List of NBA champions

Last updated

The Boston Celtics have won the most championships of any NBA team. Shown are the championship banners hanging in their home arena, TD Garden. BostonCelticsChampionshipBanners.jpg
The Boston Celtics have won the most championships of any NBA team. Shown are the championship banners hanging in their home arena, TD Garden.

The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970), except in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and Central Division champions. From 1946 through 1949, when the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the playoffs were a three-stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals. [1] [2] [3] The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which is awarded since 1977 (between 1947 and 1976 the winning team received the Walter A. Brown Trophy). [4]

Contents

The current home-and-away format in the NBA Finals is 2–2–1–1–1 (the team with the better regular season record plays on its home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7), which has been used in 1947, 1948, [5] 19501952, [6] [7] [8] 19571970, 19721974, 1976, 1977, 19791984, and since 2014. It was previously in a 2–3–2 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on its home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7) during 1949, 19531955, and 19852013, [9] [10] in a 1–1–1–1–1–1–1 format in 1956 and 1971, [11] [12] and in a 1–2–2–1–1 format in 1975 and 1978. [13] [14]

As of 2024, the Eastern champions have a 41–37 advantage in NBA titles over the Western champions, with their most recent being the Boston Celtics who have won 18 titles, the most of any team in the league. [15]

Usa edcp location map.svg
White pog.svg
Trail Blazers
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Bullets
White pog.svg
Bullets*
Blue pog.svg
Knicks
Blue pog.svg
76ers
Blue pog.svg
Warriors
White pog.svg
Raptors
Purple pog.svg
Celtics
Orange pog.svg
Spurs
Green pog.svg
Heat
White pog.svg
Nats
Red pog.svg
Bulls
Blue pog.svg
Bucks
White pog.svg
Mavericks
Blue pog.svg
Rockets
Green pog.svg
Pistons
Orange pog.svg
Lakers
White pog.svg
Hawks
White pog.svg
Royals
White pog.svg
Cavaliers
White pog.svg
SuperSonics
Purple pog.svg
Warriors
White pog.svg
Nuggets
Purple pog.svg
Lakers
Location of NBA champions by number of titles: 1 – white, 2 – blue, 3 – green, 4 – yellow, 5 – orange, 6 – red, 7 or more – purple, * – denotes defunct

Champions

BoldWinning team of the BAA/NBA Finals
ItalicsTeam with home-court advantage
Italics Finals MVP was on losing team
Only defunct team to win championship

Results by team

TeamWinLossAppsPctYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
Boston Celtics 18523.783 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008, 2024 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010, 2022
Los Angeles Lakers [lower-roman 1] 171532.531 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008
Golden State Warriors [lower-roman 2] 7512.583 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019
Chicago Bulls 6061.000 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
San Antonio Spurs 516.833 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 2013
Philadelphia 76ers [lower-roman 3] 369.333 1955, 1967, 1983 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001
Detroit Pistons [lower-roman 4] 347.429 1989, 1990, 2004 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
Miami Heat 347.429 2006, 2012, 2013 2011, 2014, 2020, 2023
New York Knicks 268.250 1970, 1973 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999
Houston Rockets 224.500 1994, 1995 1981, 1986
Milwaukee Bucks 213.667 1971, 2021 1974
Cleveland Cavaliers 145.200 2016 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018
Atlanta Hawks [lower-roman 5] 134.250 1958 1957, 1960, 1961
Washington Wizards [lower-roman 6] 134.250 1978 1971, 1975, 1979
Oklahoma City Thunder [lower-roman 7] 134.250 1979 1978, 1996, 2012
Portland Trail Blazers 123.333 1977 1990, 1992
Dallas Mavericks 123.333 2011 2006, 2024
Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) [lower-roman 8] 1011.000 1948
Sacramento Kings [lower-roman 9] 1011.000 1951
Toronto Raptors 1011.000 2019
Denver Nuggets 1011.000 2023
Phoenix Suns 033.000 1976, 1993, 2021
Utah Jazz 022.000 1997, 1998
Brooklyn Nets [lower-roman 10] 022.000 2002, 2003
Orlando Magic 022.000 1995, 2009
Chicago Stags (folded in 1950)011.000 1947
Washington Capitols (folded in 1951)011.000 1949
Indiana Pacers 011.000 2000
Charlotte Hornets
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
  1. Includes record as Minneapolis Lakers
  2. Includes record as Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors
  3. Includes record as Syracuse Nationals
  4. Includes record as Fort Wayne Pistons
  5. Includes record as St. Louis Hawks
  6. Includes record as Baltimore and Washington Bullets
  7. Includes record as Seattle SuperSonics
  8. Not affiliated with the present-day Washington Wizards, known as the Baltimore Bullets from 1963 to 1973.
  9. Includes record as Rochester Royals
  10. Includes record as New York and New Jersey Nets

