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Having several NBA All-Stars on a team is a huge boost towards winning a championship. All-Star players are premiere players who have the potential to become major contributors. However, having plenty of All-Stars isn't exactly the only way to win gold. In fact, some teams have managed to win it all without having a plethora of stars. Here are the 10 NBA teams that won a championship with the fewest All-Stars.
Check out the gallery.
9 (tie). 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers – 4
All-Stars: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Mo Williams
The 2016 NBA Finals run was the hardest championship path in LeBron James' career. Not only was he pressured to fulfill his promise against a 73-9 Warriors team, but he only had three teammates with All-Star experience. It also didn't help that Mo Williams was already on his last legs. Nonetheless, James carried the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back by mounting a comeback that allowed them to historically become the first Finals team to claw out of a 3-1 series hole.
9 (tie). 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs – 4
All-Stars: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley
The San Antonio Spurs were one of the best franchises that could win championship with the least amount of resources. Headlined by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs only had four players with All-Star experience that won a championship in 2007. The team took care of business against an inexperienced LeBron James-led Cavaliers via a sweep.
4 (tie). 1993-94 Houston Rockets – 3
All-Stars: Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Sam Cassell
With Michael Jordan's shocking retirement, the NBA championship picture was broken wide open. But among the teams that capitalized, it was Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets who captured the 1994 NBA title. Olajuwon silenced his doubters, making sure that the Rockets made the right choice in selecting him over Jordan at the 1984 NBA Draft.
4 (tie). 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers – 3
All-Stars: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Horace Grant
The Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s were dominated by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. To make matters more interesting, the 2000-01 roster actually only featured three All-Stars, which were Bryant, O'Neal, and an aging Horace Grant. Although it wasn't ideal, the duo of Bryant and O'Neal was so dominant that their playoff run only suffered one loss en route to a back-to-back.
4 (tie). 1994-95 Houston Rockets – 3
All-Stars: Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Sam Cassell
Winning the 1994 NBA championship was already a breakthrough feat. However, Olajuwon and the Rockets weren't done. At the 1995 NBA trade deadline, the team engaged in a blockbuster trade for Clyde Drexler, a former college teammate of Olajuwon back at the University of Houston. The reunion paved the way for a back-to-back for Houston.
4 (tie). 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers – 3
All-Stars: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
After falling at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, there were plenty of questions whether Bryant could lead the Lakers to a championship without O'Neal, especially with a roster that had a handful of imperfections. Nonetheless, bringing Pau Gasol to Los Angeles was worth it in the end, giving the Black Mamba a reliable running mate to finally capture a title in the post-Shaq era.
4 (tie). 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers – 3
All-Stars: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Mitch Richmond
The 2001-02 Lakers won the title to complete the three-peat, the first since Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in 1998. To make matters more interesting, the team was again headlined by both Bryant and O'Neal. It also marked the final time that the Black Mamba and Big Diesel won a championship together.
1 (tie). 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder – 2
All-Stars: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams
The Oklahoma City Thunder silenced their critics when they captured the 2025 NBA championship. Despite their youth, the Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship thanks to their depth and leadership by All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. SGA, the 2024-25 NBA MVP, also defied the MVP curse, cementing himself as the best rising star in the NBA.
1 (tie). 1998-99 San Antonio Spurs – 2
All-Stars: Tim Duncan, David Robinson
Early on, the Spurs were cellar dwellers in the NBA. However, drafting both David Robinson and Tim Duncan changed the complexion of the franchise and elevated the team as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. Robinson and Duncan formed a solid twin-tower combination that allowed San Antonio to win its first title in franchise history during the 1998-99 season.
1 (tie). 2022-23 Denver Nuggets – 2
All-Stars: Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan
Nikola Jokic cemented his legacy as the best player in Denver Nuggets history when Jokic led the team to the 2023 NBA title. To make matters more interesting, the Serbian star was the lone reigning All-Star of the team during the 2022-23 season with only DeAndre Jordan as the only other player who had prior All-Star Game experience. At that time, Jordan was already way past his prime. Nonetheless, it was Jokic's dominance coupled with the stellar play of his underrated teammates.
