Ring Watch: Franchises with the Most Championship Rings in NBA History
If you ever get the feeling that the same teams win the championship every year in the NBA, you’re right. The Association is not a place for parity.
Since the league was still the Basketball Association of America back in the 1946-47 season there have been 67 champions crowned. Of those, 55 have come from a pool of eight teams with at least three banners.
Two of them, the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, could be guaranteeing that number goes up to 56 when they meet in the Finals.
Here are the teams with the most championships, in ascending order. In case of a tie, the tiebreaker was the first team to reach the total.
For each team, I also offer an all-time team consisting of players who were on those championship teams. Players were chosen based on their regular-season, postseason and Finals stats. I chose not to “cheat” and slide positions. The player had to play the position when the team won the title in order to qualify.
Miami Heat: 3
1 of 8
Years Won: 2006, 2012, 2013
PG: Mario Chalmers
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: LeBron James
PF: Chris Bosh
C: Shaquille O’Neal
In an NBA TV interview, Steve Smith asked LeBron James where he might end up on the “Mount Rushmore” of NBA greats. James responded:
"I’m going to be one of the top four to ever play this game. For sure. And if they don’t want me to have one of those top four spots, they better find another spot. We’ve got to bump somebody. Somebody got to get bumped. That’s not for me to decide. That’s for the architects, to chisel somebody’s face out and put mine up there.
"
While a lot of people threw up their arms in horror and disdain, arguing (without cause) that James didn’t understand it was a team game, most missed that he’s probably right.
He’s already fourth all-time in postseason win shares, ahead of greats like Bill Russell, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. He has the Heat in their fourth straight Finals, a feat matched by only the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics did it 10 seasons in a row, from 1957-66, led by Russell. They did it again four seasons in a row, from 1984-87, led by Bird. The Lakers did it from 1982-85, led by Johnson.
In the “Hall of Fame Pyramid,” of his The Book of Basketball (h/t Basketball-Reference.com), Bill Simmons has Russell second, Johnson fourth and Bird fifth. If James’ postseason accomplishments are already ahead of or even with Johnson’s and Bird’s, how far off is he from challenging them for a place in the top four of all time?
And he’s only 29.
Detroit Pistons: 3
2 of 8
Years Won: 1989, 1990, 2004
PG: Isiah Thomas
SG: Joe Dumars
SF: Mark Aguire
PF: Rasheed Wallace
C: Bill Laimbeer
The interesting thing about the two Detroit Pistons teams that won titles is how similar they are. They both won with an undeniable commitment to defense and team play.
Isiah Thomas was one of the greatest point guards in history and was more than willing to take over a game. His 25-point fourth quarter on a bum ankle against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988 is considered by many to be one of the most heroic performances in history, even if it ended in a loss.
Chauncey Billups of the second version earned the name “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch shooting.
Both teams featured centers who were defensive stoppers from whom you took what you could get offensively. The early version had Bill Laimbeer, the latter Ben Wallace.
And the starting shooting guard on the first team, Joe Dumars, was the architect of the second.
So maybe it’s not a coincidence that they were built in the same image.
Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors: 3
3 of 8
Years Won: 1947, 1956, 1975
PG: Jack George
SG: Tom Gola
SF: Rick Barry
PF: Joe Fulks
C: Neil Johnston
The Warriors won two titles while in Philadelphia and one in Golden State. That makes Philadelphia, where the 76ers played when they won in ’67 and ’83, the only city to be the host of three champions from two different franchises.
That adds to another oddity: The Warriors have featured two fathers from the three father-son duos that have won titles.
Rick Barry won in 1975. His son, Brent, won with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
Matt Guokas Sr. won in his only season with the Warriors in ’47. His son and namesake won with the 76ers (in Philadelphia no less!) in ’67.
Bill (’86) and Luke (’09, ’10) Walton became the third tandem to do it for the Celtics and Lakers.
Between all that and the fact that Wilt Chamberlain played for both teams, you can get yourself dizzy chasing these two teams in circles.
