Players with most championships in NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB
The world lost a great winner and civil rights icon Sunday when it was announced that Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell had died peacefully at the age of 88.Russell is, quite simply, the greatest winner in NBA history and arguably in all of team sports. Before his legendary NBA career in which he won a record 11 championships, went 10-0 in Game 7s and won five league MVP awards, Russell won two state titles at McClymonds High School in Oakland and another pair of NCAA championships with the San Francisco Dons.He also was a leader in the fight for social justice and racial equality and made an enormous difference on and off the basketball court.Where does Russell rank among the best winners in team sports history? Here are the players with the most NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB championships.
- Bill Russell, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Henri Richard, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Russell led the Celtics' dynasty of the late 1950s and 1960s, including a span of eight consecutive NBA Finals wins from 1959 through 1966. He retired after leading the C's to a Game 7 win over the rival Lakers in the 1969 NBA Finals. It was his 11th championship in 13 pro seasons. He was player/coach for Boston's titles in 1968 and 1969.
Richard was a key player on the dominant Canadiens teams of the 1950s and 1960s, including five consecutive Stanley Cup wins from 1956 through 1960.
- Sam Jones, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Yogi Berra, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Jones was 9-0 and averaged 27 points per game in Game 7s throughout his playoff career for the Celtics.
Berra was a Hall of Fame catcher for the Yankees and won five consecutive World Series titles from 1949 through 1953.
Beliveau and Cournoyer crucial parts of the Montreal dynasty along with Richard.
- Joe Dimaggio, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
DiMaggio is one of the most iconic Yankees players. He won nine of the 10 World Series he played in, including multiple championships won in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
Provost was an 11-time All-Star during the Canadiens dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s.
- John Havlicek, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- K.C. Jones, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Tom Heinsohn, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Tom "Satch" Sanders, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings/Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
- Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Bill Dickey, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Phil Rizzuto, New York Yankees (MLB)
The theme of this article -- lots of former champions with the Celtics and Canadiens -- continues.
Red Kelly won four championships with both the Red Wings and Leafs, including Toronto's last Stanley Cup title in 1967.
- Tom Brady, New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL)
- Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns (NFL)
- Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees (MLB)
- Robert Horry, Houston Rockets/Los Angeles Lakers/San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
- Jim Loscutoff, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Frank Ramsey, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Jean-Guy Talbot, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Brady has more Super Bowl wins than any player and franchise in NFL history.
Otto Graham led the Browns to seven championships in the pre-Super Bowl era of the 1940s and 1950s.
Ruth won three World Series titles with the Red Sox before being sold to the rival Yankees after the 1919 season. He won four more World Series with the Yankees.
Horry is the only seven-time champion in NBA history.
- Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (NBA)
- Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls (NBA)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Doug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Tom Johnson, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Dickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders/Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
- Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers/New York Rangers (NHL)
- Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Whitey Ford, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Red Ruffing, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Joe Collins, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Lefty Gomez, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Eddie Collins, Chicago Cubs/New York Giants (MLB)
There are many legendary names in this group, including Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Messier and Lou Gehrig.
Abdul-Jabbar is often forgotten in the NBA's "best player ever" debate, which is odd because he has the same amount of titles as Jordan and one more MVP than MJ. He also won the NBA Finals with multiple teams.
Messier won five Stanley Cups as a leader on the Oilers dynasty teams of the 1980s, but his most famous title came in 1994 when he led the Rangers to their first championship since 1940.
- Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Ron Harper, Chicago Bulls/Los Angeles Lakers
- Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons/Chicago Bulls (NBA)
- Steve Kerr, Chicago Bulls/San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
- Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
- George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
- Jim Pollard, Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
- Slater Martin, Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
- Don Nelson, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Larry Sigfried, Boston Celtics (NBA)
- Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
- Charles Haley, San Francisco 49ers/Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
- Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers (NFL)
- Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Jorge Posasa, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Johnny Mize, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Joe Gordon, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees (MLB)
- Catfish Hunter, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees (MLB)
The group of players with five championship rings also is star-studded, and it's full of recent stars, too.
Derek Jeter, the famed Yankees captain, is part of the group, along with teammates Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. This quartet often is referred to as the "Core Four."
Several Lakers legends also are in this mix, led by Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Johnson won five titles in nine NBA Finals appearances with Los Angeles. Bryant won five rings in seven NBA Finals appearances.
49ers and Cowboys legend Charles Haley held the record for the most Super Bowl titles by one player until Brady past him in 2018.
