Editor’s notes: due to the unpredictable nature of the early NBA, we only took into consideration players who won their title after the 1976 NBA-ABA merger. Players are only considered part of a title team on our list if they logged at least one minute during the championship postseason. List counts down from best to worst.

42) Darko Milicic (2004 with Pistons)

Truly earning the nickname “Human Victory Cigar” which was bestowed on him by teammate Rasheed Wallace, Milicic entered games mainly late in blowout wins early in his career for Detroit. This included the 2004 NBA Finals, when he won a championship as a rookie but played less than four total minutes over three games in the series against Los Angeles, totaling zero points and two rebounds. He also played lightly in the 2005 Pistons Finals loss to San Antonio, then had some decent moments later in his career for the Magic, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves, but was ultimately a bust as a #2 overall pick. In 2011, Milicic auctioned off his championship ring, along with the pro wrestling-style title belt that Wallace gifted him, to raise money for children suffering from a rare nervous system disease called Batten.

41) Leon Powe (2008 with Celtics)

When the Celtics cleared the deck in 2007 to acquire Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Powe, then in just his second year, saw major minutes as the first front court player off the bench in ’07-’08. The highlight of his career came in the 2008 Finals, when he poured in 21 points in just 14 minutes in a game two win over the Lakers, and the Celtics eventually took the series in six. One year later, Powe’s role was expanding further, even starting some games down the stretch at power forward after a Garnett injury, until he tore his ACL in a first round playoff game. Powe never fully recovered, playing just 50 games in his final two seasons before retiring in 2011. Though his contributions to the 2008 title were relatively minor, Powe is still beloved in Boston, and in 2014 he represented the Celtics at a Red Sox championship ceremony at Fenway Park.

40) Michael Doleac (2006 with Heat)

A former lottery pick out of Utah, Doleac had settled into a reliable backup center role by ’04-’05, when he regularly spelled Shaquille O’Neal and helped the Heat reach the Conference Finals. He then suffered a strained calf in the ’05-’06 preseason and upon his return was a third stringer with veteran Alonzo Mourning now back on the roster. Doleac played just one total minute in the 2006 NBA Finals series win over Dallas, late in a game four blowout victory, and didn’t record a single point, rebound, assist, steal, or block. He did wind up backing up O’Neal and Mourning for one more season in Miami before eventually retiring in 2008.

39) Brian Cardinal (2011 with Mavericks)

One of the turning points of the 2011 NBA Finals came late in the first half of game five, when Cardinal made a surprise appearance off the bench. He nailed a huge three pointer, only his second field goal of the entire postseason, then made valiant attempts to take charges from both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. It fired up the crowd and his teammates, and the Mavericks rallied to win the game and eventually pull off the series upset. It was a terrific culmination of the career of the man nicknamed “The Custodian” for both his unassuming physicality and his ability to sweep up messes on the floor. Cardinal eventually played 12 seasons in the NBA but averaged more than five points per game in just two of them. 

38) Francisco Elson (2007 with Spurs)

Signed by the Spurs in 2006 to bolster their center rotation after Nazr Mohammed’s free agency departure, Elson started 41 regular season games and eight postseason ones for the ’06-’07 Spurs. He platooned as the starter with Fabricio Oberto, with the later getting the nod for the Conference Finals win over the Jazz and the NBA Finals victory against Cleveland. Elson averaged career highs in points (5.0) and rebounds (4.8) per game that season, as he never panned out fully in his earlier seasons with the Nuggets. He was traded during the ’07-’08 season to the SuperSonics, then spent time with the Bucks, 76ers, and Jazz before retiring in 2012. Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands to a Surinamese father and Chinese mother, he was the first (and still only) Dutch player to ever win an NBA title.

