List of NBA champions facts for kids
The NBA Finals is the biggest championship series in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It happens at the end of the NBA season, after all the playoff games are done.
In the Finals, two top teams play each other. One team is the champion from the Eastern Conference, and the other is the champion from the Western Conference. Before 1970, these were called Divisions.
Every NBA Finals series has been played in a "best-of-seven" format. This means the first team to win four games becomes the champion.
The winning team gets a special prize called the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. This trophy has been given out since 1977. Before that, from 1947 to 1976, teams won the Walter A. Brown Trophy.
The way home games are shared in the NBA Finals is usually 2–2–1–1–1. This means the team that had a better record during the regular season gets to play at home for Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if needed).
As of 2024, teams from the Eastern Conference have won more NBA titles (41) than teams from the Western Conference (37). The Boston Celtics from the East have won the most titles, with 18 championships, including their recent win in 2024.
Contents
NBA Finals Champions
This section lists all the teams that have won the NBA Finals.
- The first number in parentheses for each team shows their playoff seed (how well they did in the regular season).
- The second number in parentheses shows how many times that team has been in the NBA Finals and their win-loss record there.
| Bold | This means the team won the BAA/NBA Finals. |
| Italics | This means the team had the advantage of playing more games at home. |
| Italics | The player who won the Finals MVP was on the team that lost the Finals. |
 |
This team no longer exists. |
| Year | Western champion | Coach | Result | Eastern champion | Coach | Finals MVP | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball Association of America (BAA) - The NBA's early name | |||||||
| 1947 | Chicago Stags (1) (1, 0–1) | Harold Olsen | 1–4 | Philadelphia Warriors (2) (1, 1–0) | Eddie Gottlieb | n/a | |
| 1948 | Baltimore Bullets (2) (1, 1–0) |
Buddy Jeannette | 4–2 | Philadelphia Warriors (1) (2, 1–1) | Eddie Gottlieb | ||
| 1949 | Minneapolis Lakers (2) (1, 1–0) | John Kundla | 4–2 | Washington Capitols (1) (1, 0–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| National Basketball Association (NBA) | |||||||
| 1950 | Minneapolis Lakers (1) (2, 2–0) | John Kundla | 4–2 | Syracuse Nationals (1) (1, 0–1) | Al Cervi | n/a | |
| 1951 | Rochester Royals (2) (1, 1–0) | Les Harrison | 4–3 | New York Knicks (3) (1, 0–1) | Joe Lapchick | ||
| 1952 | Minneapolis Lakers (2) (3, 3–0) | John Kundla | 4–3 | New York Knicks (3) (2, 0–2) | Joe Lapchick | ||
| 1953 | Minneapolis Lakers (1) (4, 4–0) | John Kundla | 4–1 | New York Knicks (1) (3, 0–3) | Joe Lapchick | ||
| 1954 | Minneapolis Lakers (1) (5, 5–0) | John Kundla | 4–3 | Syracuse Nationals (1) (2, 0–2) | Al Cervi | ||
| 1955 | Fort Wayne Pistons (1) (1, 0–1) | Charles Eckman | 3–4 | Syracuse Nationals (1) (3, 1–2) | Al Cervi | ||
| 1956 | Fort Wayne Pistons (1) (2, 0–2) | Charles Eckman | 1–4 | Philadelphia Warriors (1) (3, 2–1) | George Senesky | ||
| 1957 | St. Louis Hawks (1) (1, 0–1) | Alex Hannum | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (1, 1–0) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1958 | St. Louis Hawks (1) (2, 1–1) | Alex Hannum | 4–2 | Boston Celtics (1) (2, 1–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1959 | Minneapolis Lakers (2) (6, 5–1) | John Kundla | 0–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (3, 2–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1960 | St. Louis Hawks (1) (3, 1–2) | Ed Macauley | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (4, 3–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1961 | St. Louis Hawks (1) (4, 1–3) | Paul Seymour | 1–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (5, 4–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1962 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (7, 5–2) | Fred Schaus | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (6, 5–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1963 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (8, 5–3) | Fred Schaus | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (7, 6–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1964 | San Francisco Warriors (1) (4, 2–2) | Alex Hannum | 1–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (8, 7–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1965 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (9, 5–4) | Fred Schaus | 1–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (9, 8–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1966 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (10, 5–5) | Fred Schaus | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (2) (10, 9–1) | Red Auerbach | ||
