Winning an NBA championship at a young age can be the greatest accomplishment for some players, here are the list of the 25 youngest NBA player to win a championship. Young players who win a championship are often remembered as some of the best players in the league. The youngest NBA champion of all time Darko Milicic was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, becoming the youngest NBA player to play in an NBA Finals game at the age of 18 years, 356 days old. Darko Milicic with the Detroit Pistons team won the 2004 NBA Finals, which made him the youngest player to win an NBA championship at 18 years and 361 days.
Along with Darko Milicic, we present you with the other top 25 youngest players in league history to win an NBA title. Take a look at the top 25 youngest NBA players to win a championship.
Who are the 25 youngest players to win an NBA championship?
1. Darko Milicic – 18 years, 361 days (2004)
Darko Milicic holds the record for the youngest player to ever win an NBA championship, at 18 years and 361 days old when he won it with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. This broke the previous record set by Magic Johnson, who won the championship with the Lakers at the age of 20 years, 267 days in 1980. Milicic appeared in an NBA Finals game just five days before winning the championship at 18 years and 356 days old. He spent another 10 seasons in the NBA, but never became an influential player and never made it back to the Finals.
2. Jonathan Kuminga – 19 years, 253 days (2022)
At 19 years and 253 days, Jonathan Kuminga became the second youngest player in NBA history to win a championship, with Darko Milicic being the youngest. In 2022, Kuminga sealed his rookie season with a championship title as the Golden State Warriors win over the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
3. Talen Horton-Tucker – 19 years, 321 days (2020)
Talen Horton-Tucker, who won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020, is the third youngest player ever to accomplish this feat. At the age of 19 years, 321 days, he was part of the team that defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals, clinching the championship in just 6 games.
4. Moses Moody – 20 years, 16 days (2022)
At just 20 years and 16 days old, Moses Moody made history as the fourth-youngest player to win an NBA championship when the Golden State Warriors won the title on June 16, 2022. He got selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft, the Warriors’ shooting guard achieved this remarkable feat in his first season in the league.
5. Magic Johnson – 20 years, 276 days (1980)
At the age of 20 years and 276 days, Magic Johnson was the youngest player on the Los Angeles Lakers when they won the 1980 NBA championship which made him one of the youngest players to ever win an NBA title at that time. Darko Milicic later broke the record in 2004, at 18 years and 361 days. Magic was also the first rookie to receive the NBA Finals MVP award. Throughout his impressive 13-year career, Magic Johnson led the Lakers to five championships (1980, ’82, ’85, ’87, and ’88) and made nine NBA Finals appearances. Magic Johnson is now regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
6. Tony Parker – 21 years, 29 days (2003)
Tony Parker was just 21 years and 29 days old when he became the youngest player to win an NBA championship. Now, Tony Parker ranks 6th among the youngest players in history to win an NBA championship. He won his first title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003. He was drafted into the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in 2001 and soon became their starting point guard. Throughout his sensational career, he won a total of four NBA championships (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014) all with the San Antonio Spurs.
7. James Wiseman – 21 years, 77 days (2022)
In the 2020 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors selected James Wiseman second overall. At the age of 21 years, 77 days, in 2022 Wiseman became the youngest player ever to receive an NBA championship when the Warriors became the NBA champions.
8. Vern Mikkelsen – 21 years, 184 days (1950)
The four-time NBA champion, Vern Mikkelsen, is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. At the age of 21 years and 184 days, he became the youngest player to win a title in 1950. Throughout his career from 1949 to 1959, he was recognized for his tough defense and power-forward abilities. He was part of the Minneapolis Lakers squad that made it to the Finals in 1956 and 1957 but unfortunately did not claim either title. Besides, he played 699 out of 704 games during his time in the league, which made fans call him an ironman.
9. Johnny Davis – 21 years, 277 days (1977)
In his ten-year NBA career, Johnny Davis achieved the incredible feat of being the youngest player to win a title in 1977 with the Portland Trail Blazers at the age of 21 years and 277 days. He played with four different teams from 1976-86.
10. Andrew Bynum – 21 years, 230 days (2009)
Andrew Bynum achieved a remarkable feat in 2009. Bynum became the youngest player to ever win an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, at just 21 years and 230 days of age. He was a major asset to the team during the playoffs that season. He was rewarded with his first and only championship ring. Bynum was a part of the Lakers for seven years, from 2005 to 2012, and won two titles with them.
11. Patrick McCaw – 21 years, 230 days (2017)
At the 2016 NBA Draft, Patrick McCaw was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. In the following year, 2017, he became the youngest player to ever win an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, at 21 years and 230 days old. He is one of the youngest players to have ever won three NBA titles in his first three seasons, two with the Golden State Warriors (2017 and 2018) and one with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, thus becoming the first player in history to do so while changing teams.
12. Kobe Bryant – 21 years, 301 days (2000)
Kobe Bryant is famous as the greatest of all time, having won a total of five NBA championships during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the young age of 21 years and 301 days, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to ever win an NBA championship when he won his first championship in 2000. He then went on to win two consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002, before winning two more in 2009 and 2010. His scoring ability, competitive drive, and clutch performances in big moments made him a crucial player for the Lakers during these championship runs. He was twice awarded the Finals MVP title in 2009 and 2010. Bryant was instrumental in helping the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP.
13. Rick Weitzman – 22 years, 2 days (1968)
At the age of 22 years and 2 days, Rick Weitzman became the youngest player to ever win an NBA championship. His first and only NBA season ended with his team, the Boston Celtics, defeating the LA Lakers in the 1968 NBA Finals. Weitzman scored the last two points of the decisive sixth game of the championship series.
14. Carl Meinhold – 22 years, 23 days (1948)
At the age of 22 years and 23 days, Carl Meinhold became the youngest player to ever win an NBA championship, securing the title for Baltimore in 1948.
15. Jamaal Wilkes – 22 years, 23 days (1975)
Jamaal Wilkes won his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 1975 at the age of 22 years and 23 days. He became the youngest player to win an NBA title at the time. Jamaal Wilkes later joined the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won three more championships with the team in 1980, 1982, and 1985. He was an important player for the Lakers during his tenure with the team. Unfortunately, an injury prevented him from playing in the 1985 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, but the Lakers were still able to win the series 4-2.
16. Phil Walker – 22 years, 79 days (1978)
17. Rajon Rondo – 22 years, 116 days (2008)
18. Jim Tucker – 22 years, 120 days (1955)
19. Kevon Looney – 22 years, 122 days (2018)
20. Gary Phillips – 22 years, 132 days (1962)
21. Tom Sanders – 22 years, 154 days (1961)
22. James Michael McAdoo – 22 years, 163 days (2015)
23. Glen Davis – 22 years, 168 days (2008)
24. Jordan Farmar – 22 years, 196 days (2009)
25. Jim Holstein – 22 years, 198 days (1953)
FAQs
The youngest NBA player to win Finals MVP is Magic Johnson, who won the award at the age of 20 during the 1980s NBA Finals.
Robert Parish holds the record for being the oldest player to win an NBA championship. At the age of 43, he won his fourth NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls during the 1997-1998 season. And there are other 31 players who played in the NBA after they turned 40 and the oldest active player is Udonis Haslem, who is now 42 years old.
Read also: NBA players with 60-point games see the unexpected miracle
Conclusion
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