Former Oregon State Basketball Players Who Have Won An NBA Championship

As of 2026, nine former Oregon State men's basketball players have captured at-least one NBA title.

As the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks for the 2025-2026 crown, here's a look at the former Beavs who have hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Red Rocha - Syracuse Nationals - 1955

One of the earliest stars of the Oregon State basketball program, the Hawaii native claimed his only title with the Syracuse Nationals, the predecessor of the Philadelphia 76ers. The 6'9" center averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds that season for Syracuse.

Mel Counts - Boston Celtics - 1965, 1966

After his days in Corvallis, the Coos Bay native began his career with Boston in the middle of a Celtics dynasty. There he played backup to an all-time great in Bill Russell, winning championships in both of his first two seasons. The seven-footer averaged 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds across 14 playoff games with the Celtics.

Dave Gambee - Philadelphia 76ers - 1967

A Corvallis High School product, Gambee enjoyed a 12-year career in the NBA. One of the highlights was helping the Philadelphia 76ers capture their first NBA title after relocating from Syracuse. Led by Wilt Chamberlain, the 76ers won the 1967 championship with Gambee scoring 6.5 points per game and grabbing 3.1 rebounds per game during the regular season.

Lonnie Shelton - Seattle SuperSonics - 1979

Shelton helped Seattle capture their only NBA title, playing meaningful minutes off of the bench. The power forward from Bakersfield averaged 13.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds in the Sonics' championship season.

A.C. Green - Los Angeles Lakers - 1987, 1988, 2000

A Portland native, Green was a key starter in the "Showtime" Lakers era of the 1980s and into the 1990s. Green returned to the Lakers in the twilight of his career for Los Angeles' 2000 title alongside Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal.

Gary Payton - Miami Heat - 2006

A Naismith Hall of Famer, "The Glove" captured just one NBA title in his storied career, as a reserve on a Miami Heat that included prime Dwayne Wade, as well as Shaquille O'Neal. Payton was a nine-time All-Star during his time in the NBA.

Brent Barry - San Antonio Spurs - 2005, 2007

The former Beaver spent 14 seasons in the NBA with six different franchises. Serving as a veteran role player for the Spurs in the early 2000's, Barry helped capture two titles with San Antonio, shooting over 40 percent for his career from beyond the three-point line.

Eric Moreland - Toronto Raptors - 2019

If Moreland doesn't get another chance to play in the NBA, he can say he went out on a high note. Moreland appeared in four regular season games and eight playoff games for the Toronto Raptors in their championship 2018-2019 campaign. Moreland has played overseas since, primarily in China.

Gary Payton II - Golden State Warriors - 2022

Now a decade into his NBA career, Gary Payton II is the most recent Beaver to bring home an NBA title. Payton played the most minutes per game of his career in the 2021-2022 season. That season, he scored 7.1 points per game during the regular season as the Golden State Warriors captured their fourth title in seven years.

About State of the Beavs

Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.

Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com

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