Top 5 former Kentucky stars to win NBA championship ft. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The accolades keep on coming for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City guard made history on Sunday, becoming the first Kentucky player to win the MVP award and the NBA championship in the same season following the Thunder's Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

READ MORE: Kentucky honors Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's NBA MVP win with special gesture: "You've always been one of one"

With OKC's win in the NBA Finals decider, Gilgeous-Alexander and teammate Cason Wallace joined an exclusive list of Kentucky players who won an NBA title in their basketball careers. Let's take a look at the top 5 former Kentucky stars who captured a championship in the NBA.

Top 5 Kentucky stars to win an NBA title ft. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

#1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played one season in the collegiate ranks before making the jump to the NBA, suiting up for the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2017-18 campaign. He helped Kentucky win the 2018 SEC Tournament and reach the Sweet 16 of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (#2) of the Oklahoma City Thunder speaks to the press after defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025. Photo: Getty

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers before he was traded to Oklahoma City in 2019. He played six seasons with the Thunder, leading them to their second-ever appearance in the Finals this year. Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC to victory, winning the Finals MVP award after averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 dimes, 4.6 boards, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks against Indiana.

#2 Pat Riley

Pat Riley played four seasons in college, suiting up for Kentucky's freshman team in the 1963-64 campaign before joining the Wildcats' varsity side from 1964 to 1967. He won the SEC Player of the Year and the NCAA Regional Player of the Year in the 1965-66 season. Riley also helped Kentucky reach the national championship game in 1966.

The San Diego Rockets selected Riley with the No. 7 pick in the 1967 NBA Draft. He played four seasons there before he joined Portland through the expansion draft. The Blazers shipped Riley to the Los Angeles Lakers, with the former Kentucky star winning his first-ever NBA title in the 1971-72 season.

Riley won five more championships with the Lakers as a coach before capturing three additional titles with the Miami Heat. His last two titles in 2012 and 2013 came during the era of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, with Riley serving as the team's president during that period.

#3 Frank Ramsey

Frank Ramsey played three seasons with Kentucky from 1950 to 1954. He helped the Wildcats win one national championship during that period, leading the school to victory in the 1951 NCAA Tournament. He scored nine points and grabbed four boards in Kentucky's 68-58 win over Kansas State.

Ramsey continued to find success when he joined the Boston Celtics in the NBA. He won seven titles with the Celtics, capturing his first-ever NBA championship in 1957 before racking up six in a row from 1959 to 1964.

#4 Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis played just one season in college, suiting up for Kentucky in the 2011-12 NCAA campaign. He made the most of his freshman year, helping the Wildcats win the 2012 NCAA Tournament. He stuffed the stat sheet in the national championship game against Kansas, amassing six points, 16 rebounds, six blocks, five dimes and three steals in Kentucky's 67-59 win.

Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James (#23) and Anthony Davis (#3). Photo: Imagn

Davis played seven seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans after he was selected first in the 2012 NBA Draft. He got traded to the Lakers in 2019, helping Los Angeles win the championship the following year inside the Florida bubble. Davis showed his worth in the series against Miami, averaging 25.0 points, 10.7 boards and 2.0 blocks.

#5 Antoine Walker

Antoine Walker was part of Rick Pitino's team that won the national championship for Kentucky in 1996. He played a major role in that successful season, averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in his sophomore year.

He joined the NBA following that title win, with the Boston Celtics selecting him third in the 1996 Draft. He had to wait 10 seasons before winning his first and only NBA championship, helping the Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Finals.

Edited by Nadim El Kak