5 NBA stars who won a championship in the very first year of joining a new team
NBA players put in a lot of hard work to be a part of the league. Many succeed in winning elusive championships, while many have great careers, but fail to get a ring in their tenure in the league. Often many players move to a particular team with the goal of winning a championship. However, many others are also added to the roster to make the team contenders.
There have been several NBA players that have won the championship in their first year with the new team. These players have been very impactful to the franchise and eased their team's way to victory. In today's article, we mention five such players that won the championship in their first year with a new team.
Top five NBA players to win a championship in their first year with a new team
#5 Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was one of the best rebounders of the ball in the '90s. His hustle plays and unparalleled ability to defend made him one of the most sorted after players in the league. Rodman started his career with the Detroit Pistons and two championships there. Having achieved success with the Bad Boy Pistons, he moved to the San Antonio Spurs.
He played two seasons with the Spurs before moving to the Chicago Bulls in 1995. Rodman was a vital part of the second three-peat team. The forward played alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, however, his contribution on the defensive end often made a difference. Rodman won three rebounding championships and also got selected to the all-defence First team as part of the Bulls. During the 1995-96 playoffs, Rodman averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.1 APG to help the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA championship in franchise history.
#4 Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is highly regarded by many as one of the best power forwards in the game of basketball. He was the face of the franchise in Minnesota, and after serving 12 years there, Garnett moved to the Boston Celtics in 2008. His impact on the team was huge and starred for the team in many victories that season.
Kevin Garnett sure was INTENSE 🤣
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Garnett won Defensive Player of the Year in his first year with the Celtics and also went to the All-Star game. He was an MVP candidate and automatically made the Celtics favorites to win the championship. Garnett and the Celtics faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. He averaged 18.2 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 3.0 APG to help the team get to their 17th NBA championship in franchise history. His famous interview after winning the championship, where he screamt to the microphone saying 'Anything is Possible', remains fresh in the heads of all the NBA fans.