Over the last decade or so, many NBA fans have downplayed what accolades actually mean toward a player’s legacy. I can’t tell you when or why this conversation started, but I can tell you that they inevitably still matter. Some accolades clearly mean more than others, and the fact that they are voted on by former players and media members should not matter when discussing their importance. Perhaps it happened when LeBron James was robbed of a Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. Maybe it started after fans thought Stephen Curry was robbed of Finals MVP in 2015. Regardless, it definitely started after somebody’s favorite player was snubbed.
- T7. Udonis Haslem – 3 (3 Rings, 0 MVP, 0 Finals MVP)
- T7. JaVale McGee – 3 (3 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
- T4. Klay Thompson – 4 (4 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
- T4. Draymond Green – 4 (4 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
- T4. Kawhi Leonard – 4 (2 Rings, 0 MVPs, 2 Finals MVPs)
- T4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 4 (1 Ring, 2 MVPs, 1 Finals MVP)
- 3. Kevin Durant – 5 (2 Rings, 1 MVP, 2 Finals MVPs)
- 2. Stephen Curry – 7 (4 Rings, 2 MVPs, 1 Finals MVP)
- 1. LeBron James – 12 (4 Rings, 4 MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs)
- Next
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- The NBA Players Who Have Won The Most Finals MVP Awards: Michael Jordan Is The Real GOAT With 6 Trophies
- The Most Scoring Titles By Position In NBA History: Michael Jordan Is The Ultimate Leader With 10
- The NBA Players With The Most Assists Titles
While I agree that we must be careful and not use solely accolades to judge a player’s greatness, there are accolades that mean more than others. The 3 most important accolades to any player’s legacy are undoubtedly championships, MVP, and Finals MVP. Each one of these means you were among the best of the best for any given season and likely longer. There are a few outliers, but when we look at the players who have accumulated the most of these 3 awards combined, we truly see who the best has been among active players.
Here are the current NBA players with the most combined championships, MVPs, and Finals MVPs.
T7. Udonis Haslem – 3 (3 Rings, 0 MVP, 0 Finals MVP)
At 42 years old, Udonis Haslem is the oldest active player in the NBA. Over the past few seasons, it has been a rarity to see Haslem on the court for any significant amount of time. He has played in just 60 games since the beginning of the 2016-17 season and has seen just 6.9 minutes of action on average. This was not always the case, as Haslem has been both an impactful starter and bench player on 3 separate Miami Heat title runs.
Haslem was in just his 3rd NBA season when the Miami Heat went on to win the NBA championship in 2006 behind Dwyane Wade and Shaq. Haslem not only started 80 games in the regular season but all 22 playoff games as well. In the playoffs, he averaged 8.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG to help Miami win the title. Haslem was also in Miami for their back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. In both of those playoff runs, Haslem started 30 of 44 playoff games. He averaged 4.9 PPG and 5.0 RPG to contribute to his 2nd and 3rd NBA championships.
T7. JaVale McGee – 3 (3 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
JaVale McGee is currently in his 15th NBA season in 2022-23. He has appeared in games with 8 different teams during his career, including the Wizards, Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, Cavaliers, and 76ers. McGee’s placement on this list today is due to his time with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and also his time with the Lakers in 2020. Although McGee wasn’t a major player in any of these championship runs, he still played a role nonetheless and contributed in ways that aren’t measured on the stat sheet.
In back-to-back championship wins in 2018 and 2018 with the Warriors, McGee appeared in 29 playoff games for Golden State with 10 starts. In those 2 seasons, he averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG. His true impact came from his presence on defense and his rim protection, causing more than his fair share of errant shots. He also won an NBA championship with the Lakers in the 2020 bubble. McGee made 14 appearances for the Lakers in the playoffs with 11 starts. Once again, it was his interior defense that proved valuable in Los Angeles’ success.
T4. Klay Thompson – 4 (4 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
For the past 12 seasons, Klay Thompson has been one of the more exciting players with the Golden State Warriors. As one-half of the Splash Bros., Thompson has emerged as one of the better 3-point shooters in NBA history. Thompson played a pivotal part in all 4 of Golden State’s championships over the past 8 seasons. He has been as clutch as it gets, earning him the moniker “Game 6 Klay” and has been the perfect 2nd and 3rd option next to guys like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
Over his 12 years in the league, Thompson has been a 5-time All-Star and 2-time All-NBA Team Selection. Thompson has proved to be an enormously valuable piece. In 2015, Thomson was the 2nd option on offense to Stephen Curry. He averaged 18.6 PPG in the playoffs to help the Warriors capture their first championship since 1975. In 2017 and 2018, Thompson took a diminished role with the arrival of Kevin Durant. He was still able to help the Warriors win 2 titles averaging 17.6 PPG in the playoffs. Thompson averaged 19.0 PPG in the 2022 NBA playoffs as well. After 2 years missed due to major leg injuries, Thompson was back on the court doing what he does best and helping Golden State reach the mountaintop once again.
T4. Draymond Green – 4 (4 Rings, 0 MVPs, 0 Finals MVPs)
Over the past 11 seasons, Draymond Green has been the x-factor for an overly successful Golden State Warriors team. If anyone has accomplished what it means to be a Hall Of Fame role player, Green has been that guy. Once again, Green’s contributions will not stuff the stat sheet, but he has been undoubtedly important to the Warriors’ run. His defensive presence and ability to be an elite playmaker have made him the engine that makes the Warriors go.
