One NBA Ring: At the end of the season, every NBA player hopes to have the opportunity to compete for an NBA championship. Some of the greatest NBA players were never given the opportunity to complete their careers with a championship ring, even though it would have been the ideal scenario. A few NBA legends, nevertheless, were only able to cement their basketball legacies and win even one NBA ring despite having several opportunities to win more. We’ll be concentrating on these players down below.
Most of these ten NBA players who have only won one NBA ring have furthered their careers with more noteworthy feats that enhance their place in the history of the NBA. They are All-Stars, previous MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year winners, and members of the NBA All-Team. The moment has come to select the top ten who won one NBA ring.
The Top 10 Players Who Only Won One NBA Ring
The top ten NBA players who have only ever received one NBA ring are listed below.
1. Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson existed before Russell Westbrook rose to prominence as the King of the Triple-Double. As a scorer, passer, playmaker, defender, and rebounder, Robertson changed the mould for NBA point guards during his 14 seasons of play, which spanned from 1961 to 1974. Having won seven assists titles and a scoring title during his first ten seasons with the Cincinnati Royals, there was nothing on the court that he couldn’t accomplish.
The only problem was that despite his brilliant play, the Royals were never able to overcome their early deficit and qualify to play in the NBA Finals. Even though Robertson amassed numbers and accolades, including the 1964 MVP, he had no assistance in his quest for an NBA championship. When he was transferred to the Bucks in 1970 before the 1970–71 season, everything changed. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson’s acquisition created one of the league’s most formidable tandems, and they were rewarded for their performance right away.
In their inaugural campaign together, Kareem would take home the MVP trophy, while Robertson averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. The Washington Bullets would be their opponent in the NBA Finals later in the season. Robertson and the Bucks won four games handily, despite Kareem winning Finals MVP. On the other hand, without Oscar’s 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.5 assists a game, they would not have developed or won. Oscar, with his incredible impact on basketball and a career filled with exceptional statistics and achievements, is the greatest player in NBA history to have only one NBA ring.
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2. Julius Erving
Many of its best players transferred over when the NBA and ABA amalgamated in 1976. The greatest of them all was Julius Erving, sometimes known as “Dr.J,” who haunted the ABA for five seasons until the league merged, winning two titles and three MVP honours. The NBA would also see continued dominance.
Erving transformed the 76ers into a legitimate powerhouse very quickly. Erving led Philadelphia to the NBA Finals in his first campaign, but the team lost in six games to the Trail Blazers. They would return the next year in 1980, but this time they would lose in six games to Magic Johnson, a rookie, and the Lakers. They would lose in the Finals to the Lakers once more in 1982, which gave Erving the drive he needed to perform well in the very next season.
After adding Moses Malone to the team and putting up a fantastic two-way effort, Erving would finally get to name himself an NBA champion in 1983 when the 76ers defeated the Lakers in four games. Throughout his 11 NBA seasons, 9 Erving influenced a group of players that helped to define the next age of basketball. Never has or will another player be as influential on the game as Erving, and he will always be remembered for it.
3. Jerry West
Known as “The Logo,” Jerry West is among the most recognisable and illustrious players in the history of the game. Because of his influence in coaching and management jobs, his silhouette serves as the physical emblem of the Association and his influence on the game continues to this day. Playing in the NBA Finals for 64.3% of his career, West led the Lakers to nine titles during his 14-year tenure with the team.
Jerry West could frequently score from three points without the luxury of a three-point line, so we should all count ourselves lucky that he didn’t have one. Even though Hall of Fame-caliber teams like the Celtics and Knicks frequently dashed West’s hopes of winning a title, he still outperformed the opposition most of the time. In 1969, he became the sole player in NBA history to win his lone MVP award during a defeat in the Finals.
When the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in five games in 1972, West would finally get the infamous monkey off his back. In his ninth Finals appearance, West would make a significant contribution with 19.8 points and 8.8 assists per game to ultimately win the world championship. Following his retirement, West would be in charge of the Lakers’ subsequent dynasties, including the Shaq and Kobe period and the 2010s Warriors.
4. Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki, who was chosen from Germany in the 1998 NBA Draught, went on to represent the stretch-forward trend in the 2000s and 2010s. Rising to prominence as the NBA’s best big man at three-point shooting and a reliable three-level scorer, Nowitzki is seven feet zero inches tall. He is one of the all-time greats in mid-range shooting because of his incredible one-legged fadeaway.
The story of his many collapses during the NBA playoffs was one that followed him for the early part of his career and beyond. In the most crucial times for his team, Nowitzki could never seem to come apart, whether it was his first Finals loss after leading 2-0 in 2006 or a 2007 loss to an eighth-seeded Warriors squad. Then 2011 arrived.
Nowitzki and the Mavericks would upset the Trail Blazers, the reigning champion Lakers, and the youthful, star-studded Thunder to return to the NBA Finals in one of the greatest runs in NBA postseason history and one of the most challenging of the previous 20 years. There, they encountered the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade-led Miami Heat. Nowitzki came on strong to help Dallas win three straight games and their first NBA title after the team trailed 2-1 in the series. Not only did he defeat the Miami Heat Big 3, but he also won Finals MVP.
5. Kevin Garnett
When he entered the NBA Draught in 1995 as a high school student, Kevin Garnett was one of the pioneers of the current NBA power forward. Everyone who played on the same court as Garnett improved their game because he was able to accomplish a little bit of everything on the court. For most of his career, he was not only a fantastic passer and one of the finest defenders in basketball, but he was also an excellent scorer with a stunning mid-range game.
