To some basketball fans, there is no metric more important than that of the championship ring. Because how can a player be great without a title to show for it? Such thinking is reductive, of course; a million and one things have to go right to build a dynasty or win a ring, and much of that calculus is out of an individual player's hands.
Still, though, it's true that a win in the Finals is the quickest way to build your professional legacy. You are forever an NBA champion, no matter what happens—and it's hard to argue with that.
Ahead of this year's championship series, which will feature either the Spurs or the Thunder in the West and the Knicks or the Cavaliers in the East, let's take a walk down memory lane to see which NBA star is the GOAT in terms of titles won.
Which player has the most NBA rings?
Late Celtics center Bill Russell has the most rings in NBA history with 11 total. Eight of those championships were won consecutively during Boston's dominance in the late 1960s.
Russell was also a five-time MVP, a 12-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist and the NBA's first Black head coach, a title he earned when he took over as a player-coach of the Celtics in 1966. He would also go on to coach the Seattle SuperSonics and the Sacramento Kings.
In 1975, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He died in 2022 at the age of 88.
NBA players with three or more rings
| Player | # of Rings | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 11 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69 |
| Sam Jones | 10 | Celtics: 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69 |
| John Havlicek | 8 | Celtics: 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1975-76 |
| Tom Heinsohn | 8 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65 |
| K.C. Jones | 8 | Celtics: 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66 |
| Tom Sanders | 8 | Celtics: 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69 |
| Robert Horry | 7 | Rockets: 1993-94, 1994-95; Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02; Spurs: 2004-05, 2006-07 |
| Jim Loscutoff | 7 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64 |
| Frank Ramsey | 7 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64 |
| Michael Jordan | 6 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Scottie Pippen | 6 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 6 | Bucks: 1970-71; Lakers: 1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| Bob Cousy | 6 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63 |
| Tim Duncan | 5 | Spurs: 1998-99, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2013-14 |
| Kobe Bryant | 5 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09, 2009-10 |
| Derek Fisher | 5 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09, 2009-10 |
| Steve Kerr | 5 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98; Spurs: 1998-99, 2002-03 |
| Ron Harper | 5 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98; Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01 |
| Dennis Rodman | 5 | Pistons: 1988-89, 1989-90; Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Michael Copper | 5 | Lakers: 1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| Magic Johnson | 5 | Lakers: 1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| Don Nelson | 5 | Celtics: 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1975-76 |
| Larry Siegfried | 5 | Celtics: 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69 |
| Slater Martin | 5 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1949-50, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54; St. Louis Hawks: 1957-58 |
| George Mikan | 5 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54 |
| Jim Pollard | 5 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54 |
| Stephen Curry | 4 | Warriors: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22 |
| Draymond Green | 4 | Warriors: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22 |
| Andre Iguodala | 4 | Warriors: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22 |
| Klay Thompson | 4 | Warriors: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22 |
| LeBron James | 4 | Heat: 2011-12, 2012-13; Cavaliers: 2015-16; Lakers: 2019-20 |
| Manu Ginobili | 4 | Spurs: 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2013-14 |
| Tony Parker | 4 | Spurs: 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2013-14 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 4 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02; Heat: 2005-06 |
| Horace Grant | 4 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93; Lakers: 2000-01 |
| John Salley | 4 | Pistons: 1988-89, 1989-90; Bulls: 1995-96; Lakers: 1999-00 |
| Will Perdue | 4 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93; Spurs: 1998-99 |
| Robert Parish | 4 | Celtics: 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86; Bulls: 1996-97 |
| Kurt Rambis | 4 | Lakers: 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| Jamaal Wilkes | 4 | Warriors: 1974-75; Lakers: 1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85 |
| Gene Guarilia | 4 | Celtics: 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63 |
| Bill Sharman | 4 | Celtics: 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61 |
| Vern Mikkelsen | 4 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1949-50, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54 |
| Pep Saul | 4 | Rochester Royals: 1950-51; Minneapolis Lakers: 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54 |
| Kevon Looney | 3 | Warriors: 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22 |
| Danny Green | 3 | Spurs: 2013-14; Raptors: 2018-19; Lakers: 2019-20 |
| JaVale McGee | 3 | Warriors: 2016-17, 2017-18; Lakers: 2019-20 |
| Patrick McCaw | 3 | Warriors: 2016-17, 2017-18; Raptors: 2018-19 |
| Shaun Livingston | 3 | Warriors: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18 |
| James Jones | 3 | Heat: 2011-12, 2012-13; Cavaliers: 2015-16 |
| Udonis Haslem | 3 | Heat: 2005-06, 2011-12, 2012-13 |
| Dwayne Wade | 3 | Heat: 2005-06, 2011-12, 2012-13 |
| Sam Cassell | 3 | Rockets: 1993-94, 1994-95; Celtics: 2007-08 |
| Bruce Bowen | 3 | Spurs: 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07 |
| Rick Fox | 3 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 |
| Devean George | 3 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 |
| Brian Shaw | 3 | Lakers: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 |
| A.C. Green | 3 | Lakers: 1986-87, 1987-88, 1999-00 |
| Mario Elie | 3 | Rockets: 1993-94, 1994-95; Spurs: 1998-99 |
| Randy Brown | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Jud Buechler | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Toni Kukoc | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Luc Longley | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Dickey Simpkins | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| Bill Wennington | 3 | Bulls: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 |
| James Edwards | 3 | Pistons: 1988-89, 1989-90; Bulls: 1995-96 |
| B.J. Armstrong | 3 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 |
| Bill Cartwright | 3 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 |
| Stacey King | 3 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 |
| John Paxson | 3 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 |
| Scott Williams | 3 | Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 |
| Gerald Henderson | 3 | Celtics: 1980-81, 1983-84; Pistons: 1989-90 |
| Byron Scott | 3 | Lakers: 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| James Worthy | 3 | Lakers: 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 |
| Larry Bird | 3 | Celtics: 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86 |
| Dennis Johnson | 3 | Seattle Supersonics: 1978-79; Celtics: 1983-84, 1985-86 |
| Kevin McHale | 3 | Celtics: 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86 |
| Mitch Kupchak | 3 | Washington Bullets: 1977-78; Lakers: 1981-82, 1984-85 |
| Paul Silas | 3 | Celtics: 1973-74, 1975-76; Seattle Supersonics: 1978-79 |
| Willie Naulls | 3 | Celtics: 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66 |
| Clyde Lovellette | 3 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1953-54; Celtics: 1962-63, 1963-64 |
| Gene Conley | 3 | Celtics: 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61 |
| Whitey Skoog | 3 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54 |
| Bob Harrison | 3 | Minneapolis Lakers: 1949-50, 1951-52, 1952-53 |
