Image via Complex Original
On Sunday, Tim Duncan became a member of the NBA's five ring club. Now, Timmy is in the company of only 12 other players, past and present, including the likes of Kobe Bryant and Dennis Rodman. Duncan's most recent addition of hardware has not only solidified his legacy as the greatest power forward to ever play the game, but it has also started a discussion as to where the 38-year-old ranks in the seemingly never-ending debate of who is the greatest of all time.
But let's be honest: That topic is just too broad of a scope to even begin broaching. Instead, let's take a look at where Duncan stacks up against those guys who have just five titles to their name. From the household names like Magic Johnson to role players such as Steve Kerr, we Rank the Best Five-Time Champions in NBA History.
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13. Larry Siegfried
Championship teams: Boston Celtics (1964-1966, 1968-1969)
Accolades: N/A
Career stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
When the ABA folded, Larry Siegfried was acquired by the St. Louis Hawks but cut in surprising fashion. At this point, Siegfried considered becoming a high school coach and teacher. Before he put that plan to work, a college friend by the name of John Havlicek convinced Red Auerbach to give Siegfried a tryout. That turned out to be a great move by the legendary coach as Siegfried became a major contributor for the Celtics, winning five rings in a span of six season from 1964-1968.
Siegfried averaged over 10 points per game in the playoffs in four out of the five championship winning seasons. From a prospective high school coach to a five-time NBA champion, what a rags-to-riches story.
12. Steve Kerr
Championship teams: Chicago Bulls (1996-98), San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003)
Accolades: 1x Three-Point Contest winner
Career stats: 6.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.8 APG
He'll always be known for that really, really memorable '97 Finals shot. But the fact is, the new Warriors head coach has enough rings to fill a hand. While his career numbers are (arguably) the worst on the list, his propensity to drain a clutch three is what kept him in the league for 15 years. His career three-point percentage (.454) is more than a solid percentage point higher than Hubert Davis at No. 2 (.441.)
When you have a skill that specialized, you can maintain a career. And that's how Kerr had longevity and was a puzzle piece for title teams. He rattled off four straight (96-99) and then went out on top in 2003. Now he has a chance to add to his collection as he embarks on a coaching career at Golden State.
11. Derek Fisher
Championship teams: Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002, 2009-2010)
Accolades: N/A
Career stats: 8.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.0 APG
As much as fans like to talk about Kobe and Shaq's relationship, there is one player who was next to Kobe for not one, not two, not three, not four, but all five of the Black Mamba's championships. Derek Fisher's stats don't tell the complete story of the impact he had on the court. At 6'1" the floor general showed an ability lead both vocally and by play—especially in Lakers' championship runs 2009 and 2010.
Everyone remembers the 0.4 second shot from Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals vs. the San Antonio Spurs. But how many can recall him taking over Game 3 in the 2010 NBA Finals vs. the Boston Celtics? Fisher's 11 points in the fourth quarter helped L.A. take a 2-1 lead in an epic seven-game series victory.
10. Don Nelson
Championship teams: Boston Celtics (1966, 1968-1969, 1974, 1976)
Accolades: N/A
Career stats: 10.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 APG
Nelson joined Bill Russell and John Havlicek en route to five championship rings with the Celtics. The former head coach had a long career coming off the bench in Boston, where he averaged over 10 points per game every season between 1968 and 1975. He established his place in history with one of the most famous shots in basketball history in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, when his foul-line jumper gave the Celtics a three-point lead with under a minute remaining.
He also shot all free throws one handed, and shot 76.5 percent from the line for his career.
9. Ron Harper
Championship Teams: Chicago Bulls (1996-1998), Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2001)
Accolades: 1x All-Rookie First Team
Career Stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.9 APG
Ron Harper was never the best player on any of his championship squads, but he was a key contributor nonetheless. He teamed up with Jordan's Bulls during their three-peat from 1996-98 and Kobe's Lakers during their two consecutive championships from 2000-2001. Harper never averaged more than 12.0 PPG during his five seasons with Chicago, but he was heralded for being a lockdown defender and mid-range shooter. After three-peating with the Bulls, Harper signed with the Lakers for the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons winning two more rings.
If Harper would have stayed with the Lakers for one more season, he would 've won a sixth ring and been apart of a second three-peat. How many players can attest to that?
Regardless, Ron Harper might've never been a superstar, but he played a very important role on the five championship team he played on.
8. Michael Cooper
Championship teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88)
Accolades: 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Defensive First Team, 3x All-Defensive Second Team,
Career stats: 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 APG
Before he was taking potshots at LeBron and winning WNBA Coach of The Year awards, Coop was an integral part of the Showtime Lakers. While Magic and Kareem provided the flash, Cooper provided the defense, as he was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams in his 12-year career. At only 174 lbs., Cooper still locked up Larry Bird in many of the epic Celtics-Lakers clashes in the '80s, and the Lakers loved running the "Coop-a-loop" play which ended with Cooper on the receiving end of an alley-oop.
7. Slater Martin
Championship teams: Minneapolis Lakers (1950, 1952, 1953, 1954), St. Louis Hawks (1958)
Accolades: 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Second Team
Career stats: 9.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.2 APG
Besides having a dope name, Slater Martin was a baller. He's recognized as one of the best basketball players to ever hail from Houston. The 5'10" point guard was known for his quickness and his dog pound-style defense. Bobb Pettit, a teammate of Martin during his last championship ring with the St. Louis Hawks in 1958 spoke highly of Slater Martin and his contributions, "I can't describe to you what a great teammate he was and how important he was to me and to our team. He was a joy. I loved Slater Martin. He was one of the most unforgettable players I ever met."
