5 NBA stars who won a championship in the very first year of joining a new team

NBA players put in a lot of hard work to be a part of the league. Many succeed in winning elusive championships, while many have great careers, but fail to get a ring in their tenure in the league. Often many players move to a particular team with the goal of winning a championship. However, many others are also added to the roster to make the team contenders.

There have been several NBA players that have won the championship in their first year with the new team. These players have been very impactful to the franchise and eased their team's way to victory. In today's article, we mention five such players that won the championship in their first year with a new team.

Top five NBA players to win a championship in their first year with a new team

#5 Dennis Rodman

Miami Heat v Chicago Bulls - Game Two

Dennis Rodman was one of the best rebounders of the ball in the '90s. His hustle plays and unparalleled ability to defend made him one of the most sorted after players in the league. Rodman started his career with the Detroit Pistons and two championships there. Having achieved success with the Bad Boy Pistons, he moved to the San Antonio Spurs.

He played two seasons with the Spurs before moving to the Chicago Bulls in 1995. Rodman was a vital part of the second three-peat team. The forward played alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, however, his contribution on the defensive end often made a difference. Rodman won three rebounding championships and also got selected to the all-defence First team as part of the Bulls. During the 1995-96 playoffs, Rodman averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.1 APG to help the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA championship in franchise history.

#4 Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett is highly regarded by many as one of the best power forwards in the game of basketball. He was the face of the franchise in Minnesota, and after serving 12 years there, Garnett moved to the Boston Celtics in 2008. His impact on the team was huge and starred for the team in many victories that season.

Garnett won Defensive Player of the Year in his first year with the Celtics and also went to the All-Star game. He was an MVP candidate and automatically made the Celtics favorites to win the championship. Garnett and the Celtics faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. He averaged 18.2 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 3.0 APG to help the team get to their 17th NBA championship in franchise history. His famous interview after winning the championship, where he screamt to the microphone saying 'Anything is Possible', remains fresh in the heads of all the NBA fans.

#3 Anthony Davis

Los Angeles Clippers v Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis secured a deal to go to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2019-20 season. He was a stalwart in the team and was key to their hopes of getting to the championship. The season was disrupted by Covid and the remaining half of the season was subsequently played in the Orlando Bubble.

AD continued his brilliance for the Lakers there as he put in some big performances to help the Lakers get to the NBA Finals in 2020. In the six-game series against the Miami Heat, Davis averaged 25.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG and 3.2 APG, all while shooting 57.1% from the field. His ability to produce magic on offense and defense was of great help to the Lakers, as it helped LeBron play with more freedom on the court.

#2 Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard during the 2019 NBA Finals - Game Two

Kawhi Leonard was a two-time NBA champion when he moved to the Toronto Raptors in 2018. He was brought into the team to win the championship for them. Although Kawhi didn't feature in all 82 games during the regular season, he was a mainstay in the team's run to winning the championship.

His brilliant two-way ability helped the Raptors get past many opponents that season. He continued leading the charge for the team during the playoffs. His famous game-winner in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, remains as one of the best clutch shots in the history of the game. Kawhi showed up in the series against Milwaukee and knocked the Greek Freak out before meeting the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Raptors were not picked as favorites by many, however, and with injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, their road to glory was made easier. Kawhi was awarded the Finals MVP for his exemplary performances during the postseason. After winning the ring with the Raptors, Kawhi went to the Clippers and formed a formidable duo with Paul George.

#1 Kevin Durant

Oklahoma City Thunder v Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant made a name for himself during his stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was named the MVP there, however, the one thing that he fell short of there was the NBA championship. After coming close several times, KD was done with OKC and decided to move to the strong Golden State Warriors team in 2016.

He played alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green which made things extremely easy for him. KD was splendid in the regular season as he averaged 25.1 PPG on a career-best 53.7% shooting from the field. But it was his performance in the postseason that people were looking forward to. KD didn't disappoint anyone as he was special there.

To put his 2017 playoffs into numbers, he averaged 28.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.3 APG all while shooting at a staggering 55.6 % from the field. KD was brilliant in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 5.4 APG in the five-game series. His brilliance there helped him win NBA Finals MVP honors and secure his first ring as a player.