Draymond Green played a vital role in all 4 of Golden State’s championships since 2015. In 2015, he averaged a double-double in the playoffs with 13.7 PPG and 10.1 RPG on top of his 5.2 APG. In 2017 and 2018, Green once again ruled the glass and passing game as he had less pressure offensively with Kevin Durant there. He was still good for a nightly double-double in the playoffs, both title runs. In 2022, Green mastered the art of defense in the playoffs and helped get the Warriors back to the Finals for the first time in 4 seasons. His presence against the likes of Al Horford and Jayson Tatum in the playoffs helped propel them to their 4th title in 8 years.
T4. Kawhi Leonard – 4 (2 Rings, 0 MVPs, 2 Finals MVPs)
Kawhi Leonard is an 11-year veteran of the NBA who has played for 3 different franchises, including the Spurs, Raptors, and Clippers. Only one of those teams has he not led to an NBA championship as one of the best two-way players in basketball over this time. It all started in 2014 as the Spurs met the Heat in the NBA Finals. For his defensive efforts on LeBron James, Leonard was named Finals MVP as he captured his first and the Spurs 5th NBA title.
Kawhi would go on to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016. After a messy breakup, Kawhi left San Antonio via trade to the Toronto Raptors. Leonard proceeded to have one of the greatest one-year runs in NBA history. Leonard would average 26.6 PPG in the regular season, along with 7.3 RPG and 1.8 SPG. The Raptors would battle their way through the playoffs behind a revived Leonard. In the Finals, the Raptors would dethrone the Warriors as NBA champions for the first time. Leonard took home Finals MVP honors with averages of 28.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, and 1.2 BPG.
T4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 4 (1 Ring, 2 MVPs, 1 Finals MVP)
As it stands in 2022-23, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the world. He takes over games at will on both ends of the floor and has become the toughest defensive assignment in all of basketball. Giannis is not only an MVP and an NBA champion, but he is also a Defensive Player of the Year and one of the biggest game-changers in recent memory. Antetokounmpo exploded on the scene in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since.
Giannis won his first MVP award in 2019 and followed it up with another win in 2020. Over those 2 seasons, Giannis averaged 28.5 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. He had become the best player in basketball on both ends of the floor with relentless interior defense and an unstoppable game on offense. In 2021, Giannis led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971. He downed the Suns in 6 games and earned the first of what could be multiple Finals MVP awards in his career. He averaged 35.2 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.8 BPG. This included a 50-point performance in Game 6 to close the series out.
3. Kevin Durant – 5 (2 Rings, 1 MVP, 2 Finals MVPs)
Since coming into the NBA in 2007-08, Kevin Durant has proved to be one of the best pure scorers to ever step foot on the court. He has won 4 scoring titles and earned 12 All-Star selections in his career as evidence. He led the Thunder to incredible heights as a franchise and helped make them relevant after a controversial move from Seattle. In 2013-14, Durant cracked this list with the only MVP award of his career. He averaged 32.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 5.5 APG to lead the Thunder to 59 wins.
Durant then made a controversial move of his own when he left the Thunder after the 2015-16 season to join the Golden State Warriors. For Durant, the move proved to be fruitful as he would lead the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018. He claimed the 2017 Finals MVP award when he averaged 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 5.4 APG. The following season, Durant and the Warriors emphatically took care of the Cavaliers in a sweep. Once again, Durant won Finals MVP when he averaged 28.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 7.5 APG.
2. Stephen Curry – 7 (4 Rings, 2 MVPs, 1 Finals MVP)
There is an argument to be made that Stephen Curry has been the best basketball player in the world since 2015. He has certainly cemented himself as the greatest overall shooter in history, breaking the NBA record for 3-pointers made and setting a slew of other records when it comes to throwing up 3-point shots. Curry first cracked this list in 2015 when he was named MVP and won a championship in the same season. That year, he averaged 23.8 PPG on 44.3% shooting from 3 and 48.7% overall.
In 2016, Curry became the first and only unanimous MVP in NBA history when he won the scoring title, steals title, and led the Warriors to the best record in NBA history at 73-9. Curry then won 2 more NBA championships in 2017 and 2018 alongside Kevin Durant and one of the best teams ever assembled. In 2021-22, Curry finally earned the first Finals MVP of his career when the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in 6 games. He averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.0 SPG to win the award.
1. LeBron James – 12 (4 Rings, 4 MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs)
In his 20th NBA season, LeBron James looks to have finally come face-to-face with Father Time. Whether it be injuries or a 3-10 record, James and the Lakers are struggling mightily. That was never the case before this year, as James has consistently been the best player in the NBA for 20 years. He has spent over half his life in the NBA and, during that time, has put together one of the greatest resumes in NBA history. Not only is James a 4-time NBA champion, but he has arguably been the best player on the floor in most of his 10 Finals appearances.
James first joined this list in back-to-back seasons with the Cavaliers, with his first 2 MVP awards in 2009 and 2010. He then added his 3rd MVP, 1st ring, and 1st Finals MVP in 2012 with the Miami Heat. He added all 3 awards once again in 2013 with the Heat as well. In 2016, he led the Cavs to the greatest comeback in NBA history during the NBA Finals and added his 3rd ring and 3rd Finals MVP award. In 2020, James took his 3rd NBA franchise to the promised land as a member of the Lakers. James claimed his 4th NBA title and 4th Finals MVP award that season. In 55 career Finals games, James has averaged 28.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG.
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