1) ’77-’78 Bullets: Charles Johnson

When asked how the Bullets had pulled off an improbable championship in 1978, their leading scorer Elvin Hayes gave an unlikely answer: Johnson. But it made perfect sense in a way that a season largely defined by injury woes would be revived by a mid-season waiver wire transaction. Following a late January loss to the Suns in which only seven Bullets players were healthy enough to dress, Johnson was signed to a 10-day contract and reportedly arrived to his first game just minutes before tip-off in a helicopter. That visual tableau was an apt representation of Johnson’s heroic rescuing of Washington’s title hopes. He provided an instant jolt to a back court severely missing the injured Phil Chenier and was quickly granted a long-term contract. Johnson proved especially useful in the Conference Semifinals against San Antonio, averaging 20.0 points in the final four games, then in dropping a team high 19 points in the deciding game seven of the NBA Finals. It was the second title of Johnson’s career, following a championship with the Warriors in his rookie season in ’74-’75, defeating many of his future Bullets teammates in the Finals. Johnson played one more season with Washington before retiring in 1979.

2) ’03-’04 Pistons: Lindsey Hunter

A lottery pick of the Pistons in 1993, Hunter became one of the franchise’s most popular players in his first seven seasons and many fans were devastated when he was traded to the Bucks in 2000. Three years, four franchises, and one championship ring (with the Lakers in 2002) later, Hunter returned to Detroit but it was fleeting. He arrived via trade from the Raptors in August of 2003 then departed again at the February trading deadline, shipped off to the Celtics as part of the three-team Rasheed Wallace deal. But Hunter never suited up for Boston (he supposedly never even flew to the city), getting waived a few days later and re-joining the Pistons for a third time. With the youngster Mike James struggling to win the trust of coach Larry Brown, Hunter proved crucial in the 2004 postseason, playing the lion’s share of bench minutes at both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Though he didn’t do much statistically (averaging just 3.6 points per game in the NBA Finals), Hunter’s leadership was invaluable as was his ability to get under Kobe Bryant’s skin as a defensive pest. He stuck around this time for five more seasons with the Pistons and is top 10 in franchise history in assists, steals, and three-point field goals.

3) ’12-’13 Heat: Chris Andersen

If Andersen’s 2013 playoff performance could be summed up by one word, it would be “efficient.” The heavily tattooed center normally known for his high-flying dunks spent the spring of 2013 throwing down a series of alley-oop finishes and offensive rebound put-back slams. When the dust settled and the Heat were crowned as champions, Andersen’s final stat line for the postseason was 46-of-57 from the field, setting the single postseason record at 80.7%. It was a satisfying capper to what had been a tumultuous career that included missing an entire season due to a substance abuse suspension. Despite his troubles, one notable Andersen fan was Heat coach Erik Spolestra, who lobbied Pat Riley to sign the wayward center after the Nuggets waived him right before the ’12-’13 season opener. Andersen joined Miami in January of 2013 and eventually overtook Joel Anthony in Spoelstra’s front court rotation. He actually played heavier minutes for the Heat after re-signing for the ’13-’14 season but shot a more pedestrian 57.9% from the field as a postseason encore.

4) ’07-’08 Celtics: P.J. Brown
5) ’07-’08 Celtics: Sam Cassell

With their big three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, plus solid supporting pieces in Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, and Tony Allen, the ’07-’08 Celtics looked nearly perfect on paper. But two concerns did exist: 1) there was no pure point guard on the bench (Rondo’s backup Eddie House was more of a shooting guard) and 2) a lack of experience in the front court (Perkins, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis were all under the age of 25). Over the course of a week in late February and early March of 2008, the Celtics addressed both misgivings, signing a pair of 38-year-olds in Brown and Cassell. Brown had actually spent the first four months of the season unsigned and hanging out at home in New Orleans, turning down repeated offers from the Hornets and Spurs in addition to the Celtics. When Pierce and Allen were in the Big Easy that February for the All-Star Game, they lobbied hard enough to Brown in person that he relented and signed with Boston on February 27. One day later, Cassell was waived by the Clippers after injuring his wrist. He signed with the Celtics within the week and both veterans played key minutes in the postseason, typically the first two players off the bench after sixth man Posey. Both veterans subsequently retired and Cassell notably bookended his career with a championship 14 years after earning one with the Rockets as a rookie.