37) Adrian Branch (1987 with Lakers)

An All-American at Maryland, Branch was overshadowed by his teammate, Len Bias, and fell to the second round of the NBA Draft in 1985. Unable to make the roster of the Bulls team that drafted him, he played one season with the Baltimore Lightning of the CBA before signing with the Lakers. The Lakers basically just needed a warm body off the bench on the wing but Branch made the most of his opportunities, averaging 4.3 points in just 6.8 minutes per game of playing time. His appearances in the playoffs were even more limited, though he did appear in four NBA Finals games, scoring five total points as the Lakers defeated the Celtics. Branch was sold that summer to the Nets to make way for rookie Milt Wagner and played three more NBA seasons before spending the rest of his career overseas.

36) Festus Ezeli (2016 with Warriors)

With Andrew Bogut struggling with injuries and no other centers available on the roster, the Warriors turned to Ezeli for major minutes off the bench in the 2015 playoffs. Though his stats were limited overall, Ezeli did have his moments, highlighted by a 12 point, nine rebound performance in the clinching game five of the Conference Finals against Houston. He then added 10 points and four rebounds in the title cinching game six of the NBA Finals against the Cavs. ’15-’16 saw his role expand until a knee injury suffered right before the All-Star break required surgery. Ezeli did return and even started in game seven of the NBA Finals against Cleveland but that would turn out to be his final NBA game as further offseason knee injuries soon forced him to retire.

35) Mark Madsen (2001 and 2002 with Lakers)

Affectionately known as “Mad Dog” to teammates and fans for his hard-nosed style of play, Madsen’s most enduring contribution to the Lakers arguably came during the 2001 title victory parade. Introduced by Chick Hearn as basically the team’s errand boy, Madsen launched into a brief, impassioned, bi-lingual speech, then later put on a memorable dance performance during Shaquille O’Neal’s rendition of “It Takes Two.” His goofy persona belied a talented player, one whom O’Neal would often credit as one of the toughest practice opponents he ever faced. Drafted by the Lakers in the first round in 2000, Madsen played limited minutes on the ’00-’01 and ’01-’02 title teams, then almost helped upend his former teammates in the 2004 Conference Finals as a backup center with the Timberwolves. He ultimately averaged just 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in nine NBA seasons, but his infectious personality and dance moves will live on forever.

34) Joe Hassett (1979 with SuperSonics)

The ’78-’79 Sonics are arguably the most nondescript post-merger championship team and it’s a bit surprising they have a player appear just once on this list. Hassett joined the team as a third round pick in 1977 and wound up playing in the NBA Finals in his first two seasons. He made a brief appearance in garbage time of a game six loss in 1978, which was followed by a game seven defeat to the Bullets that finished the series. Essentially a third-string guard well behind starters Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams, Hassett played minor minutes and logged insignificant stats in his rookie year. Things didn’t change much in his second season, with 4.1 points per game in 8.4 minutes per game playing time. He was the last guy off the bench in the postseason, appearing in just eight games and never for more than four minutes. His two brief NBA Finals appearances included no accrued stats beyond a missed field goal, but he earned a ring like everyone else on the roster. After signing with the Pacers that offseason, Hassett put up 6.9 points and 1.6 assists per game over his final four seasons but never returned to the playoffs, let alone the Finals.

33) Josh Powell (2009 and 2010 with Lakers)

His rookie season came with the ’05-’06 Mavericks and Powell played in one Finals game as they lost to the Heat. He then spent time with the Pacers, Warriors, and Clippers before signing with the Lakers in 2008. A “tweener” between the two forward positions (hence, his going un-drafted out of N.C. State in 2003), Powell struggled to find minutes in the rotation but was part of both the ’08-’09 and ’09-’10 title teams’ postseason rosters. In addition to later career stops with the Hawks and Rockets, Powell amassed quite a collection of passport stamps, playing pro ball in Russia, Italy, China, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Greece, Philippines, Argentina, Venezuela, Australia, and South Korea. 

