There are more avenues for players to reach the NBA than ever before. A huge percentage of the league's superstars come from abroad, playing as pros overseas before coming to the NBA. Even for American-born athletes, the G-League, Australia's NBL and other leagues provide players alternate pathways to reach the NBA. Even so, there's nothing quite like a player becoming a March Madness legend.
The popularity of college basketball ebbs and flows, but the NCAA tournament remains one of the world's great sporting events, and helps turn even small school standouts into national basketball stars.
While the NBA has existed since 1946 (beginning as the Basketball Association of America before becoming the NBA with the 1949 merger with the National Basketball League), the list of players to capture both an NCAA championship and NBA title is quite short. Sports Illustrated has evaluated the rosters of every NBA Finals champion dating back to 1947, the first title recognized by the NBA, and in total, 57 players have won rings as both a Division I college basketball and NBA player.
The list includes some of the NBA's all-time greats, like Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and, of course, Michael Jordan. We've also seen a few players join the list in just the last few years. The 2023 Denver Nuggets featured a pair of recent national champions—Kansas's Christian Braun and Villanova's Connor Gillespie—while Al Horford, a two-time winner at University of Florida, broke through for his first NBA championship with the Boston Celtics last season.
Here is the full list:
Player NCAA national championships NBA championships
Howie Dallmar Stanford (1942) Philadelphia Warriors (1947)
Arnie Ferrin Utah (1944) Minneapolis Lakers (1949, '50)
Jim Pollard Stanford (1942) Lakers (1949, '50, '52 to '54)
Herm Schaefer Indiana (1940) Lakers (1949, '50)
Clyde Lovellette Kansas (1952) Lakers (1954); Boston Celtics (1963, '64)
Dick Farley Indiana (1953) Syracuse Nationals (1955)
Tom Gola La Salle (1954) Warriors (1956)
Bob Cousy Holy Cross (1947) Celtics (1957, '59 to '63)
Frank Ramsey Kentucky (1951) Celtics (1957, '59 to '64)
Bill Russell San Francisco (1955, '56) Celtics (1957, '59 to '66, '68, '69)
Lou Tsioropoulos Kentucky (1951) Celtics (1957, '59)
Cliff Hagan Kentucky (1951) St. Louis Hawks (1958)
K.C. Jones San Francisco (1955, '56) Celtics (1959 to '66)
John Havlicek Ohio State (1960) Celtics (1963 to '66, '68, '69, '74, '76)
Larry Siegfried Ohio State (1960) Celtics (1964 to '66, '68, '69)
Ron Bonham Cincinnati (1962) Celtics (1965, '66)
Tom Thacker Cincinnati (1961, '62) Celtics (1968)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar UCLA (1967 to '69) Milwaukee Bucks (1971); Los Angeles Lakers (1980, '82, '85, '87, '88)
Lucius Allen UCLA (1967, '68) Bucks (1971)
Keith Erickson UCLA (1964, '65) Lakers (1972)
Gail Goodrich UCLA (1964, '65) Lakers (1972)
Henry Bibby UCLA (1970 to '72) New York Knicks (1973)
Jerry Lucas Ohio State (1960) Knicks (1973)
Jamaal Wilkes UCLA (1972, '73) Golden State Warriors (1975); Lakers (1980, '82, '85)
Bill Walton UCLA (1972, '73) Portland Trail Blazers (1977); Celtics (1986)
Magic Johnson Michigan State (1979) Lakers (1980, '82, '85, '87, '88)
Butch Lee Marquette (1977) Lakers (1980)
Rick Robey Kentucky (1978) Celtics (1981)
Quinn Buckner Indiana (1976) Celtics (1984)
James Worthy North Carolina (1982) Lakers (1985, '87, '88)
Billy Thompson Louisville (1986) Lakers (1987, '88)
Milt Wagner Louisville (1986) Lakers (1988)
Isiah Thomas Indiana (1981) Detroit Pistons (1989, '90)
Michael Jordan North Carolina (1982) Chicago Bulls (1991–93, '96–98)
Rodney McCray Louisville (1980) Bulls (1993)
Glen Rice Michigan (1989) Lakers (2000)
Richard Hamilton UConn (1999) Pistons (2004)
Corliss Williamson Arkansas (1994) Pistons (2004)
Nazr Mohammad Kentucky (1996, '98) San Antonio Spurs (2005)
Derek Anderson Kentucky (1996) Miami Heat (2006)
Antoine Walker Kentucky (1996) Heat (2006)
Corey Brewer Florida (2006, '07) Dallas Mavericks (2011)
Jason Terry Arizona (1997) Mavericks (2011)
Shane Battier Duke (2001) Heat (2012, '13)
Mario Chalmers Kansas (2008) Heat (2012, '13)
Danny Green North Carolina (2009) Spurs (2014); Toronto Raptors (2019); Lakers (2020)
Brandon Rush Kansas (2008) Warriors (2015)
Marreese Speights Florida (2007) Warriors (2015)
Sasha Kaun Kansas (2008) Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)
Quinn Cook Duke (2015) Warriors (2018); Lakers (2020)
Anthony Davis Kentucky (2012) Lakers (2020)
Mamadi Diakite Virginia (2019) Bucks (2021)
Donte DiVincenzo Villanova (2016, '18) Bucks (2021)
Justin Jackson North Carolina (2017) Bucks (2021)
Christian Braun Kansas (2022) Denver Nuggets (2023)
Collin Gillespie Villanova (2018) Nuggets (2023)
Al Horford Florida (2006, '07) Celtics (2024)