6) ’96-’97 Bulls: Bison Dele

With Dennis Rodman and Bill Wennington sidelined with injuries, the Bulls were desperate for front court depth in April of 1997 and turned to a former lottery pick in Dele. Born Brian Williams and going by that name at the time he joined Chicago, Dele was the 10th overall pick of the Magic in 1991 but due to injuries, contract disputes, and perceived disinterest, had basically washed out of the league five years later. He got a second lease on his career in Chicago and made the most of it, averaging a respectable 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in the 1997 postseason, earning a championship ring while flashing some of the limitless talent that made him such an enticing prospect in the first place. Dele cashed in that summer, signing a massive contract with the Pistons but two years later he was out of the league completely, giving up millions in guaranteed money to retire at age 30. Soon after that, Dele was presumed dead, his body lost in the Pacific Ocean on a boating trip, with his brother suspected as his murderer (the brother later committed suicide in police custody before he could be formally charged).

7) ’19-’20 Lakers: Markieff Morris

After the seemingly perpetually snake bit DeMarcus Cousins tore his ACL in an offseason pick-up game, the NBA granted Los Angeles a disabled player exception to sign a replacement. The franchise patiently waited for one to materialize and it paid off when Morris became available in February. A former lottery pick of the Suns, Morris had crafted a solid if unspectacular career over nine seasons with Phoenix, Washington, Oklahoma City, and Detroit. The rebuilding Pistons bought out his contract on February 21, allowing the Lakers to sign him two days later. His impact was minimal in his first eight games as a Laker, then the season shut down due to COVID-19. But when the NBA resumed play in “The Bubble” that July, Morris emerged as a crucial front court piece, even starting in a couple games at power forward in the Conference Semifinals as the Lakers matched the Rockets’ small ball lineup. When the Lakers defeated the Heat to win the title, it was the first Finals appearance and championship of Morris’ career. Meanwhile, things ended disappointingly in those playoffs for his twin brother Marcus, whose Clippers were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals.

8) ’94-’95 Rockets: Chucky Brown

In May of 1995, the Yakima Sun Kings defeated the Pittsburgh Piranhas to clinch the CBA championship. Brown earned a title as part of the Sun Kings roster but wasn’t there for that series, as he was concurrently engaged in battle against the Jazz in the NBA playoffs. Signed by the Rockets in February of 1995, Brown subsequently became the first and only player to earn a CBA and NBA title in the same calendar year. Houston was the sixth NBA team of his career already at age 26 but he settled in nicely, especially after Otis Thorpe was traded away to Sacramento. With the power forward depth chart opened up, Brown impressed with his rebounding, defense, and occasional scoring bursts. Arguably his biggest contribution to the Rockets’ title run was his aggressive defense against Karl Malone in the first round and Charles Barkley in round two, as Houston advanced all the way despite entering the playoffs as a #6 seed. Brown lasted one more season with the Rockets before getting traded to the Suns as part of the blockbuster Barkley trade. Befitting his journeyman status, he wound up playing for 15 franchises in a 13 year career.

9) ’10-’11 Mavericks: Peja Stojakovic

There were plenty of feel good stories on the ’10-’11 Mavericks who stunned the Heat to win the NBA Finals but perhaps none so more than Stojakovic’s redemption. A decade prior, the Serbian sharpshooter was a multiple time All-Star for the Kings but when the team needed him most, he came up short. Struggling with an ankle injury, Stojakovic averaged just 6.7 points per game in the controversial 2002 Conference Finals loss to the Lakers, shooting 30.4% from the field. He was eventually traded to the Pacers and then the Hornets, remaining effective into his 30s but with slowly diminishing returns. In ’10-’11, Stojakovic wound up playing for three teams. He started off with the Hornets, who traded him a few weeks into the season to the Raptors, who subsequently waived him two months later. Due to a knee injury, Stojakovic had logged just eight total appearances that season when the Mavericks signed him on January 24. It took him a while to get going but he was huge down the stretch of the regular season for Dallas and then put on some vintage performances in the playoffs, including a 21-point game on six-of-six shooting from three-point range in the clinching game four of a Conference Semifinals sweep of the Lakers (perhaps a bit of vengeance there for 2002). Stojakovic didn’t take the floor much in the NBA Finals against Miami but earned a championship all the same and soon after announced his retirement, going out on top.