32) Austin Daye (2014 with Spurs)

With a massive wingspan and a killer jumper, Daye looked like a likely successor to Tayshaun Prince when the Pistons drafted him in the first round out of Gonzaga in 2009. But the rest of his game never fully developed and his career was marked by injuries and the 2011 lockout ruining the momentum of a potential breakout year for him. Starting in February of 2013, he was traded or waived six times in less than three years, with the most notable stop coming in San Antonio. Billed as a potential Gregg Popovich reclamation project after he dropped 22 points in his second game with the Spurs, Daye instead fell out of favor quickly in the rotation and appeared in just one playoff game during the Spurs’ 2014 title run. In addition to his NBA championship, he later also won titles in the FIBA Europe Cup and Lega Serie A while starring for the Italian club Reyer.

31) Travis Knight (2000 with Lakers)

After getting cut by the Bulls team that drafted him, Knight started his career with the Lakers in ’96-’97, then signed a huge contract that offseason with the Celtics, but was soon after traded back to the Lakers in a rare Boston-Los Angeles swap. Essentially a third-string center behind Shaquille O’Neal and John Salley in ’99-’00, Knight appeared in 63 regular season games but averaged just 6.5 minutes per contest. He also got a few cursory appearances in the NBA Finals, as the Lakers defeated the Pacers. Knight was then shipped off that summer to the Knicks, as part of the massive, four-team deal that also landed Patrick Ewing in Seattle, Glen Rice in New York, and Horace Grant in Los Angeles.

30) Darvin Ham (2004 with Pistons)

Such a powerful dunker that he was once featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for shattering a backboard while at Texas Tech, Ham was never able to develop much else in his game in the pros and averaged just 2.7 points per game over eight seasons. He signed with the Pistons as a back up small forward in 2003 and though he appeared in 22 of their 23 playoff games that season, Ham logged the second least postseason minutes, ahead of only Darko Milicic. Ham scored two total points in five NBA Finals games as the Pistons defeated the Lakers, then hung around another season to make some scant appearances in their 2005 Finals loss to San Antonio, which marked the end of his NBA playing career. 

29) Scott Hastings (1990 with Pistons)

A longtime bench warmer for the Hawks, buried well below Tree Rollins and Kevin Willis on the front court depth chart, Hastings at least got a new view from his bench seat when he signed with the Pistons in 1989. He got a championship ring out of the deal too, as the Pistons defeated the Blazers in the 1990 NBA Finals to clinch back-to-back titles. In between, he was selected by the Heat in their expansion draft and averaged a career high 5.1 points per game in ’88-’89, even starting some games at center. Hastings was technically the 12th man in the 1990 playoffs, scoring just two points in 16 total minutes over five games, two of which were in the Finals.

28) Dickey Simpkins (1998 with Bulls)

Drafted by the Bulls in the first round in 1994, Simpkins was considered a key building block at forward for the post-Michael Jordan era. But that went out the window quickly as Jordan returned, Dennis Rodman arrived via trade, and Toni Kukoc quickly improved. Simpkins actually started 12 games in the ’95-’96 title season when Rodman missed time due to injury, but was left off the postseason roster entirely. He didn’t play any playoff minutes in the 1997 title run either, but with Rodman increasingly erratic and unreliable, Simpkins did see some playing time in 1998, including two brief appearances in the NBA Finals against Utah. Just as his role was increasing in ’98-’99 with the Bulls completely rebuilding, Simpkins was set aside again in ’99-’00 after the team drafted Elton Brand. His NBA run ended in 2001 with career averages of just 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. 

27) Adam Morrison (2010 with Lakers)

Less than three years removed from being a collegiate superstar from Gonzaga drafted third overall by the Bobcats, Morrison was already considered a certified bust when the Lakers traded for him in 2009. A torn ACL suffered during the summer of 2007 had played a large part, as had his inability to adjust to the pressure of NBA defense. He was a throw-in for the Lakers, who were more interested in trading for Shannon Brown, and Morrison was inactive for the 2009 postseason, watching from the bench as the Lakers won the title. He did suit up in the 2010 playoffs for two games, both in the first round series victory over the Thunder. Morrison is thus the only player in the modern era to win back-to-back championship rings without logging a single minute of playing time in the NBA Finals. His NBA career wound end there, averaging 7.5 points per game over just three seasons.

