How Many Rings Does Magic Johnson Have? 5 as a Player, 18 by His Count
How many rings does Magic Johnson have? Five NBA championship rings as a player, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won them in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.
On November 2, 2025, he posted a bigger number: 18 rings. Both numbers stand as of October 2026.
The 13 extra rings come from his college title and from titles won by teams he owns part of. Those teams include the Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Sparks and LAFC.
- Finals played
- 9
- Finals won
- 5
- Finals MVPs
- 3 (1980, 1982, 1987)
- Team
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Finals record
- 5-4
- Title years
- 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
Every Finals he played
- 198076ersWon 4-2
- 198276ersWon 4-2
- 198376ersLost 0-4
- 1984CelticsLost 3-4
- 1985CelticsWon 4-2
- 1987CelticsWon 4-2
- 1988PistonsWon 4-3
- 1989PistonsLost 0-4
- 1991BullsLost 1-4
Nine NBA Finals, 5-4
| Year | Opponent | Result | Games | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4-2 | 6 | 21.5 | 11.2 | 8.7 | Magic Johnson |
| 1982 | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4-2 | 6 | 16.2 | 10.8 | 8.0 | Magic Johnson |
| 1983 | Philadelphia 76ers | Lost 0-4 | 4 | 19.0 | 7.8 | 12.5 | Moses Malone |
| 1984 | Boston Celtics | Lost 3-4 | 7 | 18.0 | 7.7 | 13.6 | Larry Bird |
| 1985 | Boston Celtics | Won 4-2 | 6 | 18.3 | 6.8 | 14.0 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| 1987 | Boston Celtics | Won 4-2 | 6 | 26.2 | 8.0 | 13.0 | Magic Johnson |
| 1988 | Detroit Pistons | Won 4-3 | 7 | 21.1 | 5.7 | 13.0 | James Worthy |
| 1989 | Detroit Pistons | Lost 0-4 | 3 | 11.7 | 3.7 | 8.0 | Joe Dumars |
| 1991 | Chicago Bulls | Lost 1-4 | 5 | 18.6 | 8.0 | 12.4 | Michael Jordan |
Points, rebounds and assists are his per game averages in each Finals. Games are the games he played. Data as of October 2026.
He won Finals MVP three times, in 1980, 1982, and 1987. His best scoring Finals came in 1987, at 26.2 points a game. He reached the Finals in 9 of his first 12 seasons.
Compare any two of his Finals
Tap a year to draw that Finals as a triangle. Tap another year, and the first one stays as a dashed outline.
The shape of every Magic Johnson Finals
Pick a Finals. The triangle shows his points, rebounds and assists per game. The dashed outline keeps your last pick, so you can compare two years.
A rookie at center in Game 6
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly twisted his ankle in Game 5 of the 1980 Finals. He missed Game 6 in Philadelphia. Magic, 20 years old, started at center.
He had 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals as the Lakers won the title in six games. He became the first rookie to win Finals MVP. Kareem was on all five of Magic’s title teams.
The four Finals he lost
The Philadelphia 76ers swept the Lakers in 1983. Moses Malone was Finals MVP.
The Boston Celtics won the 1984 Finals in seven games, with Larry Bird as Finals MVP. Magic still set a Finals record that stands today: 21 assists in Game 3.
In 1989, he hurt his hamstring in Game 2 and played only 3 games. The Detroit Pistons swept the Lakers.
His last Finals appearance came in 1991, when Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls won 4-1. Magic had 20 assists in Game 5, the series finale.
Magic vs. Bird in title games: 3-1
Magic beat Larry Bird for a title before either reached the NBA. Michigan State beat Bird’s Indiana State 75-64 in the 1979 NCAA final in Salt Lake City. Magic was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
They met in three NBA Finals after that. Bird’s Celtics won in 1984. Magic’s Lakers won in 1985 and 1987.
From the HIV announcement to the comeback
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1991 | Announced he had tested positive for HIV and retired |
| Feb 9, 1992 | Named All-Star Game MVP in Orlando, with 25 points and 9 assists |
| Aug 8, 1992 | Won Olympic gold in Barcelona with the Dream Team, 117-85 over Croatia in the final |
| June 1994 | Bought a share of the Lakers |
| Jan 30, 1996 | Returned with 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in a win over Golden State |
| Summer 1996 | Retired for good after 32 games that season |
| 2002 | Entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
Data as of October 2026.
