paragraph_text: In the summer of 2005, Riley brought in veteran free agent Gary Payton from the Boston Celtics, and also brought in James Posey, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker via trades. After a disappointing 11 -- 10 start to the 2005 -- 06 season, Riley relieved Van Gundy of his duties and took back the head coaching job. The Heat made it to the Conference Finals in 2006 and in a re-match, defeated the Pistons, winning the series 4 -- 2. Making its first NBA Finals appearance, they played the Dallas Mavericks, who won the first two games in Dallas in routs. The Heat then won the next four games, capturing its first ever championship. Wade won the Finals MVP award.

paragraph_text: The oldest player ever to play in the NBA was Nat Hickey who played one game in the 1947 -- 48 season when he was 45 years and 363 days old. Hickey, who was coaching the Providence Steamrollers at the time, decided to activate himself and played in a game for the Steamrollers. In his first and only game as a player for the Steamrollers, he missed all six of his shot attempts and only scored two points from three free throw attempts. The second oldest player is Kevin Willis. Willis, who had played 20 seasons (excluding the 1988 -- 89 season he missed due to injury) in the league before he sat out the 2005 -- 06 season and earned a contract with the Dallas Mavericks on April 2, 2007. He then played 5 games for the Mavericks at the age of 44. The third oldest player is Hall of Famer Robert Parish. Parish, who starred with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, played his last season with the Chicago Bulls at the age of 43. He played in 1,611 regular season games during his 21 - year career, more than any other player in NBA history. When the Bulls won the 1997 Finals, Parish became the oldest player ever to win the NBA championship. There are currently 27 players who played in the NBA after they turned 40.

paragraph_text: The 1968–69 British Home Championship was the third edition of the tournament to be held while England were World Champions following their victory in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The tournament was reverted to its pre-First World War format, being played at the end of the season in a short period of time, to relax the demands on the players during the competitive season. England re-emphasised their dominance over the British game with a second comfortable win in a row. The tournament began with the favourites England and Scotland securing comfortable (if dramatic) wins over their weaker opponents, before England repeated the feat in a tougher game against Wales and Scotland were held to a draw by Ireland. Going into the final game needing a win, the Scots were thoroughly beaten by a strong English team, who took the trophy in a 4–1 victory.

paragraph_text: The final playoff round, a best - of - seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor -- including coaches and the general manager -- on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series.

paragraph_text: The 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson. They have won three NBA championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in 1967, a team which was led by Chamberlain. The third title came in 1983, won by a team led by Erving and Malone. The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then: in 2001, where they were led by Iverson and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1.

paragraph_text: The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in the San Francisco Bay Area in Oakland, California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Warriors play their home games at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Warriors have reached ten NBA Finals, winning six NBA championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, and 2018. Golden State's six NBA championships are tied for third-most in NBA history with the Chicago Bulls, and behind only the Boston Celtics (17) and Los Angeles Lakers (16).

paragraph_text: Formed in 1988 as an expansion team, the Heat have won three league championships (in 2006, 2012 and 2013), five conference titles and eleven division titles. In 2013, the Heat won twenty - seven regular season games in a row, the third - longest streak in NBA history. In 2016, Forbes valued the Heat at $1.3 billion as the tenth most valuable among NBA franchises.

paragraph_text: The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010 -- 11 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in which the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 2 to win their first NBA championship. The series was held from May 31 to June 12, 2011. German player Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP, becoming the second European to win the award after Tony Parker (2007) and the first German player to do so. The series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, which the Heat had won in six games.

paragraph_text: The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2007 Finals as newcomers. Game 1 was their first NBA Finals game in franchise history, and the first for each of its players (other than reserve point guard Eric Snow). However, the San Antonio Spurs had been to the Finals in three of the past eight seasons, winning a championship each time. With solid performances by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili, the Spurs won the series opener in convincing fashion, limiting LeBron James to 14 points on 4 -- 16 shooting.