26) Mark McNamara (1983 with 76ers)

Drafted in the first round by Philadelphia in 1982, just a couple months before they traded for another center by the name of Moses Malone, McNamara quickly became a mere footnote in the ’82-’83 championship season. The Sixers still expected him to be a capable backup for Malone but it was obvious after a couple months that McNamara just wasn’t up to that task yet. Thus, Philly traded with the Pacers for Clemon Johnson, and McNamara, now a third-stringer, appeared in just two playoff games and earned a championship ring. He was traded that offseason to the Spurs and spent the rest of his career as a journeyman, averaging 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game over eight seasons.

25) Butch Lee (1980 with Lakers)

Things likely would have turned out different for Lee if not for torn cartilage that was discovered in his knee after his rookie season. A star at Marquette and the 10th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, Lee was the first Puerto Rican player in NBA history and could have developed into the first Latino star. Instead, he was never the same after undergoing surgery on that knee and the Cavs traded him to the Lakers at the 1980 deadline, as part of the infamous deal that also landed Los Angeles the draft pick eventually used on James Worthy. Lee played limited minutes down the stretch for the Lakers in ’79-’80 and made brief appearances in three postseason games, though none in the NBA Finals victory over Philadelphia. Thus, Lee became the first Latino American player to win a championship ring but his NBA career ended there as further complications arose with his knee that summer.

24) James Michael McAdoo (2015 and 2017 with Warriors)

McAdoo’s rookie season out of North Carolina was split between scant playing time on the Warriors bench and impressive play for the D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. He was an unlikely addition on the postseason roster for Golden State in 2015, playing in five games, including one garbage time appearance in the NBA Finals against Cleveland. His spot at the end of the Warriors rotation was more secure in ’15-’16 and ’16-’17, with no D-League assignments, and though it was never for more than a few minutes at a time, McAdoo did appear in three consecutive NBA Finals, earning a title in 2015 and 2017. After a cup of coffee with the 76ers, he headed overseas, finding success with teams in Italy, Turkey, and Serbia.

23) Zan Tabak (1995 with Rockets)

Before he reached the NBA in 1994 with the Rockets, Tabak already had three EuroLeague titles, playing on KK Split in his native Croatia, as a teammate of Toni Kukoc. Tabak’s job in Houston was one of the easiest in NBA history, backing up the indefatigable Hakeem Olajuwon. Tabak had the lowest minutes per game average of any Rockets player during the ’94-’95 playoffs but did appear in eight games, though none of the NBA Finals match-ups. A seven footer back when that meant something, Tabak was subsequently given chances to succeed in Toronto, Boston, and Indiana but never panned out. He did become the first foreign born player to reach the NBA Finals with two different teams, having also played on the ’99-’00 Pacers.

22) D.J. Mbenga (2009 and 2010 with Lakers)

Making it to the NBA at all was a pretty surreal accomplishment for Mbenga, let alone winning two championships. He was born in war-torn Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo), escaped containment as a political prisoner as a teenager, fled to Belgium and discovered basketball while living there in a refugee camp. He eventually spent seven seasons in the NBA and actually played in four NBA Finals, losing with the Mavericks in 2006 and Lakers in 2008 before winning back-to-back titles with Los Angeles in 2009 and 2010. His career averages of 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game are hardly impressive, but Mbenga’s inspiring life story and infectious personality won over many fans.

“When the Bullets didn’t bring him back for ’78-’79 and a try-out with the Clippers went nowhere, [Phil] Walker retired as one of just two post-merger players to win a championship in their lone NBA season”

21) Jeff Ayres (2014 with Spurs)

A lightly used backup power forward and center, Ayres (who was born Jeff Pendergraph and used that name professionally until 2013) at least always played on good teams, reaching the postseason all six seasons he spent in the NBA. That included a title run in ’13-’14 with the Spurs, who signed him that summer for some extra depth behind the aging Tim Duncan. As San Antonio dominated during the 2014 postseason, Ayres got a decent amount of playing time late in blowouts, including in three NBA Finals games as they defeated the Heat. He also spent time with the Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Clippers, ultimately averaging 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in his career.

