Throughout his career, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championship rings.
Bill Russell, the greatest defensive player of all time, has a special place in the NBA’s Hall of Fame. This unlikely superstar came into the NBA as a center for the Boston Celtics and played for the team for his entire 13 years of career.
Bill Russell has won the most NBA championship out of any other player. Learn more about his life and player history below.
How Many Rings Does Bill Russell Have?
Out of his 13 seasons on the court, he is the only player to win 11 championship rings. Russell, being part of the historically great Boston Celtics, was a central piece of the team, a premium shot-blocker, and the greatest defender of all time.
Russell won championships in the years: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969. After winning 11 championship rings, he retired in 1969 and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Frame six years later.
Who Holds the Record for the Most NBA Championships?
The history of the NBA has seen many legendary players, but no one like Bill Russell. Bill Russell holds the record of the most championship rings.
Precisely, he won 11 championship rings in the 13 seasons he played for the Boston Celtics. He won 8 of them in a row. Up till now, nobody has managed to come even close to the record of Bill Russell.
Which Team Holds the Record for the Most Championship Wins in NBA History?
The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are the teams that hold the record of the most championship wins in NBA history. The two most popular and successful teams have won 17 championships each.
The two teams are definitely the crucial pillars of the NBA.
Top 5 NBA players with the Most Championship Wins
Bill Russell with 11 NBA Championship Wins
Coached by Red Auerbach, Bill Russell holds the record of most championship rings. He led the Boston Celtics to win 11 NBA championships in a 13-year span. He won 8 championships consecutively.
Sam Jones with 10 NBA Championship Wins
Second, on the list is Sam Jones who was a crucial part of the Boston Celtics just like Russell. He was a five-time All-Star and won consecutively from 1959 to 1966 and then won back to back in 1968 and 1969.
John Havlick with 8 NBA Championship Wins
John Havlick, yet another Boston Celtics legend, won a total of 8 championship rings in his 16-year career. He was a 13-time All-star. He won 6 out of his 8 rings alongside Bill Russell and the squad.
Tom Heinsohn and K.C. Johns with 8 NBA Champtionship Wins
Tom and K.C Johns both were also part of Russell’s led Boston Celtics squad and won 8 championship rings each. They both had quite similar career spells and won their first title in 1957 and then won consecutively from 1959 to 1965.
Robert Horry with 7 NBA Championship Wins
Robert Horry, also known as ‘Big Shot Bob’ is the player who won 7 championships, the most wins by any non-Celtics player. He won two rings with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and two with the San Antonio Spurs.
Snapshot into Russell’s 11 NBA Championship Wins
1956- 1957
Russell’s first NBA session turned out to be great since he won the championship and proved himself to be the most valuable player of the Boston Celtics. Boston Celtics defeated the St. Louis Hawks with a final score of 4-3.
1958- 1959
Russell alongside K.C. Johns, Bob Cousy, and Tommy Heinsohn in his Boston Celtics win the second championship of his life after defeating Minneapolis Lakers.
1959- 1960
Bill Russell won his third NBA championship by defeating the eSt. Louis Hawsk in the finals with a score of 4-3.
1960- 1961
In the 1960- 1961 session, the Boston Celtics and Russell won over the St. Louis Hawks yet again in the finals. Russell also won his second Most Valuable Player trophy in this season.
1961- 1962
Russell won the championship for the fifth time by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals with 4-3.
1962- 1963
In this season, the Boston Celtics played against the Los Angeles Lakers and won 4-2.
1963- 1964
In this season, a new star, John Haverick, joined the Boston Celtics. Boston had an easy win over the San Francisco Warriors with 4-1.
1964- 1965
In 1965, Bill Russell for the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers once again with 4-1.
1965- 1966
In the 1966 season, Russell won another NBA championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.
1967- 1968
The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles for the sixth time in 10 years in the 1968 season The season was Russell’s 10th championship win.
1968- 1969
1969 was the last session of Russell as a player after which he retired. Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3.
Bill Russell’s Honorable Awards
Over his illustrious career of 13 years with the Boston Celtics, Bill Russell won 11 championship rings. He was the only player to win 8 consecutive NBA championships.
Russell also won five Most Valuable Player awards, 2 time NCAA champion, 12 all-star drafts, and an Olympic medal in 1956.
He was the first NBA player to average 20 rebounds per game.
He was also the first African- American in history to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Frame in 1974.
Russell was also the first black head coach in the NBA.
Final Thoughts
Bill Russell without any doubt is a true NBA legend. In his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, he won a total of 11 championship rings. The record which no other player has managed to break.
This legendary player is a true inspiration for almost every new NBA player.
