Listing the only 5 players who have won back to back NBA championships with 2 different teams
The NBA championship title is the pinnacle of achievements in the league, as many players and teams fortunate enough to win one would attest to. Whilst some players spend the whole of their career struggling to win one championship, some can boast of having more than one to their names.
The Boston Celtics team of the ’60s notoriously swept aside teams in countless finals, firing their way to 9 championship titles from 1960-1970. In recent times, the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team was another example of an all-conquering team. They played swashbuckling basketball in the ’90s, on their way to two three-peat championships, between 1990-1998.
Winning a championship lifts a player to an elite level, as your name gets to be etched in history forever. The list of players who have gone on to win a championship ring is countless, as numerous champions have passed through the NBA.
Although a few select players can boast about winning multiple championships, even with multiple teams, fewer can boast of winning back-to-back championships with two different teams.
Which players have won back-to-back NBA championships with different teams?
#1. Frank Saul
Franklin Benjamin Saul Jr., nicknamed “PEP” for his tenacity and guile as a player, was born on February 16, 1924, and was the first NBA player to win back-to-back championships with different teams. He made a name for himself in 1950s, after gaining entry into the NBA as the 12th overall pick in the 1949 NBA Draft, as selected by the Rochester Royals.
Only 2 players in #NBA history won back-to-back #NBAFinals w/2 different teams: Frank Saul & Steve Kerr. #SportStats http://t.co/j8fNKrjngf
Saul made his debut in the 1949-50 season and went on to become a key player in the team's NBA championship title win in 1951. He was traded in the 1951-52 season to the Baltimore Bullets, who then traded him to the Minneapolis Lakers after featuring in 39 games for the Bullets.
That same season, the Minneapolis Lakers won the championship title, with Saul averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the playoffs. Saul and the Lakers went on to win two more titles, adding up Saul's championship title total to 4.
#2. Steve Kerr
The 8-time NBA champion is one of the most notable names in the league. Needed no extra explanation as to who he is or his status in the game. The current Golden State Warriors coach has known success as a player and a coach, winning 5 of his championship titles as a player, the others coming as coach of the Warriors.
@ThrowbackHoops Reminder: Steve Kerr won 4 straight championships (1996-1999) and has 8 in total.
5 as a player
3 as a coach https://t.co/3XJgvKuxub
Playing in the all-conquering Chicago Bulls team of the '90s containing NBA legend Michael Jordan, Kerr enjoyed great success, winning the last of his three-peat championships with the Bulls in 1998, before switching in January 1999 to the San Antonio Spurs in a sign-and-trade deal.
He ended up winning the championship that season with Spurs, joining Saul as the only two players with back-to-back championships under different franchises at the time.