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Most NBA Championships by a Player, 1949 to 2026

Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, one more than teammate Sam Jones and four more than Robert Horry.

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What the data shows

  • In 2026, Bill Russell ranks #1 with 11, ahead of Sam Jones (10) and Tom Heinsohn (8).
  • Back in 1949, George Mikan was #1 with 1.
  • The top spot changed hands once: Bill Russell in 1966.
  • Biggest climber: Sam Jones, from #6 in 1959 to #2 in 2026.

About this chart

Bill Russell's 11 titles in 13 seasons with Boston (1957, 1959 to 1966, 1968 and 1969) are the most by any player. Sam Jones is second with 10, all with the Celtics between 1959 and 1969. Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders and John Havlicek each won 8, so the top of the list belongs almost entirely to one dynasty.

Robert Horry is the exception, with 7 rings split across the 1994 and 1995 Rockets, the 2000 to 2002 Lakers and the 2005 and 2007 Spurs. Michael Jordan won 6, in 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also has 6. George Mikan won 5 between 1949 and 1954 and led the early list before Russell passed him in 1962. Players with 5 titles other than Mikan are not charted.

The data

Source: Wikipedia, 'List of NBA players with the most championships' (championship years per player); cumulative rings at each year. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = year of the title (BAA 1949 title counts). Players with 5 titles other than George Mikan (who led early) are not shown, e.g. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Titles counted for players on the roster during the Finals as listed by Wikipedia.

Most NBA Championships by a Player, Cumulative championship rings by player, 1949-2026, 1949–2026
Date🇺🇸 Bill Russell🇺🇸 Sam Jones🇺🇸 Tom Heinsohn🇺🇸 K.C. Jones🇺🇸 Satch Sanders🇺🇸 John Havlicek🇺🇸 Jim Loscutoff🇺🇸 Robert Horry🇺🇸 Bob Cousy🇺🇸 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar🇺🇸 Michael Jordan🇺🇸 George Mikan
1949000000000001
1950000000000002
1951000000000002
1952000000000003
1953000000000004
1954000000000005
1955000000000005
1956000000000005
1957101000101005
1958101000101005
1959212100202005
1960323200303005
1961434310404005
1962545420505005
1963656531606005
1964767642706005
1965878753706005
1966988864706005
1967988864706005
19681098875706005
196911108886706005
197011108886706005
197111108886706105
197211108886706105
197311108886706105
197411108887706105
197511108887706105
197611108888706105
197711108888706105
197811108888706105
197911108888706105
198011108888706205
198111108888706205
198211108888706305
198311108888706305
198411108888706305
198511108888706405
198611108888706405
198711108888706505
198811108888706605
198911108888706605
199011108888706605
199111108888706615
199211108888706625
199311108888706635
199411108888716635
199511108888726635
199611108888726645
199711108888726655
199811108888726665
199911108888726665
200011108888736665
200111108888746665
200211108888756665
200311108888756665
200411108888756665
200511108888766665
200611108888766665
200711108888776665
200811108888776665
200911108888776665
201011108888776665
201111108888776665
201211108888776665
201311108888776665
201411108888776665
201511108888776665
201611108888776665
201711108888776665
201811108888776665
201911108888776665
202011108888776665
202111108888776665
202211108888776665
202311108888776665
202411108888776665
202511108888776665
202611108888776665

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Suggested caption: “Bill Russell won 11 rings in 13 years. Not a typo.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.

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Frequently asked questions

Who has won the most NBA championships as a player?

Bill Russell has won the most, with 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Sam Jones is second with 10, all with Boston between 1959 and 1969.

Which player not on the Celtics dynasty has the most NBA titles?

Robert Horry, with 7. He won with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995, the Lakers from 2000 to 2002, and the Spurs in 2005 and 2007.

How many championships did Michael Jordan win?

Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships, in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. That is the same total as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and five fewer than Bill Russell.

Where does this data come from?

Wikipedia, 'List of NBA players with the most championships' (championship years per player); cumulative rings at each year. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = year of the title (BAA 1949 title counts). Players with 5 titles other than George Mikan (who led early) are not shown, e.g. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Titles counted for players on the roster during the Finals as listed by Wikipedia. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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