Winning one ring with an NBA franchise makes you an icon. Winning championships with two separate teams makes you a legend. But winning championships with three different teams? That’s unprecedented.
Many players have won numerous championships with various franchises. Therefore, we look at the NBA icons who completed a unique record by winning titles with different teams. Although several players have won championships with two different teams, only four have achieved this feat with three different teams. Let’s dig deeper to find those icons of the game.
Four Stars Who Won Three NBA Titles With Three Different Teams
John Salley: 4 NBA Championships
John Salley was the first player to win an NBA title with three different teams. He also won it in three different decades, a feat also achieved by Tim Duncan. The big man from Georgia Tech was part of the “Bad Boy” Pistons in the late 1980s. He won his first two titles in 1989 and 1990, contributing valuable points and rebounds.
He then won the title with the Chicago Bulls in 1996 and completed the achievement with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
Best Finals Performance: 1990 – 9.5 pts, 5.9 reb, 1.0 ast, 0.5 stl, 1.7 blk
Robert Horry: 7 NBA Championships
One of the game’s icons, Robert Horry, completed this feat after Salley. Known as a clutch shooter in his glory days, Horry won the title seven times, the most among these four players on the list. He won his first two with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995, completing a two-peat.
He then joined the Lakers and won a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. In the final years of his career, he took his talents to the San Antonio Spurs and won two more NBA titles, ending a glittering career.
Best Finals Performance: 1995 – 13.1 pts, 7.0 reb, 3.5 ast, 1.5 stl, 1.2 blk
Danny Green: 3 NBA Championships
A reliable “3-and-D” wing, Danny Green was the ultimate role player. Green is the only player on this list who has won back-to-back championships with two different teams. His first title came with the Spurs in 2014 when they defeated the Miami Heat.
Later, he won a miraculous title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, followed by a championship run with the Lakers in 2020. Green’s influence with each of those franchises helped them win titles as he became a solid role player.
Best Finals Performance: 2014 – 9.3 pts, 3.0 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.4 stl, 0.7 blk
LeBron James: 4 NBA Championships
LeBron James is a living legend. He is the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams. He won consecutive titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Later, he went to the Cleveland Cavaliers and clawed back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in 2016. It gave him his third NBA title and probably one of his most special ones.
After that, he arrived at the Lakers, won his fourth NBA title in 2020, and achieved his fourth Finals MVP award. Undoubtedly, he’s the best player among the four who have won championships with three different teams.
Best Finals Performance: 2016 – 26.3 pts, 9.5 reb, 7.6 ast, 2.3 stl, 1.3 blk
NBA Icons Who Won NBA Championships With Two Different Teams
Although collating every player who won multiple championships is impossible, some legendary players achieved this feat. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won it with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and five more with the Lakers.
Likewise, Shaquille O’Neal won with the Lakers and the Heat. Although his Lakers run remains fresh in most people’s minds, his Heat run cemented him as one of the top five centers in the league. Meanwhile, Wilt Chamberlain won with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Lakers, and Kawhi Leonard won with the Spurs and the Raptors.
The enigmatic Dennis Rodman won NBA titles with the Pistons and Bulls. Therefore, with countless players on the list, these names are notable for their achievements in the game.
