10 Best NBA Players Who Won Five Championship Rings

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-2

Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Career Achievements: 2x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 18x All-Star, 4x All-Star Game MVP, 15x All-NBA Team Selection, 12x All-Defensive Team Selection

The NBA icon to sit atop the list of greats with five NBA championships is none other than Kobe Bryant. Drafted out of high school to the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, Bryant’s career went on a different path when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers three weeks later. Over the next 20 seasons, Bryant became the symbol of a generation and a global icon, stamping his place in NBA history forever.

Bryant would win five NBA championships during his career, three alongside Shaquille O’Neal from 2000 through 2002 and back-to-back again as the main option in 2009 and 2010. Bryant’s relentless pursuit of perfection and insatiable appetite for winning became legendary over time and still live on well beyond his unfortunate passing in 2020.

Kobe Bryant’s impact on the game of basketball en route to one of the greatest careers in NBA history elevated him to levels only a few achieve in their careers. On top of his five NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, and one MVP, Bryant was also a two-time scoring champion and recorded the fourth-most points in NBA history with 33,643. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in NBA history and the greatest with five NBA championships.

2. Magic Johnson

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-4

Career Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Career Achievements: 3x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 10x All-NBA Team Selection

The greatest point guard the NBA has ever known comes in at No. 2 on the list of the best players with five NBA championships. From his rookie season, it was clear that Magic Johnson was destined for greatness, leading the Lakers to an NBA championship for the first time since 1972 and taking full control of the Showtime offense that would go on to become one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.

Johnson entered the league in 1979-80 with the Lakers and immediately made an impact on the franchise. He claimed Finals MVP honors as a rookie later that season after stepping up for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and recording 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists in the series-clinching game. Johnson would lead the Lakers to five NBA titles during the 1980s, claiming Finals MVP in three of those series as well as three regular season MVP awards on top of it.

The greatest playmaker ever lived up to that title during his career as well as the leader of the fast-paced Showtime offense. He would win a total of four assists titles and average the most assists per game in NBA history with 11.2. With the ability to take over games by simply being a passer and playmaker, Johnson became the greatest point guard that ever lived and the second-greatest player to win five NBA championships.

3. Tim Duncan

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-1

Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.2 BPG

Career Achievements: 3x Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 15x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 15x All-NBA Team Selection, 15x All-Defensive Team Selection

Tim Duncan is yet another one of the players who was the greatest to ever touch the court at his position while winning five NBA championships. Duncan arrived as the No. 1 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 1997 and less than two years later, the team would be NBA champions for the very first time.

From 1999 through 2007, Duncan led the Spurs on a dynastic run that included four of his five NBA championships, three Finals MVP awards, and two MVP awards as well. He averaged 24.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game during this time as well as two blocks titles all while being labeled “unflashy and boring”.

No matter what they said about him in the media or on the court, Tim Duncan dominated the greatest players at the power forward position ever at one point and often came out on top. His two-way impact on the Spurs changed the franchise from a titleless lost cause into one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history almost immediately upon his arrival. Very few players have had that kind of impact on any team they played for.

4. George Mikan

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-0

Career Stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG

Career Achievements: 4x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 6x All-NBA Team Selection

George Mikan is often referred to as the first superstar in NBA history and seeing what he accomplished from 1949 through 1956 in his career, you can understand why. Mikan led the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA championships in his first six seasons in the NBA from 1949 through 1954, averaging 24.3 points and 14.1 rebounds per game with three scoring titles and two rebounding titles.

Mikan never lost an NBA Finals he was a part of, going 5-0 in five appearances. In those NBA Finals, Mikan averaged over 20.0 points per game four times and over 10.0 rebounds per game all five times to become one of the winningest players in NBA history. Mikan’s legendary yet short career makes him the fourth-greatest player with five NBA titles in his career and will never be forgotten as long as the NBA exists.

5. Dennis Rodman

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-1

Career Stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Career Achievements: 2x Defensive Player Of The Year, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 8x All-Defensive Team Selection

Along with one of the most colorful personalities, and hairstyles, in NBA history, Dennis Rodman was a relentless defensive force on the court very rarely seen in NBA history. Never known for his offensive prowess at any point, Rodman mastered the art of rebounding and defending all five positions on the court to become one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history and a five-time NBA champion.

