<P> This is a list of NBA players with most championships won as a player . The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a major professional basketball league in North America . It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949--50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of the sport's postseason . The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy . Players from the winning team usually receive championship rings from the team honoring their contribution . However, in some rare occasion, the teams opted to give other commemorative items, such as wrist watches, instead of rings . The number of championships won by NBA superstars is often used as a measurement of their greatness . </P> <P> Boston Celtics center Bill Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won with 11 titles during his 13 - year playing career . He won his first championship with the Boston Celtics in his rookie year . Afterwards, he went on to win ten championships in the next 12 years, including eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966 . He won the last two championships in 1968 and 1969 as player - coach . Russell's teammate, Sam Jones, won ten championships from 1959 to 1969, the second most in NBA history . Four Celtics players, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders and John Havlicek, won eight championships each . Two other Celtics, Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey, won seven championships each . Four players, Bob Cousy, Kareem Abdul - Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, won six championships each . Jordan and Pippen are members of the Chicago Bulls team who won three consecutive championships twice in the 1990s . George Mikan won two championships in the NBL before it merged with the BAA to form the NBA, and won five championships in the NBA . </P> <P> Robert Horry and John Salley are the only players to have won championships with three different teams . Horry won seven championships: two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and another two with San Antonio Spurs . Salley's four NBA titles came via two championships with the Detroit Pistons and one each with the Bulls and the Lakers . Horry is also the only non-Celtic to win more than 6 times . Frank Saul and Steve Kerr are the only players to win two championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons . Saul won consecutive championships with the Rochester Royals and the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950s, and Kerr won consecutive championships with the Bulls and the Spurs in the 1990s . Both Saul and Kerr were NBA champions four years in a row, each having participated in three - peats, Saul with the Lakers and Kerr with the Bulls . </P>

Who has won 3 nba championships in a row