Consecutive championships

Eight consecutive

Three consecutive

Two consecutive

Frequent matchups

CountMatchupRecordYears
12 Boston Celtics vs Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers Celtics, 9–3 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984, 1985, 1987, 2008, 2010
6 Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers vs Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers Lakers, 5–1 1950, 1954, 1980, 1982, 1983, 2001
5 Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks Lakers, 3–2 1952, 1953, 1970, 1972, 1973
4 Boston Celtics vs St. Louis Hawks (Atlanta Hawks) Celtics, 3–1 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961
4 Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers Warriors, 3–1 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
3 Detroit Pistons vs Los Angeles Lakers Pistons, 2–1 1988, 1989, 2004
2 Seattle SuperSonics (Oklahoma City Thunder) vs Washington Bullets (Washington Wizards) Tied, 1–1 1978, 1979
2 Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets Celtics, 2–0 1981, 1986
2 Chicago Bulls vs Utah Jazz Bulls, 2–0 1997, 1998
2 Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Tied, 1–1 2006, 2011
2 Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs Tied, 1–1 2013, 2014
2 Boston Celtics vs San Francisco/Golden State Warriors Tied, 1–1 1964, 2022

See also

Notes

  1. The Finals MVP Award was first awarded in 1969.
  2. Minneapolis was the Central Division (now defunct, no relation to the current Central Division) playoff champion, while the Anderson Packers were the Western Division playoff champion. [19] Due to the NBA's realignment into three divisions, [20] [21] the team with the best regular season record after the Divisional Finals advanced automatically to the NBA Finals, while the other two teams faced off in the NBA Semifinals to determine the other finalist. Eastern Division playoff champion Syracuse had the best regular season record among the division playoff champions, causing Minneapolis to face Anderson in the NBA Semifinals. [19] [22]
  3. The trophy was renamed for Walter A. Brown.
  4. The trophy was replaced by a new design. [50] [51]
  5. The trophy was renamed for Larry O'Brien.
  6. After a lockout, the season started on February 5, 1999, and all 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule. [74]
  7. After a lockout, the season started on December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule. [88] [89]
  8. The 2019–20 NBA season was delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and finished in October 2020 with a bubble tournament. [98]

Related Research Articles

The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Detroit Pistons won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the San Diego Rockets were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Three expansion franchises, the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the seventh, the eighth and the ninth pick in each round. In the first round, the Cavaliers had the seventh pick, while the Blazers and the Braves had the eighth and the ninth pick respectively. In the subsequent rounds, the Cavaliers and the Braves exchanged their order of selection, while the Blazers had the eighth pick throughout the draft. The draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising the selection of 239 players; it holds the record for the most prospects selected in any NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtics–Lakers rivalry</span> NBA rivalry

The Celtics–Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has been called the greatest in the league. The teams have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, with their first such meeting being in 1959. They would both go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and 1980s, facing each other in the Finals six times in the 1960s, three times in the 1980s, and recently in 2008 and 2010.

The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. All teams, except the Suns, are based in California. Along with the American League West of Major League Baseball, they are one of two North American major league divisions with no animal themed nicknames.

The 1972 NBA draft was the 26th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 10 and 15, 1972 before the 1972–73 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Portland Trail Blazers won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Buffalo Braves were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. As a result of last year's supplemental hardship draft, the Cincinnati Royals, the Atlanta Hawks, the Golden State Warriors and the Baltimore Bullets forfeited their first-round picks, while the Los Angeles Lakers forfeited their fourth round pick. Prior to the start of the season, the Cincinnati Royals relocated and became the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. The draft consisted of 18 rounds comprising the selection of 198 players.

The 1962 NBA draft was the 16th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 26, 1962, before the 1962–63 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. In each round, the teams selected in reverse order of their won–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, then select any player from within a 50-mile radius of its home arena as their territorial pick. The Chicago Packers, who finished last in the previous season, were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs. The Philadelphia Warriors relocated to San Francisco and became the San Francisco Warriors prior to the start of the season. The draft consisted of 16 rounds, comprising 102 players selected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 NBA playoffs</span> Postseason tournament of the NBA

The 2009 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP.

The 2010 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2009-10 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.

The 2009–10 Boston Celtics season was the 64th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics finished with a record of 50–32, a 12 win drop off from the previous season. They finished 1st in the Atlantic Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference.

The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010–11 NBA season</span> 65th NBA season

The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Chicago's Derrick Rose was named the 2010–11 NBA MVP.

The 2011–12 NBA season was the 66th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which began with the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the owners of the 30 NBA teams and the NBA's players. The previous CBA, which was ratified in 2005, expired at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011, resulting in a lockout. With the new deal in place, the regular season was shortened from the normal 82 games per team to 66, because of nearly two months of inactivity. This was the league's first season since 1991–92 without Shaquille O'Neal, who announced his retirement on June 1, 2011, via social media. A 4-time champion, O'Neal played 19 years for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. The season began on Christmas Day 2011, and ended on April 26, 2012. The playoffs started on April 28 and ended on June 21 when the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of their series, 121–106, winning the Finals, 4–1 and to capture the franchise's second NBA title. LeBron James was named both the season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP. The NBA regular season would not begin again in December until the 2020–21 NBA season.

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