paragraph_text: Boston Celtics center Bill Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won with 11 titles during his 13 - year playing career. He won his first championship with the Boston Celtics in his rookie year. Afterwards, he went on to win 10 championships in the next 12 years, including eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. He won the last two championships in 1968 and 1969 as player - coach. Russell's teammate, Sam Jones, won 10 championships from 1959 to 1969, the second most in NBA history. Four Celtics players, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders and John Havlicek, won eight championships each. Two other Celtics, Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey, won seven championships each. Four players, Bob Cousy, Kareem Abdul - Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, won six championships each. Jordan and Pippen are members of the Chicago Bulls team who won three consecutive championships twice in the 1990s. George Mikan won 2 championships in the NBL before it merged with the BAA to form the NBA, and won 5 championships in the NBA.

paragraph_text: The 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson. They have won three NBA championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in the 1966 -- 67 season, a team which was led by Chamberlain. The third title came in the 1982 -- 83 season, won by a team led by Erving and Malone. The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then: in 2001, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1.

paragraph_text: The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2010 -- 11 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 2 to win their first NBA championship. Dallas became the last NBA team from Texas to win its first title, after the Houston Rockets won back - to - back titles in 1994 and 1995, and the San Antonio Spurs won four NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, and a fifth one subsequently in 2014; all three Texas NBA teams have now won at least one NBA championship. It was also the first time in four years that the Los Angeles Lakers did not make the Finals, having been swept in the Western Conference semifinals by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks.

paragraph_text: James played high school basketball at St. Vincent -- St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. After graduating, he was selected by his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. James led Cleveland to the franchise's first Finals appearance in 2007, ultimately losing to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in a highly publicized ESPN special titled The Decision. James spent four seasons with the Heat, reaching the Finals all four years and winning back - to - back championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he led Miami on a 27 - game winning streak, the third longest in league history. Following his final season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract and returned to the Cavaliers. From 2015 to 2017, he led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Finals, winning his third championship in 2016 to end Cleveland's 52 - year professional sports title drought.

paragraph_text: A total of 19 franchises have won the NBA Finals, with the Golden State Warriors the current champion. The Boston Celtics hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition 17 times, as well as winning the competition the most times in a row, winning it eight times from 1959 to 1966. The Los Angeles Lakers have contested the NBA Finals the most times, with 31 appearances. The Eastern Conference has provided the most champions, with 38 wins from ten franchises; the Western Conference has 32, from nine franchises.

paragraph_text: The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2008 -- 09 season. The best - of - seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending Western Conference champions), and the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic. The Lakers defeated the Magic, four games to one, to win the franchise's 15th NBA championship. The 63rd edition of the championship series was played between June 4 and June 14 and was broadcast on U.S. television on ABC.

paragraph_text: The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005 -- 06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the title in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the third team -- after the 1969 Celtics and the 1977 Trail Blazers -- to win a championship after trailing 0 -- 2 in the series. Heat guard Dwyane Wade was named Most Valuable Player of the series.

paragraph_text: With Bill Russell, the Celtics advanced to the 1957 NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 championships. Russell went on to win 11 championships, making him the most decorated player in NBA history. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers, the first of their record eight consecutive championships. During that time, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals five times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry that has spanned generations. In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to have an all African - American starting lineup. On December 26, 1964, Willie Naulls replaced an injured Tommy Heinsohn, joining Tom 'Satch' Sanders, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and Bill Russell in the starting lineup. The Celtics defeated St. Louis 97 -- 84. Boston won its next 11 games with Naulls starting in place of Heinsohn. The Celtics of the late - 1950s -- 1960s are widely considered as one of the most dominant teams of all time.

paragraph_text: The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they were responsible for popularizing the NBA worldwide. They are known for having one of the NBA's greatest dynasties, winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three - peats. All six championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships and never lose an NBA Finals series in their history.

paragraph_text: Most years in Finals (12) -- Bill Russell Most games played in Finals (70) -- Bill Russell Most career points in Finals (1,679) -- Jerry West Most career assists in Finals (584) -- Magic Johnson Most career rebounds in Finals (1,718) -- Bill Russell Most career blocks in Finals (116) -- Kareem Abdul - Jabbar Most career steals in Finals (102) -- Magic Johnson Most career turnovers in Finals (190) -- Magic Johnson

paragraph_text: The 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson. They have won three NBA championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in 1967, a team which was led by Chamberlain. The third title came in 1983, won by a team led by Erving and Malone. The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then: in 2001, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1.

Question: How many championships in a row were won by the person who played in the most NBA finals games?
Answer: eight