Top 5 NBA players who played for a single franchise
NBA players nowadays are constantly forcing their way out of a team or exploring free agency. However, there have been a number of players who valued loyalty and stuck to a single franchise throughout their careers.
It might be surprising to know that a lot of all-time great NBA players, such as Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant changed teams at least once in their careers.
Let's explore the top five NBA stars who played for a single franchise.
#5, Larry Bird
Larry Bird played for 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He is one of the best forwards of all time and was a three-time league MVP. Bird made the All-Star team in 12 of his 13 seasons in the league. He was also a prolific scorer who averaged 24.3 points on 49.6% shooting throughout his career.
"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan.. If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life... I'd take Larry Bird."
- Pat Riley pic.twitter.com/lHKAzFyXmY
Larry Bird made the NBA Finals on five occasions and won three times. He is also a two-time Finals MVP.
Bird is the only player ever to have won the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year awards. There is no question that Bird is one of the greatest Celtics ever.
#4, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan played for an astounding 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and truly experienced multiple eras of basketball. His career spread across three different decades.
Tim Duncan is the only player in league history to start and win a title in three different decades. pic.twitter.com/pqR8u7129I
With the Spurs, Duncan won several awards such as Rookie of the Year, two MVPs, and three Finals MVPs. Duncan made the All-NBA team 15 times and is the all-time record-holder with 15 All-Defensive honors.
Duncan won five NBA titles in total and made the playoffs every single year of his career. It is fair to say that when people think of the San Antonio Spurs, they think of Tim Duncan or else his legendary coach, Gregg Popovich.
#3, Bill Russell
Bill Russell is synonymous with the Boston Celtics. He put the Celtics on the map forever when he won 11 championships in 13 years. If championships make you the GOAT, then nobody in basketball history tops Bill Russell and probably never will.
Bill Russell was speechless after claiming his 11th ring with a win in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals as a Player-Coach ☘ pic.twitter.com/EEwjyVCa4G
While Russell is third on this list, it can easily be argued that he should be the first. There may never again be a greater single-team player. However, the league was easier back in the day and at most had 14 teams for the entirety of Russell's career. Thus, this relatively easier competition is the only reason Russell is not number one on the list.
#2, Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard in history. Magic went to nine NBA Finals, won five of them, and was the Finals MVP three times. He also won the regular season MVP three times in his 13 seasons with the LA Lakers.
Magic Johnson was an All-Star in 12 of his 13 seasons with the Lakers. Perhaps, Magic's greatest gift was his ability to see the court with his towering length which allowed him to average 11.2 assists for the entirety of his career. Johnson was also extremely versatile on defense and could take on the challenge of guarding different players.
#1, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is one of the most fierce and competitive basketball players to have ever lived. Bryant's commitment to basketball was just as strong as his commitment to the LA Lakers where he played for 20 seasons and was named all-star in 18 of them.
Kobe Bryant is also well-known for his magnificent single-game performance where he dropped 81 points.
Bryant won five championships with the Lakers and was a two-time Finals MVP. He also has two scoring titles, one MVP, and 15 All-NBA selections under his belt.
Kobe is widely regarded as one of the top three players to have played the game alongside LeBron James and Michael Jordan. While this debate will never end, it is important to know that Bryant was the only one out of these three players who stuck with one franchise over his career.