How Many Rings Does Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Have? 6, From Age 24 to 41
How many rings does Kareem have? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 NBA championship rings, won 17 years apart. He won the first at 24 with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
He won the last at 41 with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988. He played in 10 NBA Finals and went 6-4. He retired in 1989, and his count is still 6 as of October 2026.
One ring came with the Bucks, and five came with the Lakers. He won two Finals MVP awards, 14 years apart.
- Finals played
- 10
- Finals won
- 6
- Finals MVPs
- 2 (1971, 1985)
- Teams
- Bucks, Lakers
- Finals record
- 6-4
- Age at each title
- 24, 33, 35, 38, 40, 41
Every Finals he played
- 1971BulletsWon 4-0
- 1974CelticsLost 3-4
- 198076ersWon 4-2
- 198276ersWon 4-2
- 198376ersLost 0-4
- 1984CelticsLost 3-4
- 1985CelticsWon 4-2
- 1987CelticsWon 4-2
- 1988PistonsWon 4-3
- 1989PistonsLost 0-4
All 10 of his NBA Finals
| Year | Team | Opponent | Result | Finals MVP | His age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets | Won 4-0 | Kareem (as Lew Alcindor) | 24 |
| 1974 | Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | Lost 3-4 | John Havlicek | 27 |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4-2 | Magic Johnson | 33 |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4-2 | Magic Johnson | 35 |
| 1983 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | Lost 0-4 | Moses Malone | 36 |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | Lost 3-4 | Larry Bird | 37 |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | Won 4-2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38 |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | Won 4-2 | Magic Johnson | 40 |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | Won 4-3 | James Worthy | 41 |
| 1989 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | Lost 0-4 | Joe Dumars | 42 |
Data as of October 2026.
Five of the six titles went to the Lakers. See all NBA championships by team.
Slide through his 20 seasons
Move the slider to any season. The counters show what he had won by the end of it.
What had Kareem won by each season?
Drag the slider or use the arrows. The counters add up season by season.
He entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
The first ring came under another name
The 1971 Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets 4-0. The series ended on April 30, 1971. He was named Finals MVP as Lew Alcindor, in his second NBA season.
He took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before the next season.
Finals MVP again at 38
His second Finals MVP came in 1985, against the Boston Celtics. The Lakers lost Game 1 by 34 points, 148-114. They won four of the next five games.
Kareem averaged 25.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in the series. He was 38, and 14 years had passed since his first Finals MVP.
Four Finals losses
He lost the Finals four times. The Celtics beat his Bucks in seven games in 1974. The 76ers swept the Lakers in 1983. The Celtics won in seven games again in 1984. The Pistons swept the Lakers in 1989, his final season.
Did Kareem sell his rings?
Yes, four of them. In 2019, he sold his 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1988 Lakers rings at auction. Most of the money went to his Skyhook Foundation. His 1971 Bucks ring, his first, was not part of the sale.
Rings next to Kareem’s other numbers
| Measure | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
|---|---|
| NBA rings | 6 (Bucks 1, Lakers 5) |
| NBA Finals record | 6-4 |
| MVP awards | 6, the most in NBA history |
| Finals MVP awards | 2 (1971 and 1985) |
| All-Star selections | 19 |
| Career points | 38,387 |
| Rookie of the Year | 1969-70, with the Bucks |
| Seasons | 20 (6 with the Bucks, 14 with the Lakers) |
| College titles | 3 NCAA titles at UCLA (1967, 1968, 1969), separate from his NBA rings |
| Hall of Fame | Inducted in 1995 |
Regular season points. Data as of October 2026.
LeBron James passed his career points record of 38,387 on February 7, 2023.
Six rings next to other greats
| Player | NBA rings |
|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 11 |
| Michael Jordan | 6 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 6 |
| Kobe Bryant | 5 |
| Magic Johnson | 5 |
| LeBron James | 4 |
| Shaquille O’Neal | 4 |
Data as of October 2026.
Kareem and Michael Jordan both have 6 rings. Magic Johnson won all 5 of his rings alongside Kareem on the Lakers. See the most rings in NBA history list or the NBA hub.
Can Kareem’s count change?
No. Kareem played his last game in 1989, after 20 seasons. He entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. His count is final at 6 rings. Wilt Chamberlain, another Lakers center, won 2 rings.
Compare Kareem with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rings FAQ
How many rings did Kareem win with the Lakers?
Five. He won with the Lakers in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. His other ring came with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. That gives him 6 NBA rings in total.
What was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA Finals record?
He went 6-4 in 10 NBA Finals. He won 1 of 2 with Milwaukee and 5 of 8 in Los Angeles. His last Finals came in 1989, a sweep by the Detroit Pistons.
How many Finals MVPs does Kareem have?
Two. He won the first in 1971 with the Bucks, as Lew Alcindor. He won the second in 1985 with the Lakers, at age 38. Magic Johnson won the award in three of his other title years.
Does Kareem have more rings than Michael Jordan?
No, they are tied at 6 rings each. Jordan won all six with the Chicago Bulls. Kareem won one with the Bucks and five with the Lakers. Bill Russell has the most, with 11.
How many rings did Magic Johnson and Kareem win together?
Five. They won the 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988 titles together with the Lakers. Magic was Finals MVP in 1980, 1982 and 1987. Kareem was the Finals MVP in 1985, his second.
Did Kareem win championships at UCLA?
Yes. He won three NCAA titles at UCLA, in 1967, 1968 and 1969. Those are college titles, so they are not part of his 6 NBA rings. He joined the Bucks in 1969.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar player page, playoffs history, Finals series pages and the MVP list
- NBA.com: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar legends profile and Lakers alumni page
- Also used: Land of Basketball, StatMuse, SI and NBC for Finals results, UCLA Athletics for his college titles, ABC7, CBS News and TMJ4 for the 2019 auction, and WHRO for the scoring record date
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar featured photo: Frank Bryan, The Sporting News Archives, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Last verified: October 13, 2026.
