Only nine NBA players have won at least three championships, at least one Finals MVP, and at least one regular-season MVP. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Larry Bird form one of the most exclusive clubs in NBA history.
To qualify, a player must meet all three requirements: at least three NBA championships, at least one Finals MVP, and at least one regular-season MVP. That standard eliminates several all-time greats who dominated one or two categories but never completed the entire résumé.
| Player | NBA Championships | Finals MVPs | Regular-Season MVPs |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Michael Jordan | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Magic Johnson | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Kobe Bryant | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Tim Duncan | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| LeBron James | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Stephen Curry | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Shaquille O’Neal | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Larry Bird | 3 | 2 | 3 |
The list has remained at nine NBA players through the 2026 season. The New York Knicks won the 2026 championship, with Jalen Brunson earning Finals MVP, but Brunson has only one championship and no regular-season MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2025-26 regular-season MVP and already had a 2025 championship and Finals MVP, but he also remains well short of the three-title requirement. That makes this combination considerably harder to achieve than simply winning multiple championships or multiple MVP awards.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar owns the most regular-season MVP awards in NBA history with six. Abdul-Jabbar won three of those MVPs with the Milwaukee Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Lakers. The legend also won six championships during his career and captured Finals MVP twice, in 1971 and 1985.
Abdul-Jabbar’s résumé demonstrates why the three-part requirement is so difficult. Winning one MVP is an extraordinary accomplishment. Winning multiple championships is equally difficult. Doing both while also earning Finals MVP recognition requires dominance across different stages of a career.
Michael Jordan has the most Finals MVP awards in NBA history, winning the honor in all six of his championship seasons with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan won Finals MVP in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. The superstar’s six championships, six Finals MVPs, and five regular-season MVPs give him the most dominant combination of the three requirements.
Jordan’s five regular-season MVP awards came in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998. Those awards span both Chicago three-peats and reinforce why his résumé remains central to NBA greatest-of-all-time debates.
LeBron James has four championships, four Finals MVPs, and four regular-season MVPs, with championships and Finals MVPs for three different franchises. James won championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The 2016 title remains the centerpiece of his legacy. Cleveland rallied from a 3-1 deficit against a Golden State Warriors team that had won an NBA-record 73 regular-season games.
James also has the most longevity of any player in this group. The four regular-season MVP awards came between 2009 and 2013, but he has continued to compete for championships and Finals MVPs long after that prime stretch.
Magic Johnson turned the Lakers into the defining team of the Showtime era. Johnson won five championships, three regular-season MVPs, and three Finals MVPs. Johnson’s first Finals MVP arrived as a rookie in 1980, when the 20-year-old helped the Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers. Johnson ultimately won Finals MVP three times, in 1980, 1982, and 1987. regular-season MVP awards came in 1987, 1989, and 1990.
Larry Bird completed the nine-player group with exactly three championships, three regular-season MVPs, and two Finals MVPs for the Boston Celtics. Bird captured three straight regular-season MVP awards from 1984 through 1986. The longtime Celtic’s two Finals MVPs came in 1984 and 1986.
Shaquille O’Neal won four championships, one regular-season MVP, and three consecutive Finals MVPs. O’Neal earned each Finals MVP during the Lakers’ championship run from 2000 through 2002. The center remains one of only a handful of players to win Finals MVP three times, and he did it in three consecutive seasons.
Kobe Bryant won five championships, one regular-season MVP, and two Finals MVPs. Bryant was crucial to the Lakers’ first three titles alongside O’Neal, but his 2009 and 2010 Finals MVPs established his ability to lead championship teams after the partnership ended.
Tim Duncan won five championships, two regular-season MVPs, and three Finals MVPs with the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan won Finals MVP in 1999, 2003, and 2005, including a dominant 2003 series against New Jersey.
Those three players reached the same club through very different styles. O’Neil overwhelmed opponents with power. Bryant combined difficult shot-making with relentless competitiveness. Duncan delivered elite defense, rebounding, scoring, and consistency without needing the spotlight.
Stephen Curry became the ninth and most recent player to join the group after Golden State defeated Boston in the 2022 NBA Finals. Curry already had three championships and two regular-season MVPs, but the Finals MVP remained the only major piece missing from his résumé.
Curry averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the 2022 Finals. The shooter’s regular-season MVP awards came in 2015 and 2016, with the latter making him the first unanimous MVP in league history. The NBA’s MVP list documents both regular-season victories.
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain are the most important names missing from the list. Neither player lacks championships or regular-season MVPs. Russell won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards. Chamberlain won two championships and four MVP awards. The NBA’s MVP history confirms five MVPs for Russell and four for Chamberlain.
Chamberlain falls one championship short of the requirement. Russell’s case is much stranger. The NBA did not introduce the Finals MVP award until 1969, after most of Russell’s championship career had already passed. Jerry West won the first Finals MVP in 1969 despite playing for the losing Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA’s Finals MVP history begins with West that season.
Russell never had an opportunity to win a Finals MVP, even though the award is now named after him. That context matters whenever a modern résumé filter excludes one of basketball’s greatest winners. Russell easily clears the championship and regular-season MVP requirements, but the Finals MVP requirement did not exist during almost his entire career.
The nine NBA players are not the only stars with combinations of championships and MVP awards that come close.
| Player | Championships | Finals MVPs | Regular-Season MVPs | What They Need |
| Kevin Durant | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 championship |
| Nikola Jokić | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 championships |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 championships |
| Kawhi Leonard | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 championship + MVP |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 championships |
| Jalen Brunson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 championships + MVP |
Kevin Durant is the closest current player by the simplest résumé test. KD already has two championships, two Finals MVPs, and one regular-season MVP. One more championship would put him into the nine-player club.
Nikola Jokić presents the opposite case. The Nuggets’ star already has three regular-season MVPs and a Finals MVP, but his championship total remains the biggest obstacle. Neither Durant or Jokić closed that gap during the 2026 season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has two regular-season MVPs, one championship, and one Finals MVP, meaning he needs two more championships. Kawhi Leonard has two championships and two Finals MVPs but has never won a regular-season MVP, making his path more complicated.
The 2026 season added another interesting name. Jalen Brunson won his first championship and Finals MVP after leading the Knicks past the Spurs, but he still has no regular-season MVP and needs two more championships to reach the minimum.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also moved closer in 2026 by winning his second regular-season MVP. The young star already has one championship and one Finals MVP after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 title, but he remains two championships short of qualifying.
The nine-player club is more than a list of famous names. A player must win repeatedly at the team level, dominate an entire regular season, and then rise above every teammate and opponent in the NBA Finals. Only nine NBA players have met all three benchmarks.
The list is not simply a collection of the league’s most famous stars. It is a record of players who combined regular-season dominance, championship success, and individual superiority on the biggest stage.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
