The NBA has become quite competitive in the last few decades; otherwise, a dynasty like the Golden State Warriors would have been running riot like the Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 60s. With the competition increasing, the players with the most NBA championships are all from the 1950s and 60s, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if you don’t find your LeBron James and Michael Jordan in the list.
1. Bill Russell – 11 NBA Titles
Russell spearheaded the Celtics’ golden run in the ’50s and ’60s and was the prime reason behind their dominance. The Celtics selected him second overall in the 1956 NBA Draft, and he won his first NBA Championship as a rookie, also taking the Rookie of the Year award.
Russell spent his entire career in Boston and later served as a player-coach from 1966-69 – a stint in which he won two of his eleven NBA titles.
Russell passed away in July, 2022, but left one of the greatest legacies in American sports history.
Bill Russell passed away Sunday. He was 88-years old.
The 5-time MVP won 11 titles, more than any player in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/lZKadWv4GK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo)
2. Sam Jones – 10 NBA Titles
Sam Jones was Russell’s teammate on the Celtics, and the pair retired in the same year in 1969. Since Jones was drafted a year after Russell, he won one less championship, but if we are purely talking about winning as a player, then he has the same number as the NBA’s most decorated man.
3. John Havlicek – 8 NBA Titles
John Havlicek was the Celtics’ next big star after the departure of Jones and Russell. After winning four consecutive NBA Championships with the pair from 1963-66, he spearheaded Boston’s Championship runs in 1968, 1969, 1974, and 1976, picking up a Finals MVP award on his seventh win as well.
4. Tom Heinsohn – 8 NBA Titles
Tom Heinsohn was also part of the Celtics’ golden run and was drafted a year after Russell. He also picked the Rookie of the Year award as well as a championship ring in his first year in the league. However, Heinsohn retired early in 1965 and finished with eight rings.
5. K.C. Jones – 8 NBA Titles
Another star of the Celtics’ dynasty, K.C. Jones won eight NBA titles during his nine-year stint in Boston. He transitioned to coaching soon after his retirement in 1967 for the Seattle SuperSonics and New England Blizzards. He also served as head coach of the Celtics, winning two more titles in 1984 and 1986.
6. Satch Sanders – 8 NBA Titles
The last Celtics legend on the list with eight NBA titles, Satch Sanders played in Boston for his entire career from 1960-73. He had the honor of seeing his No. 16 retired by the Celtics.
Players Who Have Won 4 or More NBA Championships
Seven NBA Titles
Robert Horry, Jim Loscutoff, and Frank Ramsey.
Six NBA Titles
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Cousy
Five NBA Titles
Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Dennis Rodman, Michael Copper, Magic Johnson, Don Nelson, Larry Siegfried, Slater Martin, George Mikan, and Jim Pollard.
Four NBA Titles
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, LeBron James, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Shaquille O’Neal, Horace Grant, John Salley, Will Perdue, Robert Parish, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes, Gene Guarilia, Bill Sharman, Vern Mikkelsen, and Pep Saul.