| 1967 | San Francisco Warriors (1) (5, 2–3) | Bill Sharman | 2–4 | Philadelphia 76ers (1) (4, 2–2) | Alex Hannum | ||
| 1968 | Los Angeles Lakers (2) (11, 5–6) | Butch van Breda Kolff | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (2) (11, 10–1) | Bill Russell | ||
| 1969 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (12, 5–7) | Butch van Breda Kolff | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (4) (12, 11–1) | Bill Russell | Jerry West | |
| 1970 | Los Angeles Lakers (2) (13, 5–8) | Joe Mullaney | 3–4 | New York Knicks (1) (4, 1–3) | Red Holzman | Willis Reed | |
| 1971 | Milwaukee Bucks (1) (1, 1–0) | Larry Costello | 4–0 | Baltimore Bullets (1) (1, 0–1) | Gene Shue | Lew Alcindor | |
| 1972 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (14, 6–8) | Bill Sharman | 4–1 | New York Knicks (2) (5, 1–4) | Red Holzman | Wilt Chamberlain | |
| 1973 | Los Angeles Lakers (2) (15, 6–9) | Bill Sharman | 1–4 | New York Knicks (2) (6, 2–4) | Red Holzman | Willis Reed | |
| 1974 | Milwaukee Bucks (1) (2, 1–1) | Larry Costello | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (13, 12–1) | Tom Heinsohn | John Havlicek | |
| 1975 | Golden State Warriors (1) (6, 3–3) | Al Attles | 4–0 | Washington Bullets (2) (2, 0–2) | K. C. Jones | Rick Barry | |
| 1976 | Phoenix Suns (3) (1, 0–1) | John MacLeod | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (14, 13–1) | Tom Heinsohn | Jo Jo White | |
| 1977 | Portland Trail Blazers (3) (1, 1–0) | Jack Ramsay | 4–2 | Philadelphia 76ers (1) (5, 2–3) | Gene Shue | Bill Walton | |
| 1978 | Seattle SuperSonics (4) (1, 0–1) | Lenny Wilkens | 3–4 | Washington Bullets (3) (3, 1–2) | Dick Motta | Wes Unseld | |
| 1979 | Seattle SuperSonics (1) (2, 1–1) | Lenny Wilkens | 4–1 | Washington Bullets (1) (4, 1–3) | Dick Motta | Dennis Johnson | |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (16, 7–9) | Paul Westhead | 4–2 | Philadelphia 76ers (3) (6, 2–4) | Billy Cunningham | Magic Johnson | |
| 1981 | Houston Rockets (6) (1, 0–1) | Del Harris | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (15, 14–1) | Bill Fitch | Cedric Maxwell | |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (17, 8–9) | Pat Riley | 4–2 | Philadelphia 76ers (3) (7, 2–5) | Billy Cunningham | Magic Johnson | |
| 1983 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (18, 8–10) | Pat Riley | 0–4 | Philadelphia 76ers (1) (8, 3–5) | Billy Cunningham | Moses Malone | |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (19, 8–11) | Pat Riley | 3–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (16, 15–1) | K. C. Jones | Larry Bird | |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (20, 9–11) | Pat Riley | 4–2 | Boston Celtics (1) (17, 15–2) | K. C. Jones | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | |
| 1986 | Houston Rockets (2) (2, 0–2) | Bill Fitch | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (18, 16–2) | K. C. Jones | Larry Bird | |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (21, 10–11) | Pat Riley | 4–2 | Boston Celtics (1) (19, 16–3) | K. C. Jones | Magic Johnson | |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (22, 11–11) | Pat Riley | 4–3 | Detroit Pistons (2) (3, 0–3) | Chuck Daly | James Worthy | |
| 1989 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (23, 11–12) | Pat Riley | 0–4 | Detroit Pistons (1) (4, 1–3) | Chuck Daly | Joe Dumars | |
| 1990 | Portland Trail Blazers (3) (2, 1–1) | Rick Adelman | 1–4 | Detroit Pistons (1) (5, 2–3) | Chuck Daly | Isiah Thomas | |
| 1991 | Los Angeles Lakers (3) (24, 11–13) | Mike Dunleavy | 1–4 | Chicago Bulls (1) (1, 1–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1992 | Portland Trail Blazers (1) (3, 1–2) | Rick Adelman | 2–4 | Chicago Bulls (1) (2, 2–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1993 | Phoenix Suns (1) (2, 0–2) | Paul Westphal | 2–4 | Chicago Bulls (2) (3, 3–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1994 | Houston Rockets (2) (3, 1–2) | Rudy Tomjanovich | 4–3 | New York Knicks (2) (7, 2–5) | Pat Riley | Hakeem Olajuwon | |