Rodman got his start with the Detroit Pistons where he played from 1987 through 1993. In those seven seasons, Rodman would average 8.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, winning back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990 as well as Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1990 and 1991.

After two seasons as the NBA’s rebounding leader in San Antonio, Rodman landed in Chicago with the Bulls where he played a pivotal role in their second three-peat as NBA champions from 1996 through 1998. Rodman led the NBA in rebounds seven years in a row from 1992 through 1998 as well. His offensive game was nearly non-existent but very few players in NBA history have had the impact Dennis Rodman did on winning with just their defensive and rebounding dominance.

6. Michael Cooper

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-3

Career Stats: 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Career Achievements: 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 8x All-Defensive Team Selection

Kicking off the second half of our top 10 players with five NBA titles is another Showtime Lakers star, Michael Cooper. As a career-long member of the Lakers from 1979 through 1990, Cooper was the backbone of their perimeter defense through the entire dynasty. Larry Bird once said that Cooper was the most difficult defender to go against, and it wasn't even close.

Cooper played 12 seasons with the Lakers, appearing in eight NBA Finals and winning five. He was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, playing all 82 games that season and averaging 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. In his NBA playoff career, Cooper stepped up and raised his game to another level, averaging 9.4 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

7. Ron Harper

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-0

Career Stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Career Achievements: N/A

Ron Harper remains one of the most underrated players in NBA history to this day. Harper, a former eighth overall pick in 1986, would go on to serve pivotal roles for five NBA championship teams from 1996 through 2001 with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. His presence on the front line of all-time great defenses that directly led to ultimate success is the reason for his spot on this list today.

In his championship seasons with the Bulls and Lakers, Harper averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with much of his focus centered on the defensive side of the ball. He was a much bigger two-way threat earlier in his career when he averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game from 1987 through 1994 with the Cavaliers and Clippers. His willingness to sacrifice his numbers for the greater good and be successful is one of the all-time greatest sacrifices by any player since 1990.

8. Derek Fisher

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-3

Career Stats: 8.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Career Achievements: N/A

Derek Fisher was one of those players during the 2000s and 2010s that every NBA team in hopes of competing for an NBA championship needed. Fisher was the ideal point guard both in a starter and backup role for five Los Angeles Lakers championship teams from 2000 through 2002 and again in 2009 and 2010.

Along with the leadership and veteran presence he brought to the Lakers lineup during his career, Fisher had an innate ability to deliver in the clutch. Time after time, he knocked down big shots and made perfect passes when the team needed him most, which directly was a reason for the Lakers' success in the 2000s and 2010s.

9. Jim Pollard

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-0

Career Stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.2 APG

Career Achievements: 4x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection

Jim Pollard is another career-long Minneapolis Lakers legend to make this list, winning five NBA championships in seven seasons with the team from 1949 through 1955. Pollard would help the Lakers go back-to-back in 1949 and 1950, averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 assists per game in the playoffs. The Lakers then three-peated with Pollard’s help from 1952 through 1954 with Pollard averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in those three playoff runs.

Pollard’s contributions alongside George Mikan with the Lakers in the 1950s helped the franchise become the NBA’s first dynasty. Pollard was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 for his contributions to NBA history.

10. Slater Martin

NBA Championships: 5

NBA Finals Record: 5-1

Career Stats: 9.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.2 APG

Career Achievements: 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection

Slater Martin was an 11-year NBA veteran from 1950 through 1960 with the Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks, and St. Louis Hawks. In his first five seasons with the Lakers, Martin won four of his NBA championships while averaging just 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Martin would later add his fifth title in 1958 with the Hawks in a victory over the powerhouse Boston Celtics squad.

Martin was a seven-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA Second Team selection without ever averaging over 14.0 points per game. His presence in the game during the 1950s and 1960s, however, led to his Hall of Fame induction in 1982 with 11 years of NBA service under his belt.