Whenever I talk about who is the greatest basketball player, the number one factor that is always brought up during my discussion is the number of rings the person has won during his NBA career.
Have you ever wondered who has the most rings in the NBA? You’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I will write about the top NBA players who have won several rings during their careers and will compare who has the most rings in the NBA.
Do you want to know which NBA players own that distinction? Read more to find out.
Players With The Most NBA Championship Rings
Fun Fact: The most NBA championship rings won by a single basketball player in the history of the NBA is 11 rings.
I will discuss the players who have won several rings during their careers. You will be amazed at how many rings some of these players have won.
Players Who Have Won 10 or More NBA Championships
There are only two players in NBA history to win 10 or more NBA championships. Those players are Bill Russell and Sam Jones.
Bill Russell
Remember the fun fact I have mentioned above wherein the most championships an NBA player has won is 11 NBA titles? That NBA player is Bill Russell.
Bill Russell is the NBA player with the most NBA rings under his belt. Bill’s name is attached to the NBA Finals MVP award because of this phenomenal achievement.
Bill Russell was instrumental during the dominant years of the Boston Celtics when they won 11 NBA titles in 13 years.
The Celtics won their first NBA title back in 1957 and started the NBA’s most dominant era of basketball.
During that era, one of Russell’s biggest rivals was Wilt Chamberlain, known for his superhuman strength and ability to register record-breaking statistics throughout his entire career.
Bill Russell was known as a rebounding machine due to his amazing rebound abilities, averaging more than 20 rebounds every season of his 13-year NBA career, which led to the Celtics winning multiple titles.
In both wins and losses, the Celtics would go down in NBA history as one of the few organizations to make it to the NBA finals the most number of times.
Sam Jones
Sam Jones is one of the quickest players to ever play in the NBA. In addition to his amazing speed, he has one of the most precise shooting abilities in basketball.
Sam Jones ended his stay in the NBA with career averages of 17.7 points per game and was one of the Boston Celtics’ top scorers.
Wilt Chamberlain even admitted that Sam Jones is the best player on the Celtics team.
Because of his undeniable skill and hunger to win the game, Sam Jones was named to the Hall of Fame in 1983 and became one of the 50 greatest players to play basketball professionally.
Players Who Have Won Eight Championships
While there has not been a player in the NBA that has won nine NBA championships at the end of their career, many players have won eight.
These are the players that have won eight NBA championships:
Satch Sanders
Satch Sanders may not be a household name for casual NBA fans, but veterans of the game and die-hard fans know how crucial he was in his 13-year tenure with the Boston Celtics.
As a role player, his main duties on the court were to defend and rebound the ball.
What makes him stand out is his ability to lock down players like Willis Reed and Elgin Baylor, two of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA.
In his 13-year career with the Celtics, he has won eight NBA rings with them.
After his career, Satch Sanders would go on to coach the Celtics and eventually the Harvard Crimson Men’s Basketball team.
John Havlicek
John Havlicek is the Boston Celtics’ all-time leading scorer. What makes him a special player is his versatility. He was able to play both the guard and forward positions.
With his versatility and top-notch skills, I think John is arguably one of the greatest all-around players I have seen in the NBA.
John Havlicek had a wonderful basketball career. He started coming off the bench and eventually became the Celtics leader for the team. John has led the organization to multiple NBA rings.
Havlicek’s most iconic moment was in the Eastern Conference finals where he stole the ball in a crucial moment against the 76ers. That specific play helped secure their victory and eventually lead to them winning the title.
K.C. Jones
K.C. Jones was never a superstar. He averaged 7.4 points per game on 40% efficiency and a horrendous 63% shooting from the free-throw line.
Surprisingly, the Boston Celtics would not have won a championship when Bob Cousy retired if they would have any other player aside from Jones.
K.C. Jones was also known as the “pit bull” due to his strong defense. Because of Jones, the Celtics team won several championships, and Jones’ defense stopped opposing players from scoring.
Tom Heinsohn
Tom Heinsohn is one of the most legendary players to play for the Boston Celtics. I am amazed when I look back at his consistency with his scoring ability and double figures in statistics in his NBA career.
He would average 17 and 10 every season in his career and kept going during his playing years.
Tom Heinsohn and his phenomenal skills led the Celtics to many titles and victories. He would be forever remembered for his achievements, alongside Bill Russell, as one of the best Celtics players ever.
Tom Heinsohn would dedicate his life to the organization. After his playing career, he would go on to coach the Celtics and help in whatever way he could.
Players Who Have Won Seven Championships
Surprisingly enough, more players have won eight NBA championships than players that have won seven championships.
With the small list of players in this category, let me discuss them in detail.
Jim Loscutoff
Jim Loscutoff was destined to play for the Boston Celtics when they drafted him in the 1955 draft.