| 1995 | Houston Rockets (6) (4, 2–2) | Rudy Tomjanovich | 4–0 | Orlando Magic (1) (1, 0–1) | Brian Hill | Hakeem Olajuwon | |
| 1996 | Seattle SuperSonics (1) (3, 1–2) | George Karl | 2–4 | Chicago Bulls (1) (4, 4–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1997 | Utah Jazz (1) (1, 0–1) | Jerry Sloan | 2–4 | Chicago Bulls (1) (5, 5–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1998 | Utah Jazz (1) (2, 0–2) | Jerry Sloan | 2–4 | Chicago Bulls (1) (6, 6–0) | Phil Jackson | Michael Jordan | |
| 1999 | San Antonio Spurs (1) (1, 1–0) | Gregg Popovich | 4–1 | New York Knicks (8) (8, 2–6) | Jeff Van Gundy | Tim Duncan | |
| 2000 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (25, 12–13) | Phil Jackson | 4–2 | Indiana Pacers (1) (1, 0–1) | Larry Bird | Shaquille O'Neal | |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Lakers (2) (26, 13–13) | Phil Jackson | 4–1 | Philadelphia 76ers (1) (9, 3–6) | Larry Brown | Shaquille O'Neal | |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Lakers (3) (27, 14–13) | Phil Jackson | 4–0 | New Jersey Nets (1) (1, 0–1) | Byron Scott | Shaquille O'Neal | |
| 2003 | San Antonio Spurs (1) (2, 2–0) | Gregg Popovich | 4–2 | New Jersey Nets (2) (2, 0–2) | Byron Scott | Tim Duncan | |
| 2004 | Los Angeles Lakers (2) (28, 14–14) | Phil Jackson | 1–4 | Detroit Pistons (3) (6, 3–3) | Larry Brown | Chauncey Billups | |
| 2005 | San Antonio Spurs (2) (3, 3–0) | Gregg Popovich | 4–3 | Detroit Pistons (2) (7, 3–4) | Larry Brown | Tim Duncan | |
| 2006 | Dallas Mavericks (4) (1, 0–1) | Avery Johnson | 2–4 | Miami Heat (2) (1, 1–0) | Pat Riley | Dwyane Wade | |
| 2007 | San Antonio Spurs (3) (4, 4–0) | Gregg Popovich | 4–0 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) (1, 0–1) | Mike Brown | Tony Parker | |
| 2008 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (29, 14–15) | Phil Jackson | 2–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (20, 17–3) | Doc Rivers | Paul Pierce | |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (30, 15–15) | Phil Jackson | 4–1 | Orlando Magic (3) (2, 0–2) | Stan Van Gundy | Kobe Bryant | |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (31, 16–15) | Phil Jackson | 4–3 | Boston Celtics (4) (21, 17–4) | Doc Rivers | Kobe Bryant | |
| 2011 | Dallas Mavericks (3) (2, 1–1) | Rick Carlisle | 4–2 | Miami Heat (2) (2, 1–1) | Erik Spoelstra | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| 2012 | Oklahoma City Thunder (2) (4, 1–3) | Scott Brooks | 1–4 | Miami Heat (2) (3, 2–1) | Erik Spoelstra | LeBron James | |
| 2013 | San Antonio Spurs (2) (5, 4–1) | Gregg Popovich | 3–4 | Miami Heat (1) (4, 3–1) | Erik Spoelstra | LeBron James | |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs (1) (6, 5–1) | Gregg Popovich | 4–1 | Miami Heat (2) (5, 3–2) | Erik Spoelstra | Kawhi Leonard | |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors (1) (7, 4–3) | Steve Kerr | 4–2 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) (2, 0–2) | David Blatt | Andre Iguodala | |
| 2016 | Golden State Warriors (1) (8, 4–4) | Steve Kerr | 3–4 | Cleveland Cavaliers (1) (3, 1–2) | Tyronn Lue | LeBron James | |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors (1) (9, 5–4) | Steve Kerr | 4–1 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) (4, 1–3) | Tyronn Lue | Kevin Durant | |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors (2) (10, 6–4) | Steve Kerr | 4–0 | Cleveland Cavaliers (4) (5, 1–4) | Tyronn Lue | Kevin Durant | |
| 2019 | Golden State Warriors (1) (11, 6–5) | Steve Kerr | 2–4 | Toronto Raptors (2) (1, 1–0) | Nick Nurse | Kawhi Leonard | |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers (1) (32, 17–15) | Frank Vogel | 4–2 | Miami Heat (5) (6, 3–3) | Erik Spoelstra | LeBron James | |
| 2021 | Phoenix Suns (2) (3, 0–3) | Monty Williams | 2–4 | Milwaukee Bucks (3) (3, 2–1) | Mike Budenholzer | Giannis Antetokounmpo | |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors (3) (12, 7–5) | Steve Kerr | 4–2 | Boston Celtics (2) (22, 17–5) | Ime Udoka | Stephen Curry | |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets (1) (1, 1–0) | Michael Malone | 4–1 | Miami Heat (8) (7, 3–4) | Erik Spoelstra | Nikola Jokić | |
| 2024 | Dallas Mavericks (5) (3, 1–2) | Jason Kidd | 1–4 | Boston Celtics (1) (23, 18–5) | Joe Mazzulla | Jaylen Brown | |
Team Records in the Finals
This table shows how many times each team has won or lost in the NBA Finals.