20) Terry Duerod (1981 with Celtics)

Though he never lived up to expectations in the NBA after star high school and college careers in Detroit, Duerod did become a fan favorite in Boston, where the crowd would chant “doooo!” whenever he entered games as the 12th man. Those garbage time scenarios were an exciting subplot of the ’80-’81 Celtics title season, with Duerod often lighting up the scoreboard for short spurts. His career had started more promisingly, averaging 9.3 points per game as a rookie for the Pistons but quickly flamed out after a disastrous stint with the expansion Mavericks. Duerod spent two seasons with the Celtics, winning a championship in the former, ’80-’81, then one year with the Warriors before retiring. He supposedly earned the nickname “Human Victory Cigar” long before Darko Milicic in Detroit, which would be appropriate, as Boston’s general manager in 1981 was still the famed celebratory cigar smoker himself, Red Auerbach.

19) William Bedford (1990 with Pistons)

An unfortunate inclusion on the long list of players whose career was derailed in the ’80s by substance abuse, Bedford just made it back on time from a rehab stint to earn a title with the Pistons in ’89-’90. Considered the second best center prospect in the 1986 NBA Draft, after Brad Daugherty (the consensus third best, Roy Tarpley, had a similarly troubled pro career due to drugs), Bedford was the sixth overall pick but things soured quickly for him in Phoenix. He recovered slowly from preseason knee surgery, leaving Suns management to label him as lazy and ship him off to Detroit. Bedford spent five years with the Pistons, though he missed the entire ’88-’89 title campaign due to the aforementioned time in rehab. He never averaged more than five points per game in a season for the Pistons but did appear in five playoff games in 1990 as they won back-to-back titles.

18) Gerard King (1999 with Spurs)

As the 12th man on the ’98-’99 Spurs, King appeared in eight postseason games but for only 1.8 minutes per game. That included two games in the NBA Finals win over New York, when he logged one total minute of play and didn’t record a single point, rebound, or assist. There just wasn’t much needed from King, who was then a rookie out of Nicholls State, as the depth chart featured veteran small forwards Sean Elliott and Jerome Kersey ahead of him. He was released by San Antonio that offseason and signed with the Wizards, who gave him more minutes. King averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game over his two seasons in Washington before leaving the NBA.

17) Mike Smrek (1987 and 1988 with Lakers)

Not exactly the most talented player, Smrek lasted seven seasons in the NBA based largely on his size and ability to block shots. The seven foot Canadian signed as a free agent with the Lakers in 1986, slotting in as the third-string center behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mychal Thompson. Though he averaged just 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game over the next two seasons, Smrek earned a championship ring in both of them. When the Lakers signed Mark McNamara to replace him in 1988, Smrek was traded to the Spurs and had his best statistical season in ’88-’89, with 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

16) Carlos Clark (1984 with Celtics)

A longshot to make the roster when the Celtics drafted him in the fourth round in 1983 out of Mississippi, Clark impressed coach K.C. Jones enough with his defensive intensity to carve out a spot as the 12th man. Thanks to Boston cruising to blowout wins in many of their 1984 playoff games, Clark got decent garbage time minutes, including in three NBA Finals games as they defeated the Lakers to win the title. It was even more improbable for Clark to make the team in ’84-’85 but he did it again, this time beating out first round draft pick Michael Young for the final roster spot. After the Celtics lost their Finals rematch against Los Angeles in 1985, Clark was waived and unable to secure another NBA gig, forcing him to eventually retire.

