What Coach Has the Most NBA Rings?
Contents
It’s a debate that has been had for years – which head coach has the most NBA rings? We take a look at the numbers and see who comes out on top.
Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson has the most NBA rings of any coach in history. He has won a total of 11 championships, including two three-peats. Jackson has coached some of the greatest players of all time, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. He is also the only coach to have won an NBA championship with two different teams.
Jackson’s rings as a head coach
Jackson has a total of 11 NBA championship rings as a head coach, which is the most of any coach in NBA history. He won six championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1998, and then won five more with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 to 2010. In addition to his 11 championships, Jackson has also been named NBA Coach of the Year three times.
Jackson’s rings as a player
Jackson has a total of 11 NBA championship rings, six of which he earned as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and another five of which he earned as head coach of the Lakers. He also has two championship rings from his days as a player with the Knicks. That makes him the only person in NBA history with more than 11 rings. Here’s a breakdown of all the championships he’s been a part of:
-As a player: 2 (1970, 1973)
-As head coach: 11 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 with the Bulls; 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 with the Lakers)
So, in answer to the original question, Jackson has more NBA championship rings than any other coach or player in history.
Bill Russell
Bill Russell has the most NBA rings of any coach in the history of the sport. He coached the Boston Celtics to eleven championships in thirteen seasons. He is a five-time NBA Coach of the Year and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Russell’s rings as a head coach
In his first season as head coach, the Celtics won the NBA Championship, and would go on to win nine more over his tenure. When including his time as player-coach, Russell has a total of eleven championships, the most in NBA history.
Russell’s rings as a player
Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969. He was the captain of the Celtics for 10 seasons, led the team to 11 NBA championships, and was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) 10 times.
Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach was the head coach of the Boston Celtics for 9 seasons. During his time with the Celtics, he won 8 NBA championships. Auerbach is also credited with helping to create the modern NBA. He is the only coach in NBA history to win 8 championships in a row.
Auerbach’s rings as a head coach
Red Auerbach coached the Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1966, winning nine NBA championships in that time. That’s the most championships by any head coach in NBA history.
Auerbach’s rings as a player
Red Auerbach played for the Washington Generals, a basketball team that barnstormed with the Harlem Globetrotters. He won seven rings with the Globetrotters.
