All-Time 4-Ring Superteam vs. All-Time 6+ Rings Superteam: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?

What is the accurate measure of greatness? For some, that is winning a championship. The number of titles by NBA superstars is used as a measure to determine where they rank on the all-time player rankings. No matter the era, someone had to win the title. Bill Russell holds the record with 11 championships and will headline the all-time 6+ Rings Team. For this team, all players in the lineup won at least six titles, Russell being the one exception.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won six championships together. Meanwhile, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six championships with two teams. He won his first title with the Bucks and then won five titles playing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Those five titles were won alongside Magic Johnson, one of the players from the all-time five-ring team, which was recently discussed in a similar matchup against the all-time 4-Ring Team.

Would the 6+ Rings Team be a tougher opponent, or could the 4-Ring Team make this a series? Let’s take a look at how the all-time 4-Ring Team would match up against the all-time 6+ Rings Team.

Stephen Curry vs. Bob Cousy

The matchup between Stephen Curry and Bob Cousy would feature two sets of skills. Curry would have had the advantage on offense. After all, Curry’s has one of the greatest ranges we have ever seen. If Curry was left wide open, it is going to be an automatic three-point shot. Curry would have the advantage on outside shooting as Cousy never adapted his game towards that element because the three-point line did not exist when he played.

The chemistry with Russell would be as automatic as Curry shooting the three-ball. The two former Celtics teammates won six championships together, which included five straight between 1959 to 1963. Cousy led the league in assists eight consecutive seasons during his heyday. When it comes to floor generals, Cousy could command the offense for this team.

Klay Thompson vs. Michael Jordan

This matchup features one of the best shooters ever and potentially the best player to ever walk on an NBA court. Thompson was the second member of the “Splash Bros” that helped evolve the NBA into an outside shooting league in the last eight years. Thompson is also an exceptional wing defender and would be the top defensive player to guard Jordan. With that said, Jordan was an equally talented defensive player that would give Thompson fits when it came to getting open.

The defense from both players would cancel each other out, so it would come down to the offense. Jordan finished his career among those with the most points of all time. While Thompson is a skilled offensive player in his own right, it would be asinine to say he is on the same level as Jordan. With Jordan having the advantage here, this would be a matchup to watch throughout the series.

LeBron James vs. Scottie Pippen

Scottie Pippen once told the media that he believed he was LeBron James before James came into the league. Let’s look at the numbers. James is someone on offense that owns a career average of 27.1 points per game and has won a scoring title. He has around 7.5 rebounds and assists as well while contributing 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. James can also play nearly every position and guard every position as well. As for three-point shooting, James owns a career average nearing 35%.

Pippen averaged 16.1 points per game but spent most of his career playing second fiddle to Michael Jordan. In the first retirement that saw Pippen headline the Bulls, he averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks. Defensively, Pippen was also a First-Team All-Defensive caliber player. If we are measuring each other’s games, both look comparable on paper. Like the previous matchup between Jordan and Thompson, the defense would cancel out, and it would come down to the offense. James is going to be the all-time leader in scorers this season, so that explains it all.

Draymond Green vs. Bill Russell

Imagine a world where Green would try to get under Russell’s skin. The aggressive nature of Green would be a new test for Russell. Green is also a better passer than Russell, averaging at least one more assist per game for his career. Given that Green can provide a little of everything, this matchup would be tougher than those would think. After all, Green won a Defensive Player of the Year Award once in his career.

The NBA didn’t track blocks when Russell played, so it’s safe to assume that number would have been high. Russell is the second-greatest rebounder in NBA history. It would take a lot for Green to keep Russell off of the class. Again, this is a player that averaged 22.5 rebounds for his career. Both are championship-caliber players, but Russell’s rebounding advantage would be tough to stop.

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

O’Neal might have been the greatest offensive center in league history, but Abdul-Jabbar finished with the most points. Given the size of Shaq, would Abdul-Jabbar still have as much offensive success? You are talking about a huge rim protector that would provide help in the rebounding class. Both Russell and Abdul-Jabbar had the length, but O’Neal had the size. He would be able to bully himself for two-point field goals.

Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar had his sky hook shot that was almost unstoppable to guard. Even with O’Neal having the size, Kareem had the agility. O’Neal was not quick on his feet, so Kareem would still have an offensive advantage with his mobility. This matchup would go tic for tac. There is no clear advantage here because both players could ask for the ball and have their team pound it inside. It would force the rest of the team to step up and get points elsewhere.

