10 NBA Players With The Most Trophies And Awards Of All Time

One of the debates within the NBA community that will never die is the one between eras and how legends of the past would measure up to the stars in today’s game or vice versa. As impossible as those points are to prove, many claim that today’s game is superior, while others believe the past reigns supreme. I am here to tell you and try to convince you that the conversation is completely pointless. Unless players actually played against each other and competed in the same league, the argument is a lost cause and not worth the breath that you waste on it. The only way we can compare players of the past and today’s stars is through their stats and the accolades they earned during their time in the NBA.

Today, we will focus on the latter as we dive into the 10 NBA players who have accumulated the most accolades and accomplishments. We will be taking a look at everything from MVP awards to assists titles as we try and uncover the most accomplished players in NBA history. Now, this is assuming that we put all of these accomplishments on a level playing field, which they are not in terms of importance to one’s legacy. Championships, Finals MVP awards, and MVP awards will always be number one in terms of what matters most, but the other accomplishments do hold weight in these conversations. Without any further explanation, let us dive in.

These are the NBA players who won the most accolades and accomplishments throughout their entire careers.

T10. Oscar Robertson – 14 Accomplishments

1 NBA Championship

1 MVP

3 All-Star Game MVPs

1 Rookie Of The Year

1 Scoring Title

7 Assists Titles

From one outstanding all-time point guard to another as Oscar Robertson creeps ahead of Paul with some even more meaningful accomplishments. Robertson was a true do-it-all point guard who could score, pass, and defend with the elite of the NBA during his time. Robertson’s first accomplishments came as a rookie when he took home the Rookie of the Year averaging 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 9.7 APG, which is one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. In 1962, Robertson would become the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, but he was not done yet.

In 1964, Robertson would finally take home an MVP award averaging 31.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 11.0 APG, the third assists title for him in four seasons in the NBA. In 1968, Robertson would take home the lone scoring title of his career, averaging 29.2 PPG for the Royals. In 1971, Robertson was traded from Cincinnati to Milwaukee, where he teamed up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bucks would go on to win the NBA championship in their first season together, the only championship of Robertson’s career. He would retire with seven assists titles altogether, and as one of the greatest point guards the NBA has ever seen.

T10. Shaquille O’Neal – 14 Accomplishments

4 NBA Championships

3 Finals MVPs

1 MVP

3 All-Star Game MVPs

1 Rookie Of The Year

2 Scoring Titles

It is no secret that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant and greatest players to ever play the game. O’Neal came into the league as a young man out of college in 1993 and immediately turned around the entire Orlando Magic organization. Shaq won Rookie of the Year with 23.4 PPG, 13.9 RPG, and 3.5 BPG. He led the Magic to a Finals appearance in 1995, taking home a scoring title that same year with 29.3 PPG on 58.3% shooting. His young days in Orlando were spectacular, but they were only a sign of what was to come as he began his next chapter.

O’Neal would make his way to the Lakers for the 1996-97 season and would leave his mark on the franchise just a few short years later. From 2000 thru 2002, O’Neal led the Lakers to three straight NBA championships and claimed all three Finals MVP awards. In 2000, O’Neal won the only MVP award of his career when he averaged 29.7 PPG, the second scoring title of his career, 13.6 RPG, and 3.0 BPG. In 2006, with Shaq now in Miami, he helped capture his fourth NBA championship alongside Dwyane Wade in South Beach. At his peak, there may have never been a more dominant player in league history than Shaquille O’Neal.

8. Kobe Bryant – 15 Accomplishments

5 NBA Championships

2 Finals MVPs

1 MVP

4 All-Star Game MVPs

2 Scoring Titles

1 Dunk Contest Championship

The impact Kobe Bryant had on the NBA during his 20-year career cannot be understated or devalued. Bryant inspired a generation of kids to pick up a basketball, including many of the players you see today atop the NBA. Bryant’s career got off to a slow start as a rookie out of high school who came off the bench for the most part. By his fourth season, Bryant had earned a spot as a starter and never looked back. He was a huge part of the Lakers’ three-peat as champions from 2000 thru 2002 and went on to solidify his legacy as time went on.

