# Latest a player joined a team and won a championship? Luckiest athelte? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 29, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424 "2024-08-29T16:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/21 "2024-08-30T17:45:40Z")
I wonder in real life if any lucky guy in real life can beat Terrance Gore with 3 World Series rings. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/22 "2024-08-30T17:48:55Z")
That is why I brought up Bob Cerv with either 6 or 7 and having never started for those teams. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/23 "2024-08-30T17:56:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I used to think of John Salley when I thought of relatively lucky players A similar story is that of Robert Horry, although he was probably a better producer on the court than Salley. He hit some really big clutch shots during his playoff career. Horry played for four teams in a 16-year career, and won _seven_ NBA championships. He is one of only nine NBA players to have won that many, and the only one who didn’t play on the 1960s Celtic dynasty teams. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/24 "2024-08-30T18:06:54Z")
I think it was Dahntay Jones…played exactly 1 regular season game with the cavs that year then did some mop-up duty in a couple playoff games and got his ring. Not bad work if you can get it! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/25 "2024-08-30T18:20:12Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I think he would win the award for the answer to the OP. He wasn’t on the roster at any time during the regular season. Doubtful if that’s ever happened in the NFL or the NBA. It’s happened a few times in the NBA. Just a few years ago Luca Vildoza got into seven games in the playoffs with the Bucks, and he STILL hasn’t played in a regular season game. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/26 "2024-08-30T18:38:53Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I wonder in real life if any lucky guy in real life can beat Terrance Gore with 3 World Series rings. Will Smith (the pitcher, not the catcher or the actor/singer) has won three World Series with three different teams in the three (most recent) consecutive years. He’s going for ring #4 with the Royals right now! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/27 "2024-08-30T18:40:21Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Just a few years ago Luca Vildoza got into seven games in the playoffs with the Bucks According to his Wiki page, that was in 2022. The Bucks did not win the championship that year, which was one of the questions by the OP. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/28 "2024-08-30T18:50:18Z")
In the NFL, in 1996, wide receiver Andre Rison, who had been a Pro Bowler a few years earlier with the Falcons, was playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and got cut after a miscommunication between himself and quarterback Mark Brunell led to an interception. Rison apparently had an ongoing feud with Brunell, and the Jags must have decided he wasn’t worth the headache. The Green Bay Packers, who had suffered several injuries to their receiving corps, signed Rison as a free agent a few days later (November 20th). He went on to play in all five of the Packers’ remaining regular season games (starting four), as well as playing for the team in the playoffs; in Super Bowl XXXI, Rison caught the game’s first touchdown, and won his only Super Bowl ring. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/29 "2024-08-30T20:04:15Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Will Smith (the pitcher, not the catcher or the actor/singer) has won three World Series with three different teams in the three (most recent) consecutive years. He’s going for ring #4 with the Royals right now! That man knows how to get traded to the right team! Is he a regular player on the teams he gets on? He plays a normal amount of games? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/30 "2024-08-30T20:37:29Z")
He’s a very adequate/average relief pitcher who gets tons of appearances. He’s aided by the fact that he’s a lefty. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/31 "2024-08-30T20:46:15Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > He’s a very adequate/average relief pitcher who gets tons of appearances. That’s a good description of his career, but this year has not been great for him. He’s currently on the Injured List, and he’s 0-4, with a 6.93 ERA, 1 save, and 1 blown save. He does have 8 Holds, so he’s had his moments. /end hijack ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/32 "2024-10-06T16:13:59Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Will Smith (the pitcher, not the catcher or the actor/singer) has won three World Series with three different teams in the three (most recent) consecutive years. He’s going for ring #4 with the Royals right now! His streak attempt is still alive! Royals still in the mix! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/33 "2024-10-06T18:52:30Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > His streak attempt is still alive! Royals still in the mix He’s not on the active roster, at least for the series against the Yankees. He is still on the 40-man roster, so he could be activated later. But, as you say, his streak is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/34 "2024-10-06T19:02:46Z")
Smith pitched 45 games in KC and would doubtless get a ring even if he didn’t pitch in the postseason. He is credited with a World Series win in 2022 but he didn’t pitch in the playoffs. If KC wins the World Series, he’d be the first person to ever win it with four different franchises **at all** , much less in four straight years. We’re up to 15 guys having won it with 3 different franchises. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/35 "2024-10-06T19:12:29Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Smith pitched 45 games in KC and would doubtless get a ring even if he didn’t pitch in the postseason. Which is why I said his streak is still alive. He went on the IL in late August and is still there. He last pitched on 8/26. Doubtful if he will pitch in the postseason. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424/36 "2024-10-07T17:02:56Z")
NHL - Ken Dryden played 6 games late in the 1970-71 season, and he and his team (Montreal) won the Stanley Cup. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-a-player-joined-a-team-and-won-a-championship-luckiest-athelte/1006424.md?page=1)