From black-and-white television broadcasts to billion-dollar superteams, the story of the NBA Finals Champions is basically the story of basketball itself.
Some teams built dynasties.
Some shocked the world.
Some won once and vanished like a sneaker squeak in a noisy arena.
And through every decade, the NBA Finals gave fans unforgettable moments:
championship celebrations with confetti everywhere
Let’s travel through NBA history and revisit the champions who ruled professional basketball.
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association.
The winner becomes the season’s official NBA champion.
The Finals began in 1947, back when the league was called the BAA (Basketball Association of America) before later becoming the NBA.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up |
| 1947 | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Stags |
| 1948 | Baltimore Bullets | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1949 | Minneapolis Lakers | Washington Capitols |
| 1950 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1951 | Rochester Royals | New York Knicks |
| 1952 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks |
| 1953 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks |
| 1954 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1955 | Syracuse Nationals | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| 1956 | Philadelphia Warriors | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| 1957 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1958 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics |
| 1959 | Boston Celtics | Minneapolis Lakers |
The Minneapolis Lakers later became the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the 1960s had a soundtrack, it would probably be championship parades in Boston.
Led by Bill Russell, the Celtics dominated the decade like no team before or since.
Boston won 11 championships in 13 seasons.
That’s less of a dynasty and more of a basketball monarchy.
Unlike the Celtics-dominated 1960s, the 1970s were wildly unpredictable.
Different teams kept winning titles:
1971 Milwaukee Bucks led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became one of the most dominant teams ever.
The NBA exploded in popularity during the 1980s thanks to:
This rivalry transformed basketball into global entertainment.
The Lakers and Celtics combined for 8 championships in the decade.
Then came Michael Jordan.
And basketball changed forever.
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls completed TWO separate three-peats.
The early 2000s belonged to:
This decade featured:
Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit in 2016 against Golden State.
Something many thought impossible.
Modern NBA champions include:
Young stars are now shaping the league’s future.
| Team | Championships |
| Boston Celtics | 18 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 |
The Boston Celtics hold the record with 18 championships.
The Philadelphia Warriors won the first championship in 1947.
Bill Russell won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics.
No team has completed an undefeated NBA season and Finals run in the modern era.
Many fans consider the 2016 Finals between Cleveland and Golden State one of the greatest ever.
The history of the NBA Finals Champions isn’t just about trophies. It’s about eras. Legends.
Moments frozen forever in basketball history.
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