After a thrilling seven-game series, the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the 2025 NBA championship with a 103–91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Leading the charge was 26-year-old Shai Gilgeous–Alexander, who not only delivered his first NBA title but also capped off an incredible season as the league MVP.
SGA’s standout season saw him lead the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. His poise, leadership, and all-around dominance not only earned him the Most Valuable Player award but also put him in elite company by securing an NBA championship at just 26 years old—an age when legends like LeBron James and Michael Jordan were still chasing their first rings.
By age 26, neither LeBron James nor Michael Jordan had won an NBA title. LeBron captured his first championship at age 27 during the 2012 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. That year, the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder—then led by a young trio of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden. In that series, LeBron averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, marking the start of a dominant chapter in his career.
Michael Jordan, on the other hand, claimed his first ring at age 28. He led the Chicago Bulls to victory over Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals. It was a historic moment for the Bulls, who were making their first appearance in the NBA Finals. Jordan was sensational, averaging 31.2 points per game, along with 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks.
LeBron James’ championship timeline
Now in his 22nd season and at 40 years old, LeBron James has won four NBA championships. His first two came in back-to-back seasons with the Heat in 2012 (age 27) and 2013 (age 28). The Heat would return to the Finals the following year but fell to the San Antonio Spurs, marking the end of James’ Miami tenure.
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Michael Jordan and LeBron James appear to agree on how to define the NBA’s greatest player of all time
He returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers and delivered the franchise’s first and only championship in 2016, at age 31, famously overcoming a 3–1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. LeBron earned his fourth and most recent title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, at age 35, during the pandemic-impacted NBA Bubble season.
Michael Jordan’s legendary six rings
Michael Jordan’s career is the stuff of basketball legend. After entering the league in 1984, he won his first three championships between 1991 and 1993 (ages 28–30), completing what would become known as his first three-peat.
Jordan then shocked the sports world by retiring from basketball in 1993 to pursue a brief baseball career with the Chicago White Sox organization, playing for their Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons.
After returning to the NBA, Jordan picked up right where he left off, leading the Bulls to another three-peat from 1996 to 1998 (ages 33–35). He retired once again in 1999, before making a final comeback with the Washington Wizards in 2001. Jordan played two seasons in Washington, though his stint there is widely considered underwhelming. He officially retired for good in 2003.