In 2008, years after the three-peat and partner-in-crime Shaq left for Miami, Bryant was awarded his first and only MVP award averaging 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 1.8 SPG. He should definitely have more than one MVP, but you know, Steve Nash and his back-to-back MVPS thwarted that. In 2009 and 2010, Kobe led the Lakers to back-to-back championships, the fourth and fifth of his career as well as his first and last two Finals MVP awards. Bryant is tied with Bob Pettit for the most All-Star MVP awards, which is four, and in 1997, he became the youngest winner of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest ever at just 19 years old.

T7. Bob Cousy – 17 Accomplishments

6 NBA Championships

1 MVP

2 All-Star Game MVPs

8 Assists Titles

Bob Cousy was far ahead of his time as an NBA point guard and introduced an entirely new style to the position during the 50s and 60s. Cousy was one of the game’s greats from the moment he made his NBA debut in 1950. Cousy would win his first assists crown in 1952-53 and proceeded to win the next seven in a row after that. In 1957, Cousy helped the Celtics to win an NBA championship marking the first of six championships in his career.

Cousy would also be awarded the one and only MVP award of his career in 1956-57. Cousy averaged 20.6 PPG and 7.5 APG to claim the award. After a loss in the 1958 NBA Finals, Cousy and the Celtics would advance to and win the next five NBA championships from 1959 thru 1963. Over this time, Cousy averaged 17.2 PPG and 8.1 APG for the Celtics. As one of the winningest and most celebrated players in NBA history, Bob Cousy finds his rightful place among the greats.

T7. Wilt Chamberlain – 17 Accomplishments

2 NBA Championships

1 Finals MVP

4 MVPs

1 All-Star Game MVP

1 Rookie Of The Year

7 Scoring Titles

1 Assists Title

One player who would like to have a word with Shaquille O’Neal about being the most dominant big man of all time is Wilt Chamberlain. From the moment he stepped on the court, Chamberlain was an imposing force of nature on the court, averaging scoring and rebounding numbers the NBA has never seen before or since. He ran away with the Rookie of the Year in 1960, averaging 37.6 PPG and 27.0 RPG. Two years later, he set an NBA record with 50.4 PPG in a season to go with 25.7 RPG. Wilt would win seven scoring titles in a row to begin his career and has recorded the second-most PPG for a career with 30.1 PPG, just behind Michael Jordan for first place.

In 1967 with the Philadelphia 76ers, Wilt took home the first NBA championship of his career. In 1968, he shocked the world by leading the NBA in assists, the one and only center to do so in NBA history. By 1970, Wilt was a bit older, and his offense had slowed down a touch, but that did not stop him from impacting a franchise. He would help lead the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship in 1972 and take home the first and only Finals MVP of his career. Chamberlain left an everlasting mark on the game, and if we included all of his rebounding titles and NBA scoring records, this list would be his by a mile.

T7. Bill Russell – 17 Accomplishments

11 NBA Championships

5 MVPs

1 All-Star Game MVP

Perhaps no one had a bigger impact on basketball on and off the court than Bill Russell. As he struggled to adapt offensively, Russell perfected rebounding and defense to help the Celtics become the team of the century during the 1960s. Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA titles in his 13 seasons in the NBA and even claimed one as a player-coach during that time. Among all of his amazing feats were his five rebounding titles which he grabbed while competing with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Russell was an MVP off the court as well, championing and campaigning for equal rights for all Americans. On the court, he was a leader and led by example, showing hard work, and dirty work will earn you respect among your teammates as well as a whole lot of hardware. In his career, Russell took home five MVP awards for the way he played defense and allowed almost no one to control the glass when he was on the court. His rivalry with Wilt Chamberlains was the first of its kind and paved the way for other rivalries and history to follow. As far as accomplishments go, not many were more decorated than the late Bill Russell.

T7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 17 Accomplishments

6 NBA Championships

2 Finals MVPs

6 MVPs

1 Rookie Of The Year

2 Scoring Titles

When it comes to being labeled and accomplished, Kareem is up there with any player you care to name in NBA history. Kareem dominated and won at all levels of basketball, including high school, college, and the NBA. Kareem got started early with a Rookie of the Year award in 1970, averaging 28.8 PPG and 14.5 RPG. In 1971, Kareem had a career year taking home MVP, a scoring title with 31.7 PPG, an NBA championship, and the Finals MVP award with the Milwaukee Bucks. He would add one more scoring title in 1972 with 34.8 PPG as well as another MVP award.