All-Time 4-Ring Advantages

Shooting is the greatest advantage. Out of all of these players, the two best three-point shooting threats are on the same team. With Curry and Thompson, that leaves at least one player that can knock down an outside shot. This has been mentioned before that LeBron is not an elite outside shooter, where 34.6% for a career is still solid enough to rely on when you are looking for a player to knock down two shots from downtown. With three shooters, this offense can stretch the floor.

Having O’Neal on the floor would be a huge advantage for canceling out the rebounding from Russell. While Russell was a rebounding great, he never had to box out a physical player like O’Neal. Green could switch defensive assignments, with Green holding his own against Abdul-Jabbar. Two physical players in Green and O’Neal would potentially get to both of the 6+ rings bigs.

All-Time 6+ Rings Advantages

There is a clear mismatch with Jordan offensively. It wouldn’t matter if the Warriors took Thompson off of him because Curry would be a worse defensive liability. It would force the 4-Ring Team to potentially use LeBron James on Jordan defensively, but that would take away from his offense. Given that matchups, the team needs points from LeBron, so what would be the best matchup? Green could guard Jordan, but that would force James to be more of a rebounder and then take away their transition game with him out letting the passes rather than getting the outlet.

Defensively, the team has one of the best rebounders to ever play the game. On the same team, you have the leader in points and the runner-up in rebounds. The stats are heavily favoring this side. While all eyes will be on Jordan, Russell, and Kareem, the difference maker will be Pippen. If Pippen rises to the challenge, this could be an easy series for the 6+ Rings Team.

Who Wins This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

The 6+ Rings Team jumped out early to let the world know who the champions were. That offensive matchup between Jordan and Thompson went south quickly. Jordan piled on 37 points and took advantage of many drives to the basket. O’Neal got in foul trouble early, so he had to be more passive on defense. Cousy had a day by recording 20 assists to Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar, who contributed 32 points of his own in the 98-88 victory.

The second game featured another win for the 6+ rings squad. This time, it was a battle in the paint. Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal traded field goals back and forth. Both players scored 35 and 33 points, respectively. It came down to the other players in the lineup. Jordan picked up 20 points of his own. Meanwhile, James had his best game with 40 points and running Pippen down. While Russell was held in check for most of the game, he used what he was best at to help the team win. With the score knotted at 98-98, Jordan took a shot with 3.2 seconds on the clock, but it bounced off. Russell was there to tip in the offensive rebound to snag the 100-98 win in the second game.

With a 2-0 deficit, the 4-Ring squad went back to the basics. The team was not going to win this series in the paint. It was going to be from the outside. Curry and Thompson combined for 17 three-point shots. Even Green and James got in on the outside shooting barrage by making three a piece. O’Neal thought he could get involved, but his one attempt air-balled. It didn’t matter because the outside shooting spree helped the team win the 97-86 game.

The hot hands carried over into the fourth game of the series. Jordan was getting frustrated because of the lack of defensive accountability. Both Russell and Abdul-Jabbar were getting pulled out of the paint and had to help guard the ring. Because the floor was getting stretched so far, it allowed the 4-Ring Team to attack the paint. James and O’Neal were getting to the rim and closing out the game. James used six consecutive free throws to pull away 93-87 to tie up the series.

Jordan was not going to allow his team to lose three in a row. Jordan took Curry as his defensive assignment, and it was a vintage Jordan night. Jordan scored 32 points and played aggressive defense on Curry. Thompson and Curry combined to shoot 5 of 21 from three-point range. With Abdul-Jabbar getting his traditional 20 points, Russell collecting 17 rebounds, and Cousy having just one turnover, the 6+ Rings Team was able to cruise with a 101-81 win.

Needing a win to stay alive, Green was the player that stepped up for the team. He recorded a triple-double and also picked up five steals to help the team win in transition. While James was a runner in the transition game to the basket, Curry and Thompson chose to shoot the open shot and take a risk. The risk was worth it, as the wide-open opportunities allowed them to bounce back from a cold shooting night. With 10 three-pointers, tough defense, and limited turnovers, the 4-Ring Team was able to close out a 102-94 victory.

With Game 7, one team was going to walk away victorious. James recorded his best game offensively with 36 points. Curry and Thompson had a strong shooting night by making 11 three-point shots. O’Neal recorded a double-double of 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Green was limited to two points, but had five rebounds and six assists. With that said, Pippen rose to the occasion. Pippen added 30 points of his own to match the play James to the best of his ability. Abdul-Jabbar added 25 points and 16 rebounds of his own, while Russell joined him in the 20-rebound club as well. Jordan scored the final 10 points of the night to take the final game 104-91. The 6+ Rings Team showed why they are the best of the champions, with Jordan taking the Finals MVP Award.

All-Time 4-Ring vs. All-Time 6-Ring 3-4

Finals MVP: Michael Jordan

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