15) Brad Holland (1980 with Lakers)

Drafted in the second round by the Lakers in 1979, 13 spots after they selected Magic Johnson, Holland’s childhood dream was fulfilled. He had grown up in Los Angeles worshipping Elgin Baylor and Jerry West and was the last player recruited by John Wooden at UCLA before the legendary coach retired. Unlike his fellow draftee Johnson, Holland didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his rookie season, averaging just 2.8 points per game in 38 appearances. He was technically the ninth man on the playoff roster in 1980 but coach Paul Westhead mostly stuck to an eight man rotation and Holland appeared in just eight games for 32 total minutes. His most notable appearance came in the clinching game six of the NBA Finals against Philadelphia, which Kareem Abdul-Jabbar missed due to injury, forcing Johnson to start at center. This freed up the back court rotation, allowing Holland to play nine minutes, and he scored eight points. He was traded to the Bullets in 1981 as part of the deal for Mitch Kupchak and played just one more season before retiring.

14) Eric Fernsten (1981 with Celtics)

A fan favorite for his intensity and a coach favorite for his ability to push the team’s front court stars in practice, Fernsten lasted three seasons in Boston despite being buried on the bench for most of it. His pro career started with the Cavs drafting him in 1975 and included stops with the Bulls and in Italy before signing with the Celtics in 1979. Fernsten appeared in 18 playoff games over the next three seasons, though he never tallied more than four points or three rebounds in any given contest. Finally waived by the Celtics in 1982 after they drafted a new backup center in Darren Tillis, Fernsten hung around for one more season with the Knicks before finishing up his career in the CBA.

13) Robin Jones (1977 with Trail Blazers)

Being a backup center behind Bill Walton was a lucrative position throughout most of the star center’s career, but for Jones in the ’76-’77 Portland title season, it didn’t pay dividends in terms of playing time. There was a stretch in February that Walton missed with an injury, allowing Jones to start 14 games and play solidly, compiling six double-doubles. But Jones was relegated back to end-of-bench duty for the home stretch and playoffs, never appearing for more than 15 minutes in any postseason contest. He was traded in the offseason to Houston for veteran center Tom Owens, and played in just 12 games in ’77-’78 before getting waived, ending his NBA career. Affectionately known as “Rubber-Band Man” for his leaping ability, Jones was part of the 30th Anniversary celebration honoring the Blazers’ title team but passed away soon after at the age of 64.

12) David Thirdkill (1986 with Celtics)

Starting in 1983, Thirdkill was a member of six teams over a three-year stretch, with one team trading him and four cutting him. The last of those teams was one of the greatest in NBA history, the ’85-’86 Celtics, for whom Thirdkill was the 12th man, replacing the disappointing Sly Williams as a deep bench option at forward. Basically picking up where Carlos Clark had left off a couple years earlier, Thirdkill was a defensive specialist that endeared himself to coaches and teammates thanks to his intensity, and filled in some valuable minutes during the regular season when Kevin McHale was injured. Clark played in 13 postseason games in 1986, mostly in garbage time, and was on the Celtics roster again at the start of ’86-’87 but soon after waived and never played in the NBA again. He finished his five year career with averages of 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

11) Chuck Nevitt (1985 with Lakers)

Officially the tallest player in NBA history with a championship ring, at 7’5″, Nevitt sustained a nine season career in the league based solely on his large stature, but averaged just 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds overall. He tried out for the Lakers in training camp in 1984 to replace the retiring Swen Nater as third-string center and actually lost out on the spot to Earl Jones. But when Jones proved unreliable early in the season, Nevitt was brought back and eventually became one of many players to earn the nickname “Human Victory Cigar” due to his exploits only coming in garbage time of blowouts. In addition to winning a title with the ’84-’85 Lakers, he was also a member of the ’87-’88 Pistons that lost to Los Angeles in the NBA Finals, and the ’91-’92 Bulls that won it all (though Nevitt had been waived long before the 1992 postseason). 

10) Joe Pace (1978 with Bullets)

As a young backup center, Pace actually got decent playing time in the ’77-’78 Bullets championship season, as the aging Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes were often resting at the end of blowout games. Pace took advantage, scoring 16 in a blowout win over the Knicks, 18 in a blowout loss versus Cleveland, and 15 in an easy victory over the Bulls. But come playoff time, he scarcely took the court, logging just 10 total minutes in Washington’s seven-game NBA Finals victory over the Sonics. His two-year NBA career ended there, as Pace moved to Italy seeking more playing time in the European pro leagues. Three decades after his championship with the Bullets, Pace was discovered in Seattle, destitute and homeless. Several members of the Wizards franchise bounded together to financially assist him.