Things did not slow down once he was traded to the Lakers in 1975. Kareem would win MVP in his first two seasons, with the Lakers averaging 27.0 PPG, 15.1 RPG, and 3.7 BPG in 1976 and 1977. Kareem would go on to help the Lakers win five NBA championships in his time with them as he also claimed his sixth MVP award in 1980. In 1985, Kareem won his second and final Finals MVP award and retired in 1989 as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Kareem blazed a trail for many others to follow, but only three players have ever been more accomplished in their careers.

3. LeBron James – 18 Accomplishments

4 NBA Championships

4 Finals MVPs

4 MVPs

3 All-Star Game MVPs

1 Rookie Of The Year

1 Scoring Title

1 Assists Title

Coming into the NBA as an 18-year-old kid and having the weight of the world on his shoulder, LeBron James exceeded the expectations placed upon him. James has turned in one of the greatest careers in NBA history over the last 20 seasons, and it all began in 2003 as a teenager trying to find his way. James would win the Rookie of the Year award in his first season, which was just a foreshadowing of what was to come next. In his first sting with Cleveland from 2004 thru 2010, James claimed two of his four MVP awards as well as a 30.0 PPG scoring title in 2008.

When he moved on to Miami, James would net his first two NBA championships, two more MVP awards, and both Finals MVP awards he was eligible for. James would also play the best defensive basketball of his career down there, although he just missed out on a Defensive Player of the Year honor. James went back to Cleveland and delivered on a promise to bring them their first NBA title in 2016, along with his third Finals MVP. James would go on to the Lakers in 2019 and continued to make history. He won another championship and Finals MVP award in 2020, leading his third team to an NBA championship. In 2023, LeBron became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with ease as he continues to defy the laws of getting older.

2. Magic Johnson – 19 Accomplishments

5 NBA Championships

3 Finals MVPs

3 MVPs

2 All-Star Game MVPs

4 Assists Titles

2 Steals Titles

It might be a little shocking that Magic Johnson is so high by our achievements metric, but it really shouldn’t be. Johnson came into the NBA at a time when the Lakers were reeling and not winning much as far as championships go. As a rookie, he didn’t win the Rookie of the Year award, but he earned so much more. Johnson would lead the Lakers to an NBA title in 1980 and claim the Finals MVP award as a young man just getting his toes wet in the NBA. He would win his second Finals MVP award in 1982 as well, and the Lakers had officially entered the Showtime era.

Magic would lead the Lakers to five NBA titles in his 13 seasons in the NBA and capture three of their Finals MVP awards in eight appearances on the big stage. Magic would win his first MVP award in 1987 and then add two more in 1989 and 1990, giving him three MVPs in four seasons. He is the best point guard in NBA history, and no one ran an offense like him. He was especially deadly in the open court as he could make any pass fit through any space he needed to in order to get his teammates opportunities. He was quite the defender as well, adding two steals titles to his long list of accomplishments in his career.

1. Michael Jordan – 37 Accomplishments

6 NBA Championships

6 Finals MVPs

5 MVPs

3 All-Star Game MVPs

1 Defensive Player Of The Year

1 Rookie Of The Year

10 Scoring Titles

3 Steals Titles

2 Slam Dunk Contest Championships

As if there were any doubt who the final player on this list was going to be. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that ever lived and rightfully takes his top spot by any metric you want to use. He began his career as the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft and put the league on notice averaging 28.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 2.4 SPG, earning the Rookie of the Year award. After a short second season due to a foot injury, Jordan would earn his first of 10 scoring titles over the next 12 seasons averaging 37.1 PPG on 48.2% shooting. He earned the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988 when he led the league in scoring and steals with 35.0 PPG and 3.2 SPG.

In 1991, Jordan led the Bulls to their first NBA championship over the Lakers and claimed his first of six career Finals MVP awards. Jordan would lead the Bulls to two more NBA championships over the next two seasons, making them the first team to three-peat as NBA champions since the Celtics of the 60s. After stepping away from the game for a better part of two years in 1994 and 1995, Jordan returned with a vengeance. He would win the next three scoring titles, NBA championships, and Finals MVP awards, giving him an NBA record six for his career. His 10 scoring titles are the most in NBA history by a wide margin, and his two three-peats are something that may never happen again. By the measurement, we used here today, and by most measurements ever used, Michael Jordan is still the greatest player in NBA history.

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