Despite being one of the finest defenders in the league, Garnett only managed to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2004 during an MVP performance during his first 12 seasons with the team, which ran from 1996 to 2007. He averaged 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game during those 12 seasons, but the organisation was unable to assemble a strong enough squad to win without him. The year 2008 would bring Garnett’s championship run to an end when he was moved to the Boston Celtics.
During his first season with the Celtics, Garnett led the team and was named Defensive Player of the Year with averages of 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. The team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals that year. Garnett was Boston’s most important player going into the Finals, despite not winning MVP honours. His averages were 18.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. 2010 saw Garnett and the Celtics attempt another championship run, but this time Kobe Bryant’s Lakers overcame them in seven games.
6. Moses Malone
Moses Malone remains, for better or worse, one of the NBA’s most undervalued and underestimated icons. One of the best players to ever play centre court, Malone is a three-time MVP who spent 19 seasons in the NBA. Malone leads the NBA in total offensive rebounds and has won five titles in the rebounding department. During his career, he led the Rockets and 76ers to the NBA Finals three times and won three MVP titles with two separate teams.
Despite Malone’s best efforts, the Rockets lost in six games in the NBA Finals in 1981, despite his leadership of the club. In 1982, he returned with an MVP year that saw him average 31.1 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Moses Malone was transferred from the Rockets to the 76ers that offseason, and he would embark on a remarkable solo run there in 1983.
Malone would win his third MVP title in his debut season in Philadelphia, averaging 24.5 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. The 76ers, along with Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, bounded towards the NBA Finals in anticipation of a meeting with the Showtime Lakers. In order to win the NBA title, Malone overcame big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a four-game sweep of the series. With 25.8 points, 18.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, Malone would win MVP of the Finals.
7. Jason Kidd
Even though Jason Kidd might seem a bit too high on our list, his career deserves a lot more appreciation than it currently receives. Kidd completely changed the perception of what an NBA point guard should be able to do as a passer, facilitator, rebounder, and even defender.
Jason Kidd’s almost 360-degree vision and frequent tweaks plagued defences. Kidd won five assists titles with the Suns and Nets in the late 90s and early 2000s. He also averaged about 15.0 points and 2.0 steals per game. Kidd led the extremely poor New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals trips in 2002 and 2003, losing only to the dynasties of the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. Kidd was a top-five MVP contender in both seasons.
He wouldn’t be able to claim the title of NBA champion until much later in his career—while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. As a starter for the 2011 Mavericks, Kidd helped the club go to the NBA Finals where they faced the Miami Heat, which was led by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. At the age of 37, Kidd would start all six games and averaged 7.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest to help Dallas win their lone title.
8. Bob Pettit
Perhaps the greatest NBA player who had played for less than 11 seasons was Bob Pettit. Pettit played for the St. Louis Hawks for just 11 seasons (1955–1965), during which he won two scoring titles, two MVP trophies, and a 1956 championship in rebounding. Pettit was an attacking power forward who was dependable and very productive throughout his career. He never ended a season with an average of less than 20.0 points or 12.0 rebounds per game.
Throughout his tenure, Pettit led the Hawks to four NBA Finals, but none were more memorable than the one in 1958. Pettit and the Hawks had their work cut out for them playing the Boston Celtics, headed by Bob Cousy and Bill Russell. Pettit would shut down the Celtics in the six-game series, delivering them their only Finals defeat under Bill Russell. He averaged 29.3 points and 17.0 rebounds per game. With 50 points and 19 rebounds in Game 6, Pettit effectively won the title. As far as the Hawks franchise is concerned, it remains their sole NBA championship.
9. Nikola Jokic
Only Nikola Jokic, who is considered by many to be among the greatest players in NBA history to have only one NBA ring is still creating history as the only player on our list. Jokic, one of the most talented and offensively sound centre players in NBA history, is unlike any scorer, playmaker, or passer that we have ever seen.
After leading the Nuggets to their first-ever Conference Finals berth in 2019–20, Jokic’s ascent to the top of the NBA officially began. He would earn his first MVP the next season, making history as the first player in Nuggets history to do it. Jokic almost achieved a triple-double the next season, in 2022, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. This would be his second MVP campaign.
He would have his greatest season to date in 2022–2023. Jokic wouldn’t have won MVP as he arguably should have, but what he would do would be far more noteworthy. In addition to leading the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Finals matchup with the Miami Heat, Jokic would easily defeat his opponents in five games to secure the team’s first-ever championship. Jokic’s 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game would earn him MVP status in the Finals.
10. Clyde Drexler
From 1984 until 1998, Clyde Drexler played in the NBA for 15 seasons, including time with the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. In the 1983 NBA Draught, he was selected by Portland with the 14th overall choice. Over the following ten years, he would challenge Michael Jordan for the title of best shooting guard in the game.
With a height of 6’7″ and a weight of 210 pounds, Drexler was an athletic and lengthy two-way guard. He averaged 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in his first 12 seasons with Portland. He was a part of the Trail Blazers’ 1990 NBA Finals run, which ended in a five-game loss to the Detroit Pistons. After leading them to the Finals twice in two seasons, he encountered Michael Jordan, the rising star of the Chicago Bulls, who ended the rivalry between the two players in six games and never looked back.
Drexler was opposed to Portland’s impending reconstruction, which was made evident during the 1994–1995 season. He would be sent to the Rockets, where he would team up with Hakeem Olajuwon to try to win the title that had escaped him for so long. He finished the season with an average of 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in 35 games with the Rockets. Then, in a stunning turn of events, Drexler would assist the Rockets in winning a second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in a four-game sweep of the Finals. Throughout the playoffs, Drexler averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in order to win the NBA title.