| Team | Win | Loss | Apps | Pct | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 18 | 5 | 23 | .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 | 17 | 15 | 32 | .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 | 7 | 5 | 12 | .583 | 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 | 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1.000 | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 | — |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 1 | 6 | .833 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 | 2013 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 6 | 9 | .333 | 1955, 1967, 1983 | 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001 |
| Detroit Pistons | 3 | 4 | 7 | .429 | 1989, 1990, 2004 | 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005 |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 4 | 7 | .429 | 2006, 2012, 2013 | 2011, 2014, 2020, 2023 |
| New York Knicks | 2 | 6 | 8 | .250 | 1970, 1973 | 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999 |
| Houston Rockets | 2 | 2 | 4 | .500 | 1994, 1995 | 1981, 1986 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 1 | 3 | .667 | 1971, 2021 | 1974 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 4 | 5 | .200 | 2016 | 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 1 | 3 | 4 | .250 | 1958 | 1957, 1960, 1961 |
| Washington Wizards | 1 | 3 | 4 | .250 | 1978 | 1971, 1975, 1979 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 1 | 3 | 4 | .250 | 1979 | 1978, 1996, 2012 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1 | 2 | 3 | .333 | 1977 | 1990, 1992 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 1 | 2 | 3 | .333 | 2011 | 2006, 2024 |
| Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1948 | — |
| Sacramento Kings | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1951 | — |
| Toronto Raptors | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 2019 | — |
| Denver Nuggets | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 2023 | — |
| Phoenix Suns | 0 | 3 | 3 | .000 | — | 1976, 1993, 2021 |
| Utah Jazz | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | 1997, 1998 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | 2002, 2003 |
| Orlando Magic | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | 1995, 2009 |
| Chicago Stags (folded in 1950) | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | 1947 |
| Washington Capitols (folded in 1951) | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | 1949 |
| Indiana Pacers | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | 2000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Los Angeles Clippers | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Memphis Grizzlies | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Orleans Pelicans | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Teams with Many Championships in a Row
Some teams have been so good they won the NBA Finals multiple times in a row!
Eight Championships in a Row
- Boston Celtics (from 1959 to 1966)
Three Championships in a Row
- Minneapolis Lakers (from 1952 to 1954)
- Chicago Bulls (from 1991 to 1993)
- Chicago Bulls (from 1996 to 1998)
- Los Angeles Lakers (from 2000 to 2002)
Two Championships in a Row
- Minneapolis Lakers (from 1949 to 1950)
- Boston Celtics (from 1968 to 1969)
- Los Angeles Lakers (from 1987 to 1988)
- Detroit Pistons (from 1989 to 1990)
- Houston Rockets (from 1994 to 1995)
- Los Angeles Lakers (from 2009 to 2010)
- Miami Heat (from 2012 to 2013)
- Golden State Warriors (from 2017 to 2018)
Common Matchups in the Finals
Some teams have played against each other many times in the NBA Finals. Here are the most common matchups:
| Count | Matchup | Record | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | St. Louis Hawks (Atlanta Hawks) vs Boston Celtics | Celtics, 3–1 | 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961 |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors | 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
In Spanish: Anexo:Campeones de la NBA para niños
- List of ABA champions
- List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks
- List of National Basketball League (United States) champions
- List of NBA championship head coaches
- List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
- List of NBA franchise post-season streaks
- List of NBA G League champions
- WNBA Finals
- List of NBA players with most championships
- NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
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List of NBA champions Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.