8 NBA players who won Olympic, NCAA, and NBA titles
12/10/2024 03:53 PM
Winning a championship in any level of basketball is always a difficult feat to achieve. In fact, just winning at least one already contributes greatly to any NBA player’s basketball legacy.
However, there have been a handful of players who belong in a small club where they’ve won in nearly all levels of basketball. Here is a look at eight NBA players who have won Olympic gold, an NCAA title, and an NBA championship.
Check out the gallery below.
Michael Jordan
It’s easy to see why a lot of basketball fans consider Michael Jordan as the GOAT. He has won in all levels of basketball. From his days with North Carolina, Jordan collected the NCAA championship in 1982. Fast-forward to the NBA, Jordan won six NBA championships and the same number of Finals MVPs in the form of two three-peats with the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan also won gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, when NBA players were yet to be allowed to be fielded in FIBA competitions. Eight years later, Jordan became a part of the Dream Team that dominated the playing field in Barcelona and the best Team USA team for international play.
Magic Johnson
There’s no doubt that Magic Johnson was one of the NBA superstars that revolutionized the NBA. But prior to his NBA journey, Johnson was an elite college star who helped Michigan State capture the 1979 NCAA title while being the named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Afterwards, Johnson had a decorated NBA career, highlighted by five NBA championships and three NBA Finals MVPs. Johnson was also part of the 1992 Dream Team that captured gold in Barcelona.
Bill Russell
It’s safe to say that no one was stopping Bill Russell thanks to his sheer size and length, whether it’s in the NCAA, NBA, or even against the rest of the world. Russell first led the San Francisco Dons to back-to-back NCAA titles in his final two years in college.
For his performance, Russell was called up to play for Team USA at the 1956 Olympics, where they captured gold in Melbourne. In the NBA, the 6’10 center led the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA championships as a player and two more as a coach.
Anthony Davis
The latest player to achieve the trifecta in this list is Lakers star Anthony Davis. In his lone year at Kentucky, Davis led the Wildcats to an NCAA title, paving the way for him to become the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. But prior to stepping foot in the NBA, Davis played in the 2012 London Olympics as a reserve center, helping Team USA capture gold.
Eight years later, Davis helped the Lakers win the NBA title for the first time in a decade. Just recently, Davis was part of the Team USA squad that came home with the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
K.C. Jones
With the right teammate, the sky’s the limit. In fact that has been the case for K.C. Jones, who has been teammates with Bill Russell throughout his basketball career.
From being teammates with Russell at the University of San Francisco, leading to back-to-back NCAA titles, to winning gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. If that wasn’t enough, Jones was also part of eight Celtics NBA championship teams.
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas was a major star at Ohio State, leading them to an NCAA championship in his freshman year. Lucas was also called up to play for Team USA at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where they successfully brought home the gold medal. At the NBA level, Lucas continued to be a dominant double-double machine, helping the New York Knicks win the title in 1973.
Clyde Lovellette
In his final year at Kansas, Clyde Lovellette had one of the best years of his basketball career. He led the NCAA in scoring while carrying the Jayhawks to an NCAA title.
In the same year, Lovellette represented Team USA at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, where he added a gold medal to his hardware. The 6’9 center continued his winning ways at the NBA level by earning three NBA championships with the Minneapolis Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
Quinn Buckner
Known for his elite defensive tenacity, Quinn Buckner was a stellar prospect out of Indiana, helping the Hoosiers capture the NCAA championship in his final year. Later that year, Buckner played for Team USA at the 1976 Montreal Games, helping the red, white, and blue finish with the gold medal.
The four-time NBA All-Defensive selection’s basketball career was capped off by an NBA title with the Celtics in 1983-84, which ironically was coached by K.C. Jones.
The post 8 NBA players who won Olympic, NCAA, and NBA titles appeared first on ClutchPoints.
