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Top 10 NBA players with the most number of championship rings (updated as per 2021)

By Kunal Sethi
Modified Nov 08, 2022 11:44 GMT
Bill Russell with his 11 NBA championship rings [Source: 2014 NBAE]
Bill Russell with his 11 NBA championship rings [Source: 2014 NBAE]

The 2021 NBA Finals is set between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks. Both franchises have yearned for an NBA title for decades. The Bucks last won a title in 1971 while the Suns haven't held up the Larry O'Brien trophy yet in their franchise history. Whoever wins the championship this season, it will be one for the history books.

Which NBA players have won the most rings all time?

LeBron James has the most championship rings of any active player with four, while several players have three. However, many non-player individuals are also highly decorated in the NBA. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won five rings as a player and three as a coach, while Heat President Pat Riley has nine rings to himself as a player, head coach, assistant coach and executive.

With the eyes of every NBA fan set at the 2021 NBA Finals, let's take a look at the top 10 players with the most championship rings of all time.

#T-10 Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls [Source: People Magazine]
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls [Source: People Magazine]

NBA Championship Rings: 6

The Chicago Bulls dynasty led by Michael Jordan was one of the most dominant runs we've seen in NBA history. Jordan, along with Scottie Pippen, went to six finals and won all six championships, three-peating twice. They won the titles from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1998. The Bulls are just one of three franchises to have ever had a three-peat season in NBA history. Michael Jordan was the Finals MVP for all six NBA titles.

Scottie Pippen was the perfect partner for Jordan in their prime years. He was one of the best defenders in the league at the time and complemented coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense excellently. Jordan and Pippen are easily one of the best wing duos in NBA history.

#9 Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy with the Boston Celtics [Source: WeAreBasket]
Bob Cousy with the Boston Celtics [Source: WeAreBasket]

NBA Championship Rings: 6

One of the most underrated stars in NBA history, Bob Cousy was a major piece of the Bill Russell era for the Boston Celtics. He was nicknamed "The Houdini of the Hardwood" because of his limitless skills and was regularly introduced as "Mr. Basketball" in Boston Garden. He won six NBA championship rings with the Boston Celtics in 1957 and then five consecutively from 1959 to 1963. He was the NBA league MVP in 1957 and a 13-time All-Star with 10 First Team All-NBA selections. Cousy also led the league in assists eight times and we can certainly say Russell would not have had so many rings if not for Cousy on his team.

#8 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the LA Lakers [Source: Lakers UK]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the LA Lakers [Source: Lakers UK]

NBA Championship Rings: 6

One of the best players to ever bless an NBA court, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is leaps and bounds ahead of any other NBA center. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points and his list of accolades far exceeds any other player of his era. He has won the NBA MVP award a record-setting six times and won the FMVP twice, 14 years apart, the largest margin between winning the awards.

Abdul-Jabbar is a record 19-time All-Star with a total of 26 All-NBA and All-Defensive Team selections. He won one title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 with Oscar Robertson and then won five more rings with the LA Lakers alongside Magic Johnson in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.

#T-7 Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey

1960 Boston Celtics [Source: NBA]
1960 Boston Celtics [Source: NBA]

NBA Championship Rings: 7

Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey were part of the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics dynasty. They both won seven championships and were part of the team in 1957 and then six consecutive from 1959 to 1964. Loscutoff was one of the team's forwards who averaged 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs for the Celtics. He didn't want his #18 jersey retired so the team retired his nickname "Loscy" and a banner with no number and "LOSCY" written hangs in the rafters till this date.

Ramsey was an NCAA champion who was drafted by the Celtics as the fifth overall pick in 1953. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the team in the playoffs. However, he was arguably one of the best players in the 1959 championship run as he averaged 23.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in that playoff run. His #23 jersey hangs in the rafters of the TD Garden.

#6 Robert Horry

Robert Horry with the LA Lakers [Source: ESPN]
Robert Horry with the LA Lakers [Source: ESPN]

NBA Championship Rings: 7

Robert Horry, also known as "Big Shot Bob," was the ultimate championship role player. He had a knack for hitting clutch shots and was a valuable piece of every championship roster he was a part of. Horry won back-to-back NBA titles with the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. He then three-peated with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal-led LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002 and then went on to win two more NBA titles with the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and 2007.

#T-5 Satch Sanders and K.C. Jones

NBA Championship Rings: 8

Thomas "Satch" Sanders and K.C. Jones were both part of the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics dynasty. Tom "Satch" Sanders averaged 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the NBA playoffs, while K.C. Jones averaged 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the NBA playoffs.

Sanders won six NBA rings from 1961 to 1966 and then won back-to-back in 1968 and 1969. His #16 jersey is retired by the Boston Celtics. Jones won all his eight NBA rings consecutively from 1959 to 1966 and his #25 jersey also hangs in the rafters.

#4 Tom Heinsohn

Tom Heinsohn of the Boston Celtics [Source: The Athletic]
Tom Heinsohn of the Boston Celtics [Source: The Athletic]

NBA Championship Rings: 8

Tom Heinsohn won his eight NBA championships with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics. However, unlike several other players on this list, he wasn't a role player but rather a six-time All-Star. He averaged nearly 20 points, 10 rebounds and two assists per game in the NBA playoffs for the Celtics and was undoubtedly one of the key pieces of their championship runs. He won one NBA title in 1957 and then won seven consecutively from 1959 to 1965. Heihnson's #15 jersey hangs in the TD Garden's rafters.

#3 John Havlicek

<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/john-havlicek' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>John Havlicek</a> of the Boston Celtics [Source: USA Today]
John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics [Source: USA Today]

NBA Championship Rings: 8

One of the most decorated Boston Celtics players ever, John Havlicek was drafted by the team at age 22 and he played with them until he was 37 for an illustrious 16-year career. He was a 13-time All-Star and 19 combined All-NBA and All-Defensive Team selections. Havlicek won six of his eight NBA titles with the Bill Russell-led championship squad from 1963 to 1966 and then back-to-back in 1967 and 1968. He then went on to win two more for the Celtics in 1974 and 1976 alongside JoJo White and Dave Cowens and won the Finals MVP for the 1974 NBA title. The Boston Celtics retired his #17 jersey and he is the team's all-time leading scorer.

#2 Sam Jones

Sam Jones of the Boston Celtics [Source: NBA]
Sam Jones of the Boston Celtics [Source: NBA]

NBA Championship Rings: 10

Sam Jones, the player with the second-most NBA championships, was a crucial piece of the Boston Celtics' dynasty. He averaged nearly 20 points in the NBA playoffs, including several championship runs where he averaged more than 23 points per game. He is a five-time All-Star and his #24 jersey was retired by the Boston Celtics. Jones won eight NBA consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966 and then won back-to-back in 1968 and 1969.

#1 Bill Russell

Bill Russell with coach Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics [Source: The Boston Globe]
Bill Russell with coach Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics [Source: The Boston Globe]

NBA Championship Rings: 11

The man behind the biggest dynasty in NBA history, Bill Russell, won 11 NBA championships in a 13-year span. No player has ever been able to reach his winning mark till date. Moreover, Russell won every single Game 7 he ever faced in the NBA and was regarded as the ultimate champion. He has statlines which are unfathomable today, such as one game with 49 rebounds. Russell and Wilt Chamberlain defined NBA basketball in the 1960s and Russell won most of their head-to-head matchups.

Also Read: Top 10 Active Players with the most NBA Championships

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar
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