What NBA player has the most championship rings?

Answer 1

Bill Russell has 11 NBA rings as a NBA player out of 12 NBA Finals in 13 years as a player in the NBA:

Most NBA rings in total by players, head coaches, GMs, and Presidents:

1) Jacob Arnold Auerbach 15 NBA rings in 17 NBA Finals (9 NBA rings as a coach and 6 NBA rings as an executive being GM/President or President for his 6 NBA rings as a NBA team executive)

2) Bill Russell 11 NBA rings as a player in 12 NBA Finals as a player in 13 NBA seasons as a player from 1956 to 1969 (plus 2 NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and 1 Gold Medal and 1956, or 14 major championships from 1955 to 1969)

3) Sam Jones 10 NBA rings as a player in 11 NBA Finals as a player in 12 NBA seasons from 1957 to 1969

4) K. C. Jones 10 NBA rings (8 NBA rings as a player in 9 NBA Finals as a player playing 9 years in the NBA as a player from 1958 to 1967; 2 NBA rings as a head coach in 4 NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987 (rings in 1984 and 1986 as a head coach); plus played on 2 NCAA championship teams in 1955 and 1956 (where Pete Rozelle was a public relation official at the University of San Francisco; K.C. Jones was ineligible to play in the NCAA playoffs in 1956 when his team won the NCAA title but played the entire regular season) and 1 Gold Medal in 1956; drafted in 2nd Round by the Celtics in 1956 and drafted by the U.S. Army in 1956, so spent 2 years in the U.S. Army (1956-1958) as property of the Celtics; signed by Pete Rozelle as a DB with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in 1958)

4) Tom Heinsohn 10 NBA rings (8 NBA rings as a player in 9 NBA Finals as a player in 9 years as a NBA player from 1956 to 1965, plus 2 NBA rings as a head coach in 2 NBA Finals)

5) Phil Jackson 10 NBA rings (1 NBA ring as a player in 2 NBA Finals (1972 Finals-lost, 1973 Finals-won) in 12 NBA seasons as a player, 6 NBA rings as head coacho of the Chicago Bulls, 3 NBA rings as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers)

6) Satch Sanders 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA finals in 13 NBA seasons as a player (1960 to 1972 as a NBA player)

6) John Havlicek 8 NBA rings as a player in 8 NBA finals in 16 NBA seasons as a player (1962 to 1978 as a NBA player with NBA rings in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

Most rings ONLY as a NBA PLAYER:

1) Bill Russell 11 NBA rings in 12 NBA Finals

2) Sam Jones 10 NBA rings in 11 NBA Finals

3) K. C. Jones 8 NBA rings in 9 NBA Finals

3) Tom Heinsohn 8 NBA rings in 9 NBA Finals

3) Satch Sanders 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA Finals

3) John Havlicek 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA Finals (including rings in 1974 and 1976)

Most NBA rings as a NBA player among current active NBA players or NBA head coaches as of the end of the 2006-2007 regular season:

1) Robert Horry 6 NBA rings

2) Don Nelson 5 NBA rings (1965, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

HONORABLE MENTION: The first player to seven titles was George Mikan with six titles in a seven year period with the Minneapolis Lakers and one title before joining the Minneapolis Lakers with Chicago American Gears:

George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers (1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954)

George Mikan of the Chicago American Gears

Answer 2

Bill Russell has 11 NBA rings as a NBA player out of 12 NBA Finals in 13 years as a player in the NBA:

Most NBA rings in total by players, head coaches, GMs, and Presidents:

1) Jacob Arnold Auerbach 15 NBA rings in 17 NBA Finals (9 NBA rings as a coach and 6 NBA rings as an executive being GM/President or President for his 6 NBA rings as a NBA team executive)

2) Bill Russell 11 NBA rings as a player in 12 NBA Finals as a player in 13 NBA seasons as a player from 1956 to 1969 (plus 2 NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and 1 Gold Medal and 1956, or 14 major championships from 1955 to 1969)

3) Sam Jones 10 NBA rings as a player in 11 NBA Finals as a player in 12 NBA seasons from 1957 to 1969

4) K. C. Jones 10 NBA rings (8 NBA rings as a player in 9 NBA Finals as a player playing 9 years in the NBA as a player from 1958 to 1967; 2 NBA rings as a head coach in 4 NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987 (rings in 1984 and 1986 as a head coach); plus played on 2 NCAA championship teams in 1955 and 1956 (where Pete Rozelle was a public relation official at the University of San Francisco; K.C. Jones was ineligible to play in the NCAA playoffs in 1956 when his team won the NCAA title but played the entire regular season) and 1 Gold Medal in 1956; drafted in 2nd Round by the Celtics in 1956 and drafted by the U.S. Army in 1956, so spent 2 years in the U.S. Army (1956-1958) as property of the Celtics; signed by Pete Rozelle as a DB with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in 1958)

4) Tom Heinsohn 10 NBA rings (8 NBA rings as a player in 9 NBA Finals as a player in 9 years as a NBA player from 1956 to 1965, plus 2 NBA rings as a head coach in 2 NBA Finals)

5) Phil Jackson 10 NBA rings (1 NBA ring as a player in 2 NBA Finals (1972 Finals-lost, 1973 Finals-won) in 12 NBA seasons as a player, 6 NBA rings as head coacho of the Chicago Bulls, 3 NBA rings as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers)

6) Satch Sanders 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA finals in 13 NBA seasons as a player (1960 to 1972 as a NBA player)

6) John Havlicek 8 NBA rings as a player in 8 NBA finals in 16 NBA seasons as a player (1962 to 1978 as a NBA player with NBA rings in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

Most rings ONLY as a NBA PLAYER:

1) Bill Russell 11 NBA rings in 12 NBA Finals

2) Sam Jones 10 NBA rings in 11 NBA Finals

3) K. C. Jones 8 NBA rings in 9 NBA Finals

3) Tom Heinsohn 8 NBA rings in 9 NBA Finals

3) Satch Sanders 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA Finals

3) John Havlicek 8 NBA rings in 8 NBA Finals (including rings in 1974 and 1976)

Most NBA rings as a NBA player among current active NBA players or NBA head coaches as of the end of the 2006-2007 regular season:

1) Robert Horry 6 NBA rings

2) Don Nelson 5 NBA rings (1965, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

HONORABLE MENTION: The first player to seven titles was George Mikan with six titles in a seven year period with the Minneapolis Lakers and one title before joining the Minneapolis Lakers with Chicago American Gears:

George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers (1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954)

George Mikan of the Chicago American Gears

Answer 3

Bill Russell has to be the correct answer with 11 championships in 13 seasons (1957, 1959-66, 1968-69). Suffice to say, that level of success will probably never be equaled.