorded a 3-point attempt and a rebound, although he was unable to play in the playoffs due to his contract, but was part of the team as they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals.
Boucher signed a 2-way contract with the Toronto Raptors as a free agent on July 20, 2018, and was given a standard contract on February 10, 2019. The Raptors made it to the NBA Finals and went head-to-head with the Warriors defeating them to become the 2019 NBA champions.
#4. Patrick McCaw
Patrick McCaw was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 38th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and was traded to the Warriors on draft night. McCaw has three championship rings, which he won in his first three seasons in the NBA, two titles with the Warriors and the last with the Raptors.
The former Toronto Raptors man, who was waived by the franchise in 2021, joined a select team of stars with back-to-back championships under two different teams in the 2019 finals. Although he has limited playing time for most of his Finals appearances, it is as much his win as it is anyone else's.
McCaw has featured in the playoffs in three seasons and won the title in all three (2016-2019), averaging 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 7.7 minutes played per game.
#5. Danny Green
Cleveland Cavaliers No. 46 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Danny Green is the final name on the list to have won back-to-back championships with two different teams. He spent a season with the Cavaliers before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he clinched his first NBA championship ring.
The 76ers small forward played a major role in his three championship wins, albeit never winning the Finals MVP award. He is fourth on the all-time list for career 3-point percentage in the NBA Finals, with a successful percentage of 42%.
During his championship win against the Raptors in 2019, he formed a successful partnership with Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard, helping to shackle an injury-ridden Warriors team. Green then went on to win back-to-back championships with the Lebron James-led LA Lakers after leaving the Raptors that season.
Also Read: What years did Danny Green win his rings?
Guess the Lakers players!
