When you sit down at a bar and start arguing about who have the most rings in the NBA, everyone usually shouts the same three or person names. Jordan. Kobe. Maybe LeBron if they're younger.
But honestly? Most fans are dead wrong.
If we are talking strictly about players, Michael Jordan isn’t even in the top five. Neither is Kobe Bryant. To find the real "Lord of the Rings," you have to travel back to a time when the shorts were shorter, the lane was thinner, and the Boston Celtics basically treated the Larry O'Brien trophy like their own personal property.
The Unbeatable King: Bill Russell
Bill Russell is the undisputed goat of winning. Period.
The man played 13 seasons in the NBA. He won 11 championships. Just sit with that for a second. That is an 85% success rate over a decade-plus career. He has more rings than he has fingers. In 1957, 1959-1966, and 1968-1969, Russell was the defensive anchor that made the Celtics a literal wall.
He didn't just play; he pioneered the idea that defense wins titles. You've probably heard about his rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain. While Wilt was busy putting up 50 points a game, Russell was busy collecting jewelry. It’s kinda wild to think that in his final two seasons, he was actually a player-coach. Imagine winning a ring while also being the guy drawing up the plays in the huddle.
The Supporting Cast with Giant Jewelry Boxes
Because those Celtics teams were so dominant, the list of who have the most rings in the NBA looks like a Boston alumni directory.
Sam Jones sits right behind Russell with 10 rings. He was the "Mr. Clutch" of that era, the guy who hit the shots when the pressure got stupidly high. Then you’ve got a massive tie at eight rings. John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, and "Satch" Sanders all have eight.
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Havlicek is an interesting one because he bridged two different eras of Celtics greatness. He won six with Russell and then stuck around to win two more in the 70s (1974 and 1976). Most players would give their left arm for one ring; these guys had enough to fill a shoe box.
The Robert Horry Anomaly
Now, if you want to talk about the modern era, you have to talk about "Big Shot Rob."
Robert Horry is the only player on the high-end of this list who didn’t play for those 1960s Celtics. He has seven rings.
How?
He was the ultimate "right place, right time" guy, but it wasn't just luck. He had this weird, almost supernatural ability to hit the most soul-crushing three-pointers in playoff history. He won two with the Houston Rockets (94, 95), three with the Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers (00, 01, 02), and two more with the San Antonio Spurs (05, 07).
He wasn't a superstar. He never made an All-Star team. But coaches wanted him because he simply knew how to be on a winning court.
Who have the most rings in the NBA right now?
Active players are a different story. The "old guard" of the current league still holds the throne.
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As of the 2025-26 season, the leaders among active players are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. They all have four.
LeBron’s path was the most nomadic. He got two in Miami, one legendary comeback in Cleveland, and one in the Los Angeles bubble. The Warriors trio, however, did it all together. It’s a bit of a bittersweet time for fans, though. With Klay Thompson having moved on to the Dallas Mavericks recently, the "core three" dynasty in Golden State is technically over, even if their ring counts are identical.
There was a time when it looked like LeBron might catch Jordan’s six, but at age 41, the window is closing fast. Honestly, it’s just as likely that a guy like Jrue Holiday—who has two—ends up snagging another one before the "King" does, given how deep the current Celtics roster is.
The Coaching Giants: Phil and Red
If we step away from the jersey and look at the suits, the numbers get even crazier.
Phil Jackson has 13 rings. Eleven as a coach (six with the Bulls, five with the Lakers) and two as a player for the Knicks. He’s the only person who can look Bill Russell in the eye when it comes to total hardware.
Then there’s Red Auerbach. He has 16. Nine as a coach and seven as an executive. If you count every capacity a person can serve in, Red is the final boss of the NBA. He’s the guy who drafted Russell, the guy who lit the cigars, and the guy who built the most lopsided dynasty in sports history.
Why these numbers will never be broken
The NBA is different now. Free agency, the salary cap, and the "luxury tax" are all designed specifically to stop what the Celtics did in the 60s.
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In Russell's day, there were fewer teams. The talent wasn't as spread out. Today, if a team wins two in a row, the players become so expensive that the front office usually has to trade someone away just to keep the lights on.
Basically, nobody is ever getting 11 rings again. It’s just not happening.
The closest we might see is a role player who happens to jump from dynasty to dynasty, like a modern-day Robert Horry. But even then, the parity in the league right now is so high—with teams like Oklahoma City, Denver, and Boston all being powerhouses—that winning seven or eight rings is basically a fairy tale.
Real-world perspective on the ring count
When you’re looking at who have the most rings in the NBA, don't use it as the only metric for who was the "best."
- Charles Barkley: 0 rings.
- Patrick Ewing: 0 rings.
- Steve Kerr: 5 rings (as a player).
Is Steve Kerr a better basketball player than Charles Barkley? Of course not. But rings tell you about a player's ability to fit into a system and perform when the lights are brightest.
If you want to track this yourself or settle a bet, keep an eye on the "role player" movement. Watch guys like Jrue Holiday or even younger players on the Celtics and Thunder. They are the ones with the best statistical shot at climbing this list.
The next time someone says Michael Jordan has the most rings, you can politely tell them he’s actually tied for 10th. It usually shuts people up pretty quick.
Actionable Insight:
If you're looking to follow the players most likely to add to their ring count this season, focus your attention on the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder rosters. These teams currently possess the deepest rotations and the highest statistical probability of reaching the Finals according to 2026 betting odds and advanced efficiency metrics. Watching how veterans like Al Horford or younger stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander manage their playoff workloads will give you the best "scouting report" on who the next multi-ring legends will be.