6. Jim Pollard
Championship teams: Minneapolis Lakers (1949-1950, 1952-1954)
Accolades: 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA First Team
Career stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.2 APG
We could throw out some impressive numbers about Jim Pollard and his many accomplishments in the pre-shot clock era NBA. But let's talk about what's really important. Pollard could dunk from the free throw line...in 1950. This was the fourth season ever for the NBA! There was no shot clock, no three-point line, and there were only 11 teams in the league. Yet Pollard, with these on his feet, could do something that most players in the NBA today still can't do.
Pollard could dunk from the free throw line three years after Jackie Robinson first played in Brooklyn, 10 years before the Beatles, and 19 years before man walked on the moon. Give some props to the guy they called "The Kangaroo Kid."
5. Dennis Rodman
Championship teams: Detroit Pistons (1989-1990), Chicago Bulls (1996-1998)
Accolades: 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 2x All-Star, 7x All-Defensive First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team,
Career stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG
It's almost a shame that all of The Worm's sideshow antics over the last two decades have become more directly associated with his name, because his playing career was among the better ones we've witnessed in that time. Dennis Rodman was a 6'7" power forward that led the league in rebounding every season from 1992 to 1998, hauling down at least 15 in each of those years. His career began with the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s, who won a ring with Rodman as a young reserve in 1989.
The team shipped veteran Adrian Dantley away during that season, paving the way for Rodman to grow in an increased role. He was an All-Star the next season, as Detroit won its second consecutive title—Rodman took home the first of his two DPOY awards. His next chance to raise the Larry O'Brien came with the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, when the Bulls raised three straight banners from 1996 through '98. Rodman earned a spot on the league's All-Defensive First Team seven times over his 14-year career, and when he was on the floor, he grabbed 30 percent of all available defensive rebounds. Don't let his off-court exploits tarnish what he contributed to the game.
4. George Mikan
Championship teams: Minneapolis Lakers (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)
Accolades: 4x All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 1952-53 All-Star Game MVP
Career stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
At 6'10", 245 lbs, Mikan was one of the first big men to play in the NBA. He used his size to his advantage, hitting hapless defenders with a devastating hook shot and averaging 13.4 rebounds per game for his career. He was such a beast on the boards that the NBA established the "Mikan Rule" which widened the foul lane. He also changed the game after his playing days were over. As the first commissioner of the ABA he created the famous red, white and blue ball and also helped found the Minnesota Timberwolves.
3. Tim Duncan
Championship teams: San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
Accolades: 3x Finals MVP, 2x regular season MVP, 14x All-Star, 10x All-NBA First Team
Career stats: 19.9 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 APG
Drafted in the same 1997 class that also included Tracy McGrady, Keith Van Horn, Tim Thomas, et al, at 38, Tim Duncan is still messing around and winning championships. Seventeen years into perhaps the most low-key career the league has ever known, Duncan is still posting numbers comparable to ones from his prime. He put up more than 20 points in each of his first nine NBA campaigns, and has failed to average double-digit rebounds in only four of the 17—the last four seasons he's averaged 9.4 boards over just 29 minutes. He's shot 50 percent on 15 shots per game over his career.
With five rings, three Finals MVPs, two league MVPs, a Rookie of the Year award and 14 All-Star trips, Duncan's greatness speaks for itself—which is just how Duncan prefers it.
2. Kobe Bryant
Championship teams: Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002, 2009-2010)
Accolades: 2x Finals MVP, 1x regular season MVP, 16x All-Star, 11x All-NBA First Team
Career stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG
The accolades and stats tell you most of what you need to know about Kobe's career. When Kobe enters his 19th season in the fall, he will have spent more years of his life in the NBA than outside of it. From the day he donned shades and a baggy suit to announce he would be entering the Draft, Kobe has been one of the most polarizing figures in sports. Getting to five rings likely meant more to Kobe Bryant and his legacy than it meant to anyone else on this list. For three of his first five championships Bryant had one of the most dominant forces in NBA history by his side in Shaquille O'Neal.
After that partnership soured, Bryant spent the next three seasons carrying the lackluster Lakers. After a tough loss to the Celtics in 2008 (and Shaq's subsequent bars), the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in what was viewed a big steal at the time.
Kobe and Co. went on to win back-to-back titles and the haters who used to yell "He can't do it without Shaq!" were silenced. Without those last two titles, Kobe's legacy goes from being one of the Top-10 players in NBA history to Top-20 and would be considered closer to Scottie Pippen than Michael Jordan.
1. Magic Johnson
Championship teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88)
Accolades: 3x Finals MVP, 3x regular season MVP, 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA First Team
Career stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG
It didn't take long for the Los Angeles Lakers to realize that they made the right choice when they selected Magic Johnson with the first overall pick in the 1979 Draft. With teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar unable to play Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals due to a sprained ankle, a 6'8" Magic stepped up to play center and scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out seven assists and even nabbed three steals. It was the start of a beautiful, albeit short, marriage on-the-court for the tandem of Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who won five titles in 10 seasons together.
During that span, Magic further separated himself from just being the Robin to Kareem's Batman by putting up absolutely ridiculous playoff high marks, including 24 assists in a game against the Phoenix Suns in 1984 and amassing 157 double-doubles in his postseason career, a record which was broken by Tim Duncan this season.
Even though Earvin needed to step away from the game of basketball in his early 30s after he contracted the HIV virus, the work he put in while on the court will make him one of the best to ever play the game and is widely-recognized as the best point guard of all-time.