LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Stephen Curry are among the best NBA players to win four championship rings.
As we continue with our series counting down the best players ever to win a certain number of NBA championships, we find ourselves entering elite space this time. After presenting the greatest players with one, two, and three championships, we now move on to the NBA legends who have won exactly four NBA championships.
Only 18 players in NBA history have ever won exactly four NBA titles in their careers and only 26 players have won more than four. When discussing players of this caliber who have won so many NBA championships and left their imprint on the game of basketball forever, ranking them is splitting hairs based on the other stats, accolades, and achievements they have accumulated during their careers. The 10 below are undoubtedly the best of the best.
Kevin Durant Calls Stephen Curry The Greatest Point GuardEverRead More1. LeBron James
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-6
Career Stats: 27.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Achievements: 4x Finals MVP, 4x MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 20x All-Star, 3x All-Star Game MVP, 19x All-NBA Team Selection, 6x All-Defensive Team Selection
When it comes to the players who won four NBA championships in their career, only one player has separated themselves from the rest of the pack emphatically. LeBron James has been dominating the NBA for 21 seasons, longer than any other player in NBA history can say for themselves. During this time, he has smashed nearly every NBA record there is while proving to be more than worthy to be considered among the very few who can be called the greatest of all time.
James’ four NBA championships came with three different NBA franchises during his career. From 2011 through 2014, he led the Miami Heat to four straight NBA Finals, capturing the first two of his career in 2012 and 2013 while also winning Finals MVP honors. In 2016, James helped the Cleveland Cavaliers capture their first NBA title by completing the greatest upset in NBA playoff history over the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Since 2018-19, James has been a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, capturing his fourth NBA championship and Finals MVP in 2020. James is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader as well as one of five players in NBA history to win at least four MVPs and one of only two players to win four or more Finals MVP awards.
2. Shaquille O’Neal
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 3x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 15x All-Star, 3x All-Star Game MVP, 14x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection
Coming in a close second to James and just ahead of another worthy challenger for the No. 1 spot in Shaquille O’Neal. At his peak with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1990s and 2000s, O’Neal was arguably the most dominant big man in NBA history, treating every opposing defense as if they were nothing more than mosquitoes he swatted away with ease.
From 2000-2002, O’Neal would win the only MVP award of his career, lead the Lakers to three straight NBA championships, and claim all three Finals MVP awards for the dominance he displayed on the court. During this time, he would average 33.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game on 60.2% shooting in the Finals alone.
O’Neal would win his fourth NBA championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. While he was far from the version of himself that dominated the game just a few seasons prior, his presence led to Miami’s first championship in franchise history.
3. Stephen Curry
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 24.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 10x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 9x All-NBA Team Selection
From a player who dominated the game like nobody else in NBA history to a player who changed how it would be played forever, Stephen Curry comes in third on our list of players with four championship rings. Since arriving with the Warriors for the 2009-10 season, Curry has rewritten the record books and started the three-point revolution in the modern game performing at a level unseen by fans around the world, and more importantly, winning.
Curry’s abilities began to make waves in 2015 when he captured his first MVP award and led the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975. The following season, Curry became the NBA’s first and only unanimous MVP in NBA history while the Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games. In 2017 and 2018, Curry would lead the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships over the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving the team three in four seasons from 2015-2018.
Curry would save his best performance for his fourth NBA championship in 2022. In a six-game series win over the Boston Celtics, Curry was able to finally capture his first Finals MVP award, averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 48/43/85 shooting splits.
4. Tony Parker
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-1
Career Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 6x All-NBA Team Selection, 4x All-NBA Team Selection
Tony Parker remains one of the most underrated players in NBA history to this day. Not only was he a four-time NBA champion and the most accomplished NBA player to ever come out of France, but he was also the point guard and floor general for one of the most successful dynasties in NBA history with the San Antonio Spurs from 2002 through 2018.
Parker got his first taste of championship glory as a second-year player in 2003. While Duncan led the way, Parker contributed with 14.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs as they marched to victory over the New Jersey Nets. In 2005, Parker helped the Spurs capture another NBA title with 13.9 points per game in a series win over the Pistons.
The 2007 Finals would be the greatest performance on the big stage in Parker’s career. In a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Parker would earn Finals MVP with 24.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on 56.8% shooting. Parker and the Spurs would add one more NBA title in 2014 with Parker contributing 18.0 points and 4.6 assists per game in the five-game series win over the Heat.