In those 32 games of the 1995-96 season, he averaged 14.6 points and 6.9 assists.
How he gets to 18
His November 2, 2025 post came a day after the Dodgers won the World Series. It did not list the titles.
His college title plus every title won by a team he played for or owned part of also adds up to 18.
| Team | His role | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | Player | 1 | 1979 NCAA title |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Player | 5 | 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Part owner (1994 to 2010) | 5 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Part owner (since 2012) | 3 | 2020, 2024, 2025 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | Part owner (since 2014) | 1 | 2016 |
| LAFC | Part owner (since 2014) | 1 | 2022 MLS Cup |
| Team Liquid | Investor (since 2016) | 2 | 2017 and 2024 Dota 2 world titles |
| Washington Commanders | Minority owner (since 2023) | 0 | None so far |
| Total | 18 |
Owner years start when his group’s purchase closed or was approved. Data as of October 2026.
The 2025 World Series win over Toronto went to 11 innings in Game 7. It was the Dodgers’ third title since his group bought the team.
Rings next to Magic’s other numbers
| Measure | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|
| NBA rings | 5, all with the Lakers |
| NBA Finals record | 5-4 |
| MVP awards | 3 (1987, 1989, 1990) |
| Finals MVP awards | 3 (1980, 1982, 1987) |
| All-Star selections | 12 |
| All-NBA First Team | 9 times |
| Career assists | 10,141, or 11.2 a game |
| Career points | 17,707 |
| NBA Draft | First pick in 1979, by the Lakers |
| Seasons | 13, all with the Lakers |
| College | 1979 NCAA title at Michigan State |
| Olympics | Gold medal in 1992 |
| Hall of Fame | Inducted in 2002 |
Regular season totals. Data as of October 2026.
Five rings next to other greats
| Player | NBA rings | Finals record |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | 6 | 6-0 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 6 | 6-4 |
| Magic Johnson | 5 | 5-4 |
| Kobe Bryant | 5 | 5-2 |
| LeBron James | 4 | 4-6 |
| Shaquille O’Neal | 4 | 4-2 |
Data as of October 2026.
Magic and Kobe Bryant both won 5 rings, all with the Lakers. Kobe won all five while Magic owned part of the team. See the most rings in NBA history, all NBA championships by team or the NBA hub.
Can Magic’s count still grow?
His player count is final at 5. He played his last NBA season in 1995-96, at age 36.
His owner count can still change. The Dodgers reached the 2026 National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. A 2026 World Series title would add one more owner title.
Compare Magic with
Magic Johnson rings FAQ
How many NBA rings does Magic Johnson have?
Five, all with the Los Angeles Lakers, in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He played in 9 NBA Finals and went 5-4. His 1979 NCAA title with Michigan State is separate from his NBA rings.
Why does Magic Johnson say he has 18 rings?
He posted the number on November 2, 2025. His college title, his 5 NBA titles and the titles won by teams he owned part of add up to 18. Those include 5 Lakers titles, 3 Dodgers titles, 2 Team Liquid titles and 1 each for the Sparks and LAFC.
How many NBA Finals did Magic Johnson lose?
Four. The 76ers swept the Lakers in 1983, the Celtics won in seven in 1984, the Pistons swept them in 1989 and the Bulls won 4-1 in 1991. His Finals record is 5-4.
How many Finals MVPs did Magic Johnson win?
Three: in 1980, 1982 and 1987. The 1980 award came in his rookie season. He was the first rookie to win it. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won in 1985 and James Worthy in 1988.
Did Magic Johnson win rings with Kobe Bryant?
Not as teammates. Magic retired in 1996, the year Kobe joined the Lakers. Magic owned part of the team when Kobe won his five titles, in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference: Magic Johnson player page, Finals series pages and the 1980 Game 6 box score
- NBA.com: Magic Johnson legends profile, season recaps and Finals assist records
- Also used: StatMuse for Finals averages and game logs, AP, SI, MLB.com, WNBA.com, MLSsoccer.com, TSN and Liquipedia for team ownership and titles, History.com for the 1992 All-Star Game, the Press Democrat for his 1996 return, and Dodger Blue and ABC7 for the 2026 playoffs
- Magic Johnson featured photo: Daniel Benavides, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (background changed).
Last verified: October 14, 2026.