9) Rick Carlisle (1986 with Celtics)

He may not have technically been the last guy off the bench for the ’85-’86 Celtics but Carlisle was arguably the most inessential. Coach K.C. Jones allowed only sparse minutes for the bench guards behind Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson, leaving Carlisle fighting for scraps of playing time with Sam Vincent and Jerry Sichting. Carlisle was one of the starters in the infamous late season game against Milwaukee when Jones let his bench crew take over. He also appeared in three NBA Finals match-ups, including the clinching game six when he scored four points. While the Celtics reached the NBA Finals in all three years he played for them, Carlisle was left off the postseason roster in 1985 and 1987. He spent two seasons with the Knicks and then retired to move into coaching. That second career has included another NBA championship ring in 2011 with the Mavericks, and getting hired by his old friend and teammate Larry Bird to coach the Pacers.

8) Milt Wagner (1988 with Lakers)

Even in college, Wagner had more of a role player status on a championship team, playing for Louisville in their ’85-’86 title run. He was reunited with his collegiate teammate Billy Thompson on the end of the Lakers bench in ’87-’88, then edged him out for the final wing roster spot in the postseason. Wagner actually got to start a few games down the stretch of the regular season, as the aging Michael Cooper was nursing an injury, but barely left his seat on the bench once the playoffs kicked off. All five of his postseason appearances came late in blowouts, including games four and five of the NBA Finals, as the Lakers defeated the Pistons. He was waived that summer, kicked around Europe for a couple years, the got a cup of coffee with the Heat in ’90-’91 to finish his career. Though Wagner was a small part of the ’87-’88 Lakers success, he did join teammates Thompson and Magic Johnson on the short list of players to win championships at the high school, college, and NBA levels. His son, Dajuan, had a more successful NBA career statistically, but never reached the playoffs.

7) Chris Jent (1994 with Rockets)

One of four players on the ’93-’94 Rockets championship team who had been plucked from CBA obscurity, Jent was playing for the Columbus Horizon in April of 1994 when Houston signed him. They needed someone to fill out bench minutes at forward after a Matt Bullard injury and Jent thrived, averaging 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in the final stretch of the regular season. It was an impressive enough performance to get him on the postseason roster, but his playing time was limited with Bullard coming back. Jent totaled 13 points and nine rebounds in 11 postseason games as the Rockets won the title. He returned to the CBA ranks from there but did get three more appearances with the Knicks in ’96-’97. Jent is one of only four players in NBA history with more career postseason games (11) than regular season ones (six), and the only person on that list to earn a ring.

6) Clay Johnson (1982 with Lakers)

After years of toiling in the CBA and WBL, Johnson got his chance with the Lakers late in the ’81-’82 season, thanks to a disappointing rookie campaign from Kevin McKenna. With a silky smooth jumper, Johnson was a “break glass in case of emergency” shooter at the end of the bench and that emergency never really came in the postseason. He played in seven playoff games with almost all of it coming in garbage time, though he did manage to drop six points in 10 minutes in game one of a first round series win over Phoenix. Johnson was still on the team in ’82-’83 and again on the postseason roster as the Lakers rematched against the Sixers, this time losing. After playing just 25 games for the Sonics in ’83-’84, Johnson called it a day in the NBA, finishing with career averages of 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He would eventually write a book about his time as a bench warmer with the Lakers, titled “In the Middle of the Bus.”

