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NBA: Ranking the 30 best players to win NBA Finals with 2 or more teams

By Corey Rausch

CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 16: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L) and Shaquille O'Neal attend the AT&T Slam Dunk during the 2019 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Spectrum Center on February 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 16: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L) and Shaquille O'Neal attend the AT&T Slam Dunk during the 2019 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Spectrum Center on February 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images) /
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J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Best NBA players to win NBA Finals with two or more teams: 21. J.R. Smith

Even if he has turned into something of a meme (and with good reason) J.R. Smith was a much better player than he will ever get credit for. He was drafted right out of high school, treated like a prodigy long before he ever made the leap to the league. He was named Rookie of the Month multiple times and even participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. Unfortunately, he quickly wore out his welcome with coach Byron Scott and after a promising rookie campaign found himself traded after his sophomore season.

He was traded twice that offseason and ultimately ended up on the Denver Nuggets. In his second season in Denver, he would have the most efficient season of his career (57.8 effective field goal percentage). He would also finish as a runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2009. Three years later though, he would win that same award for the New York Knicks.

Two and a half years later, Smith found himself traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and endeared himself to LeBron James. He was a key role player on the first Cavaliers team to win an NBA championship. Sure he would eventually forget the score in an NBA Finals game. In New York, he would get in trouble for untying opponent’s shoes. He even notoriously threw soup.

That did not prevent him from landing on the shortlist of bench players added to the back end of the roster for the bubble for the Los Angeles Lakers. Reuniting with his former Cavaliers teammate one last time. Smith may have not seen the court much but he still locked down his second championship and did what he does best: celebrated.