Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
NBA champions
References & Edit History
Images
2024 NBA champions Bar chart showing Number of NBA Championships Won by Team.
Britannica AI Icon

Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
2024 NBA champions
2024 NBA champions Jaylen Brown holding the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA title, 2024.

NBA champions

Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History
Top Questions

Who are the last five NBA champions?

What trophy is awarded to the NBA champions?

NBA champions, winners of the annual playoff basketball tournament that takes place after every National Basketball Association season. The NBA playoffs consist of a 16-team bracket wherein the teams play consecutive best-of-seven-games series in each round. The six teams in each conference (Eastern and Western) with the best regular-season records automatically qualifyβ€”and are seeded sequentiallyβ€”for the postseason. The final two seeds in each conference are determined by a series of play-in games contested between the teams with the 7th- through 10th-best regular-season records: the winner of the 7-8 game becomes the 7th seed; the loser of that game plays the winner of the 9-10 game to determine the 8th seed. The champion is awarded the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which is named after former league commissioner (1975–84) Larry O’Brien. Below is a list of NBA Finals results.

Table of NBA champions

National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship
season winner runner-up results
1946–47 Philadelphia Warriors Chicago Stags 4–1
1947–48 Baltimore Bullets Philadelphia Warriors 4–2
1948–49 Minneapolis Lakers Washington Capitols 4–2
1949–50 Minneapolis Lakers Syracuse Nationals 4–2
1950–51 Rochester Royals New York Knickerbockers 4–3
1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers New York Knickerbockers 4–3
1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers New York Knickerbockers 4–1
1953–54 Minneapolis Lakers Syracuse Nationals 4–3
1954–55 Syracuse Nationals Fort Wayne Pistons 4–3
1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors Fort Wayne Pistons 4–1
1956–57 Boston Celtics St. Louis Hawks 4–3
1957–58 St. Louis Hawks Boston Celtics 4–2
1958–59 Boston Celtics Minneapolis Lakers 4–0
1959–60 Boston Celtics St. Louis Hawks 4–3
1960–61 Boston Celtics St. Louis Hawks 4–1
1961–62 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1962–63 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
1963–64 Boston Celtics San Francisco Warriors 4–1
1964–65 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–1
1965–66 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers San Francisco Warriors 4–2
1967–68 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
1968–69 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1969–70 New York Knickerbockers Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks Baltimore Bullets 4–0
1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers New York Knickerbockers 4–1
1972–73 New York Knickerbockers Los Angeles Lakers 4–1
1973–74 Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks 4–3
1974–75 Golden State Warriors Washington Bullets 4–0
1975–76 Boston Celtics Phoenix Suns 4–2
1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers Philadelphia 76ers 4–2
1977–78 Washington Bullets Seattle SuperSonics 4–3
1978–79 Seattle SuperSonics Washington Bullets 4–1
1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia 76ers 4–2
1980–81 Boston Celtics Houston Rockets 4–2
1981–82 Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia 76ers 4–2
1982–83 Philadelphia 76ers Los Angeles Lakers 4–0
1983–84 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics 4–2
1985–86 Boston Celtics Houston Rockets 4–2
1986–87 Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics 4–2
1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers Detroit Pistons 4–3
1988–89 Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers 4–0
1989–90 Detroit Pistons Portland Trail Blazers 4–1
1990–91 Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Lakers 4–1
1991–92 Chicago Bulls Portland Trail Blazers 4–2
1992–93 Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns 4–2
1993–94 Houston Rockets New York Knickerbockers 4–3
1994–95 Houston Rockets Orlando Magic 4–0
1995–96 Chicago Bulls Seattle SuperSonics 4–2
1996–97 Chicago Bulls Utah Jazz 4–2
1997–98 Chicago Bulls Utah Jazz 4–2
1998–99 San Antonio Spurs New York Knickerbockers 4–1
1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers Indiana Pacers 4–2
2000–01 Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia 76ers 4–1
2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers New Jersey Nets 4–0
2002–03 San Antonio Spurs New Jersey Nets 4–2
2003–04 Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers 4–1
2004–05 San Antonio Spurs Detroit Pistons 4–3
2005–06 Miami Heat Dallas Mavericks 4–2
2006–07 San Antonio Spurs Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0
2007–08 Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers Orlando Magic 4–1
2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics 4–3
2010–11 Dallas Mavericks Miami Heat 4–2
2011–12 Miami Heat Oklahoma City Thunder 4–1
2012–13 Miami Heat San Antonio Spurs 4–3
2013–14 San Antonio Spurs Miami Heat 4–1
2014–15 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers 4–2
2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors 4–3
2016–17 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers 4–1
2017–18 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0
2018–19 Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors 4–2
2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat 4–2
2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks Phoenix Suns 4–2
2021–22 Golden State Warriors Boston Celtics 4–2
2022–23 Denver Nuggets Miami Heat 4–1
2023–24 Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks 4–1
2024–25 Oklahoma City Thunder Indiana Pacers 4βˆ’3
2025–26 New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs 4–1

NBA champions over time

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking β€œSign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.