A list of players who have won the NBA finals and Olympic gold medal in the same year

Overall, since NBA players were allowed to participate in the Olympics, there have been only six players who have won an NBA title and a gold medal at the Olympics in the same year. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are the latest additions to the list. They are also only the second set of teammates to achieve this feat and the first since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did so in 1992. So, let’s take a look at these six players.

Michael Jordan

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Micheal Jordan finally achieved his greatest achievements, leading the Chicago Bulls to an NBA Championship in 1992. He averaged 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the Finals. And then, U.S. Dream Team defeated Croatia 117-85 to win the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics. Jordan scored 22 points in just 23 minutes played.

Scottie Pippen

Pippen is the only player to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996). Pippen won the NBA championship with Chicago Bulls in 1992. He won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He achieved the same feat again when he clinched the 1996 NBA championship and then gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

LeBron James

LeBron James won his second Olympic gold medal and his first NBA title in the same year. He clinched his first NBA title with the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA finals and then bagged the gold in the 2012 London Olympic games. He scored 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists in the gold medal match.

Kyrie Irving

Irving clinched his first NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year. He led Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title in franchise history. Irving averaged 27.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in the Finals. And then bagged gold with the USA team in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Khris Middleton

Middleton recently joined the elite list of players who have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year. He won the NBA title with Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA finals against the Phoenix Suns. And then won the gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday clinched the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 finals. He averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game in the Finals. He then joined the USA team and bagged a gold in the Tokyo Olympics. Holiday scored 11 points against France in the gold medal match.

Here’s the complete list of players-