His scoring and rebounding ability convinced the organization to pick him, and it ended up being a very valuable pick-up.
Jim Loscutoff played for nine years in the league and managed to win seven titles.
Frank Ramsey
Like Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey played for the Boston Celtics for nine years and won seven championships.
His essential role play allowed the Celtics to thrive in playoff moments, especially his contribution coming off the bench. He always came off with 13 and 5 averages in his NBA career.
Without Frank Ramsey and his consistency to play as a role player, the Celtics would have never won any championship during their careers playing for them.
Robert Horry
Robert Horry may not have the most points per game or any other crazy statistic, but he is arguably the most clutch player.
Robert Horry has played for many NBA teams, namely the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs.
Each team would win championships and earn its place in sports history.
These championship teams would not have won titles if it weren’t for Robert Horry and his clutch shots, hence the nickname he earned, “Big Shot Bob!”
Robert Horry was part of the Lakers dynasty when they dominated in the early 2000s. He would forever cement himself as one of the most important players for the organization.
Players Who Have Won Six Championships
The list of players that have won six NBA championships is the category that most NBA fans are familiar with.
If you are a casual NBA fan, you are highly likely to be familiar with the players in this category. Here are the players that have won six NBA championships.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are among the most iconic dynamic duos in sports history. They led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA rings, NBA finals, and two three-peats.
Essentially, they are famous for never losing in the NBA finals, having a record of 6-0 every time they have appeared in the NBA finals.
Although most consider Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time, basketball is a team sport, and Jordan would not have won the NBA titles without Scottie Pippen.
With defensive talents enough for him to make it to the all-defensive team, mixed with amazing offensive prowess, Jordan and Pippen would go down in history as the greatest in recent memory.
The duo is among those that have won the most rings in the sport.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as of recent, is the all-time leading scorer in the sport and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players to ever play!
Known for his iconic sky hook shot, Kareem Abdul Jabbar would stand among the few that have won an NBA title multiple times.
The NBA superstar would play with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers and win championships with them.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired as the leading scorer in the league and would forever be known as one of the greatest NBA players of all-time.
Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy is one of the Boston Celtics’ most legendary players because he revolutionized the league with his ball-handling and passing abilities.
Because of his amazing passing skills, he led the league in assists for eight consecutive seasons while simultaneously being near the top in scoring and free-throw percentage.
It would’ve been shameful not to include Cousy in the Hall of Fame. As one of the greatest playmakers to ever play, he deserves his place there especially with six championships under his belt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I will list down some of the frequently asked questions about this topic if you need additional information.
Which NBA Organization Has the Most NBA Championship Rings?
When asking, “who has the most rings in the NBA?” you consider the teams and organizations.
The organization with the most NBA titles is tied between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Both organizations have won 17 NBA titles, making them the greatest NBA organizations.
Hence, every time a Lakers and Celtics final happened, it would be dubbed as the EL CLASICO of the NBA.
Which NBA Head Coach Has Won the Most NBA Championships?
Phil Jackson is the NBA head coach with the most NBA titles under his belt.
He has won six of his titles with Michael Jordan, and the Chicago Bulls in their iconic two three-peat runs in 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.
Fun Fact: Phil Jackson, with Michael Jordan and the Bulls, are the only people to ever succeed in winning two three-peats without losing in the NBA finals.
These achievements alone are why many basketball aficionados consider Jackson as the greatest NBA coach. He has led his teams to multiple championships and has succeeded in winning three peats.
NBA Coach Who Was a Former Player That Won Multiple Championship Rings
During their second three-peat, Steve Kerr won his most rings with the Chicago Bulls, but he won an additional two rings with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003.
As the current coach of the Golden State Warriors, he had won three championships with them when they won in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
Combining his playing and coaching career, Kerr has earned eight championships, making him one of the winningest people in league history.
Which Current NBA Player Has the Most NBA Rings?
LeBron James is the current player with the most rings, winning four.
He won the most titles with the Miami Heat, winning two in 2012 and 2013.
He would go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and win the title with them in 2016, which is arguably the greatest finals series of all time because of their comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors.
LeBron’s fourth ring is from the recent title he won in 2020 when he led the Los Angeles Lakers to beat his old team, the Miami Heat, in a 4-1 finals victory.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you now have a solid understanding of the players and organizations who have won the most NBA titles in the league’s history.
It will come as no surprise that the Boston Celtics and its former players would dominate the list because they are the team that holds the record for the most championships won.
And to answer the question, “who has the most rings in the NBA?,” it should come as no surprise that the player with the most NBA rings is Bill Russell, a former Celtics player.
Thank you for reading my article. I hope you learned a thing or two about NBA history and the championships won by top players in the league.
Feature image credit: Championshipringclub, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
