The trainers is the key to achievement ring but who are the coaches with? more finals is disputed throughout NBA history?
It’s time for a review.
Which NBA coach has played in the most Finals?
The coach who has played in the most NBA Finals is Phil Jackson.
The Lakers and Bulls legend totaled 13 rows per ring throughout his major league career.
The complete list of coaches with the most NBA Finals
| pos. |
Coach |
finals |
| 1 |
Phil Jackson |
13 |
| 2 |
Red Auerbach |
eleven |
| 3 |
Pat Riley |
9 |
| 4 |
John Kundla, Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra |
6 |
| 5 |
KC Jones |
5 |
Phil Jackson
- Final appearances: 13
- championships: eleven
It couldn’t be more. Zen Master is the coach who has directed the most Finals: seven with the Los Angeles Lakers and six with the Chicago Bulls. In all those he came with the Windy City team he was a winner alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, while with the purple and gold he won five and lost two (in 2004 against the Detroit Pistons and in 2008 against the Boston Celtics).
Red Auerbach
- Final appearances: eleven
- championships:9
An NBA story: without him you can’t understand the history of the Boston Celtics. He won eight straight titles with the clubs in one of the sport’s greatest dynasties, led by Bill Russell. He later became general manager and president, winning six more championships.
Pat Riley
- Final appearances:9
- championships: 5
One of only two people in the NBA to be a champion as a player, coach and executive. As a coach he promoted Larry O’Brien four times with the Lakers, with Magic Johnson on the court, while with the Miami Heat he won another title on that team that had Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. He is currently the president of Miami and is going for his third championship as an executive.
John Kudla
- Final appearances:6
- championships: 5
When the Lakers were in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kudla led them from 1947 to 1959, making the Finals in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1959. All he lost was the last of the Red Auerbachs to Red Auerbach. 4-0.
Gregg Popovich
- Final appearances:6
- championships: 5
One of the assets on this list. The legendary coach built a dynasty with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili, winning all five franchise titles. The only time it lost in the Finals was to the Miami Heat of LeBron James, D-Wade and Chris Bosh in 2013.
Steve Kerr
- Final appearances:6
- championships: 4
As a player and coach it was a historic championship for this league. Kerr took over the helm of the Golden State Warriors in 2014 and has since led them to five consecutive Finals between 2015 and 2019, winning three against the Cleveland Cavaliers and losing one to the same opponent and another to the Toronto Raptors. and to this in 2022 he added one more appearance.
Erik Spölstra
- Final appearances:6
- championships: 2
Spoelstra has dedicated most of his life to the Miami Heat and has responded with good results. Two years after the franchise’s first championship in 2008, he took the helm and has since been the coach leading the team to two titles in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron, Wade and Bosh.
They were also defeated in 2011 by the Dallas Mavericks, in 2014 by the San Antonio Spurs and in 2020 by the Lakers. What will happen in 2023 against the Denver Nuggets?
KC Jones
- Final appearances: 5
- championships: 2
In his long tenure as coach of the Washington Bullets, Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics, the man born in Taylor, Texas, was the monarch on Clover’s team in 1984 and 1986, defeating the Lakers and Rockets, respectively. However, he fell three more times: twice with Boston against the purple and gold, and once when he led the Washington Bullets to a 1975 loss to the Warriors.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.