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers: 3
4 of 8
Years Won: 1955, 1967, 1983
PG: Maurice Cheeks
SG: Hal Greer
SF: Julius Erving
PF: Dolph Schayes
C: Wilt Chamberlain
The Philadelphia 76ers’ (originally the Syracuse Nationals) three titles have been with three distinct teams. Depending on your standards, each championship team was led by arguably the greatest player of his era.
You can certainly make the case that Dolph Schayes was the greatest player of the '50s. He led the decade in points and rebounds. He also dished the second-most assists.
Wilt Chamberlain is deemed by many to be one of the greatest players ever. He averaged 27.6 points, 23.9 boards and 6.8 assists as a Sixer. The year he won the title, he led the league in rebounds and assists and was third in points.
Julius Erving electrified the game with his above-the-rim antics and was the forerunner to Michael Jordan.
The Sixers aren’t always good, but when they are, they like to do it with dominant players.
San Antonio Spurs: 4
5 of 8
Years Won: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
PG: Tony Parker
SG: Manu Ginobili
SF: Bruce Bowen
PF: Tim Duncan
C: David Robinson
For most of the last two decades the San Antonio Spurs have been challenging the conventional wisdom of what makes a team a dynasty. Typically we define that by a team winning consecutive championships.
But the Spurs have been in contention 17 years in a row, winning four titles in the process, though none consecutively. Since Tim Duncan was drafted, they have won 101 more games than any team in the NBA.
If they can regain the championship this year, it will be hard to not include them with the great dynasties like the Jordan-era Bulls and the Russell-era Celtics, even without the consecutive championships. There’s something to be said for consistency.
Chicago Bulls: 6
6 of 8
Years Won: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
PG: B.J. Armstrong
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Scottie Pippen
PF: Dennis Rodman
C: Bill Cartwright
What can you say except "Michael Jordan"? Well, maybe you can add Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson.
But mostly, these titles were about Jordan. For six consecutive years, when Jordan had a preseason he was the Finals MVP. That accounts for twice as many Bill Russell Awards as anyone in history. Of course, Russell might have a few of those if they’d given them out in his era.
The Bulls’ legacy in the bigger picture is hindered by the fact that this is the only version of the squad to even get to the NBA Finals. But for those years, they were insanely popular. It’s hard to appreciate if you weren’t there.
I was managing a clothing store in the Mall of America at the time, and we sold some Bulls gear. I opened the box and started unpacking it. I got the first shirt on the rack, and someone saw it. Then someone else.
People started pouring into the store. I literally never got another shirt on the rack. Within five minutes the box was empty and the shirts were sold out.
I couldn't even buy a Bulls shirt in my own store in Minnesota. That's how popular they were.
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers: 16
7 of 8
Years Won: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: James Worthy
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Shaquille O’Neal
The Lakers have one fewer title than the Boston Celtics, but you can argue that they are the most successful franchise in NBA history. What is the limit on how much difference one ring makes? The Lakers have been to 10 more Finals.
Do 10 conference championships trump one NBA Championship? Some are going to argue either way. But, the true impressiveness of the Lakers is their staying power. Since their first year in the league, the 1948-49 season, the Lakers have missed the postseason just six times.
No other team in America’s four major leagues can make that claim. Even the New York Yankees went on a 13-year drought.
The Lakers, though, might be about to embark on the most futile period of their history, coming off their worst season since 1957-58. Of course, Lakers fans will point to their history and hope they will turn things around quickly.
Boston Celtics: 17
8 of 8
Years Won: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008
PG: Bob Cousy
SG: Sam Jones
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Bill Russell
In a 30-year span, the Boston Celtics won 16 championships, establishing themselves as the elite franchise in the history of the NBA. The Bill Russell Celtics, who won 11 titles in 13 years (albeit in a much smaller league), are the signature dynasty in the history of the league.
Larry Bird’s version isn’t far behind, as he led the Celtics to four straight finals and three championships in four years.
Are they still an elite franchise, though? Or are they merely a “legacy” one? In nearly the same span of time, the last 27 years, they have won just once.
The “Boston Three Party” with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen brought the Celtics back to prominence, but they won just the one title.
Whatever your opinion is, 17 is still a big old crooked number.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
