How many rings: Jordan vs LeBron
Michael Jordan has six NBA championships, won in two three-peats with the Chicago Bulls (1991–93 and 1996–98). LeBron James has four: 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat, 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Jordan | LeBron | |
|---|---|---|
| Championships | 6 | 4 |
| Finals MVPs | 6 | 4 |
| Finals record | 6–0 | 4–6 |
| Franchises won with | 1 | 3 |
| Title years | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 | 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020 |
Six with one team, four with three
Jordan's six titles came with one franchise, one coach (Phil Jackson) and one constant teammate (Scottie Pippen), in two runs of three straight interrupted by his first retirement. LeBron's four came with three franchises, and he was Finals MVP in all four. His supporters point out that nobody else has been the best player on title teams for three different franchises.
Do rings settle it?
To many people, six beats four and that is the end of it. The counter-argument is that a championship is a team result: Bill Russell has eleven, Robert Horry has seven, and neither is usually called the greatest player ever. Where rings do count is Finals MVPs, which measure who was best when the title was won. Jordan leads that six to four as well.
Questions
How many rings does LeBron have?
Four: 2012 and 2013 (Miami Heat), 2016 (Cleveland Cavaliers) and 2020 (Los Angeles Lakers). He was Finals MVP each time.
How many rings does Jordan have?
Six, all with the Chicago Bulls: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. He was Finals MVP each time.
Who won more Finals MVPs?
Jordan, six to four. Both won Finals MVP in every Finals they won.
Statistics are drawn from the NBA's official records and Basketball-Reference and are current through the 2025–26 regular season unless noted. LeBron James is still active, so his career totals change. Spotted an error? Tell us.
The full argument: 6–0 and 4–6: what the Finals records do and don't tell you.