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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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Best NBA players to win NBA Finals with two or more teams: 25. Slater Martin

Jumping into the way back machine, Slater Martin was a part of the league before most of your parents were even following the NBA. Martin played in the NBA from 1949 to 1960 for the Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks and St. Louis Hawks. In addition to the championships, which we will get to, Martin would make seven All-Star teams and five All-NBA Second Teams.

It started with the Lakers, where Martin was a defensive standout next to George Mikan, one of the first true NBA legends. Martin was a decent scorer in his own right, scoring 13.6 and 13.2 points per game in his last two seasons in Minneapolis.

After only playing 13 games for the New York Knicks, Slater Martin found his way to the St. Louis Hawks. He was also the head coach of the Hawks for the 1957 season and won his final championship in 1958 alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Bob Pettit.

Following his playing career, Martin would return to coaching in the ABA for the Houston Mavericks. He would coach for the 1967-1968 season and part of the following season. He would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982, becoming the first player from the University of Texas to earn that honor.

Few of the history books focus on the impact of the players from the time that Slater Martin played, often concentrating on the top guy on the title team and not much else. Make no mistake, Martin earned his spot on this list by being a defensive staple and a coach on the floor.