5) Phil Walker (1978 with Bullets)

The only NBA player ever to emerge from Millersville College in Pennsylvania, a Division II school where he’s the all-time leading scorer, Walker lasted just one season in the pros but it was a memorable one. As a third round pick in 1977, he was one of just two rookies on the ’77-’78 Bullets roster, alongside first round selection Greg Ballard (Bo Ellis was traded to the Nuggets, while Washington’s other seven draft picks were cut and never played at the NBA level). Walker’s playing time was sparse as essentially the third-string shooting guard behind Phil Chenier and Charles Johnson, but he did have a couple scoring outbursts, most notably a 23-point performance in a late January loss to the Lakers. He made four garbage time appearances in the 1978 playoffs, including game two of the NBA Finals against Seattle, which the Bullets won by 25 points en route to a seven game series victory. When the Bullets didn’t bring him back for ’78-’79 and a try-out with the Clippers went nowhere, Walker retired as one of just two post-merger players to win a championship in their lone NBA season (the other is coming up later in this list).

4) Wayne Simien (2006 with Heat)

A 1st-Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year, Simien led Kansas to two Final Four appearances and in his first NBA season was a champion with the Heat. Granted, his contributions in Miami were much less pronounced, as the first round pick averaged only 3.4 points per game in 43 regular season appearances, then played just twice in the postseason, going scoreless in seven total minutes of play. He likely would have played more if not for the Heat trading that offseason for Antoine Walker, which bumped Simien to third on the power forward depth chart, also behind starter Udonis Haslem. After playing slightly more minutes in ’06-’07, Simien was traded to the Timberwolves, who cut him almost immediately. His NBA career thus ended after two seasons, with career averages of 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

3) Terrel Harris (2012 with Heat)
2) Dexter Pittman (2012 with Heat)

With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh highlighting the roster and clogging salary space, the Heat had to get creative with filling out the rest of their depth chart when the lockout was lifted on the ’11-’12 season. Harris and Pittman were the two main beneficiaries of that, logging playoff minutes for an NBA champion to boost careers that otherwise may not have even existed. Harris had been un-drafted out of Oklahoma State in 2009 and was playing in Germany when the Heat invited him to their 2011 training camp. Pittman had actually been drafted by Miami in 2010 out of Texas and made just two brief appearances in his rookie season, ’10-’11, spending most of his time with the Heat’s D-League affiliate. While Harris saw little playing time at shooting guard in ’11-’12 behind Wade and Mike Miller, Pittman did get some chances to play minutes at center thanks to the struggles of Joel Anthony. Neither played much in the 2012 postseason but Pittman notably was suspended for three games after a flagrant foul on Lance Stephenson in a second round series against Indiana, while Harris got to play the final three minutes of the clinching game five of the NBA Finals against the Thunder, scoring three points (Pittman was inactive for the entire series). Pittman was traded during the ’12-’13 season to Memphis as a cash dump, while Harris was flat-out cut by the Heat after appearing in just seven games. The final career stats for these two champions are eerily similar: 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 50 appearances for Pittman; 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 42 appearances for Harris.

1) Fennis Dembo (1989 with Pistons)

It’s a name that’s become synonymous over the years with unearned championship status, often juxtaposed against ring-less legends like Elgin Baylor or Charles Barkley, and sure enough Dembo is the top player on our list. Part of that notoriety is the uniqueness of his name itself, which is a variation on the French word “finis,” as he was the last of 12 children in his family. After a star turn at Wyoming, where he was an All-American and led the Cowboys to a surprise Sweet 16 run in 1987 as a #12 seed, Dembo was the first player selected by the Pistons in 1988, in the second round (they had traded their first round pick a year prior for William Bedford). It was a bit of an odd selection, as the flamboyant, high-scoring Dembo wasn’t a natural fit for the “Bad Boys” Pistons. He spent most of his rookie season on the bench, averaging just 1.2 points per game in 32 appearances, while serving as cannon fodder for Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Vinnie Johnson in practices. It was essentially a one-year tryout for Dembo as a potential long-term replacement for Johnson as a bench scoring specialist but for whatever reason Chuck Daly didn’t see enough and cut him after the season. His final NBA appearance turned out to be two scoreless minutes late in game one of a Finals victory over the Lakers.