5. Klay Thompson
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 19.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Achievements: 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection
Rounding out the top five players who won exactly four NBA championships is another player who helped usher in the three-point era, Klay Thompson. While forming the Splash Bros. along with Stephen Curry, Thompson played a pivotal role in their run to four NBA championships in eight seasons from 2015 through 2022.
Thompson was able to place his name amongst the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history while providing performances that will last a lifetime in the biggest moments during the NBA playoffs. In 33 career games in the NBA Finals, Thompson has averaged 18.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on 43.5% shooting and 39.8% shooting from three.
Along with his stellar two-way play and propensity to deliver in the clutch, Thompson has been at the core of Golden State’s status as a dynasty over the years.
6. Manu Ginobili
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-1
Career Stats: 13.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Sixth Man Of The Year, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection
Much like Thompson was to the Warriors, Manu Ginobili was to the San Antonio Spurs during the 2000s and early 2010s, and sometimes, on an even larger scale. Consistently, Ginobili was willing to do whatever it took for the Spurs to be successful over the years including excelling in a bench role when he could have rebelled and providing some of the most clutch defensive plays in NBA playoff history.
Ginobili was a member of every championship Spurs team from 2003 through 2014 in both starter and bench roles. In 29 career Finals games, Ginobili averaged 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. His determination to take on the game’s most challenging defensive assignments on the road to and through the NBA Finals in 16 seasons of play is a big reason why he is a four-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer today.
7. Draymond Green
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 8.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.6 BPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 8x All-Defensive Team Selection
Anyone who watched the Golden State Warriors closely enough over the last decade knows that Draymond Green is as important to their success as anybody. While his offensive production has often been the punchline in many jokes, Green’s impact as a playmaker and defender around some elite offensive talent has been a true catalyst for team success and a total of four NBA championships.
Whether he is patiently picking apart defenses with his passing, playmaking, and defense, he is mentoring and directing others on the court to do the same. Green has been one of the few players to successfully guard every position on the court throughout an entire Finals series and come out victorious on the other end of it.
If there is any more evidence needed of Green’s greatness and impact in the league, just look at how quickly things have unraveled for the Warriors when he has missed extended time due to injury or suspensions.
8. Robert Parish
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 15.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.7 BPG
Career Achievements: 9x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection
When Robert Parish came over to the Boston Celtics in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, it changed the course of his career forever. Parish was immediately thrust into a role as the interior defensive anchor and enforcer for one of the best teams of the 1980s, and he thrived to the tune of three NBA championships from 1981-1987.
Parish would help the Boston Celtics advance to five NBA Finals during the 1980s and capture NBA titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986. In his 31 career Finals games with the Celtics, Parish averaged 15.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. In 1997, Parish was awarded his fourth NBA championship ring at the age of 43 years old with the Chicago Bulls without even stepping on the court for them in the series against the Jazz.
9. Andre Iguodala
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Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-2
Career Stats: 11.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 1x All-Star, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection
Andre Iguodala will be remembered long after his career is over for the big-time performances and championship runs he helped coordinate in his career with the Golden State Warriors. Before his days with the Warriors, Iguodala was a fan-favorite with the 76ers where he was an All-Star averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in eight seasons.
Once he landed in Golden State, he embraced and accepted a new role that focused on his defensive prowess and abilities as a playmaker. In 2015, Iguodala was rewarded for his performance in the NBA Finals, specifically on defense in crunch time against LeBron James. This led to Finals MVP honors for Iguodala. In 2017, 2018, and 2022, Iguodala would accompany the team to three more NBA championships but none ever topped what he was able to accomplish in 2015.
10. Jamaal Wilkes
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NBA Championships: 4
NBA Finals Record: 4-1
Career Stats: 17.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Rookie Of The Year, 3x All-Star, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection
From the moment that Jamaal Wilkes stepped into the NBA, he was destined to be a winner. As a member of the Golden State Warriors in 1975, Wilkes captured Rookie of the Year with 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He then helped lead the Warriors to an NBA championship with 11.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.
Wilkes joined the Lakers via free agency in 1977. In his time with the Lakers, he would help them advance to four NBA finals with three more rings to add to his total. In 23 Finals games with the Lakers in his career, Wilkes averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 45.3% shooting from the floor. His contributions are often far too overlooked to both Golden State and Los Angeles’ success.
