List of NBA winners until 2024

Slam dunks, jaw-dropping passes and breathtaking finishes – can you guess the sport? As a sports lover, your first guess would be basketball, and that’s 100% correct!

If you live in the United States or Canada, you are probably aware of the popularity of the NBA.

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is considered the leading professional basketball league in the world, especially in the USA and Canada, as 29 of its 30 teams are based in the USA and one in Canada.

The NBA has a rich history dating back to 1946. Back then, it wasn’t a highly anticipated sport. But how did it become the force it is today? If you want to learn more about the growth of the NBA, keep scrolling.

How was the NBA founded?

The NBA was not yet famous at the time. In June 1946, the owner of the Boston Garden, Walter Brown, realized that the large hockey stadiums in New York City, which were empty most nights, could be used for basketball games. He founded the Basketball Association of America.

In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association. BAA and NBL were rival organizations that decided to join forces and create the NBA, a more unified and competitive basketball league as we know it today.

However, when something is new, it takes a while for it to gain popularity and establish itself in the sports world. And that was the case with the NBA.

By the early 1980s, the NBA was struggling with financially struggling franchises, low attendance, declining ratings, and a lack of national popularity.

However, under the leadership of David Stern, who became NBA Commissioner in 1984, the league experienced a remarkable recovery and developed into a global entertainment force.

Stern’s strategic approach included aggressive marketing that highlighted star players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and especially Michael Jordan.

Other innovations such as the introduction of salary caps, the conclusion of lucrative broadcasting contracts with network and cable television, and the enhancement of the All-Star Game through expanded festivities helped to increase the NBA’s popularity and cement its position as a global sports giant.

NBA teams and divisions

The NBA consists of 30 teams divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. The Eastern Conference is divided into three divisions: Atlantic, Central and Southeast.

The Western Conference is divided into the Northwest, Pacific and Southwest divisions. Each division contains five teams. The table below gives you a more detailed breakdown of the teams in each division.

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Atlantic Division	Northwest Division
The Boston Celtics	Denver Nuggets
New Jersey Nets	Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks	Oklahoma City Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers	Portland Trail Blazers
Toronto Raptors	Utah Jazz
Central Department	Pacific Division
Chicago Bulls	Golden State Warriors
Cleveland Cavaliers	Los Angeles Clippers
Detroit Pistons	Los Angeles Lakers
Indiana Pacers	Phoenix Suns
Milwaukee Bucks	Sacramento Kings
Division Southeast	Southwest Division
Atlanta Hawks	Dallas Mavericks
Charlotte Hornets	Houston Rockets
Miami Heat	Memphis Grizzlies
Orlando Magic	New Orleans Pelicans
Washington Wizards	San Antonio Spurs

List of NBA Champions

The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships, with a total of 17 championships. However, other teams have also been successful in the NBA. These are:

season	winner	Second	Results
1946–47	Philadelphia Warriors	Chicago Deer	4–1
1947–48	Baltimore Bullets	Philadelphia Warriors	4–2
1948–49	Minneapolis Lakers	Washington Capitals	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	The Boston Celtics	St. Louis Hawks	4–3
1957–58	St. Louis Hawks	The Boston Celtics	4–2
1958–59	The Boston Celtics	Minneapolis Lakers	4–0
1959–60	The Boston Celtics	St. Louis Hawks	4–3
1960–61	The Boston Celtics	St. Louis Hawks	4–1
1961–62	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–3
1962–63	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–2
1963–64	The Boston Celtics	San Francisco Warriors	4–1
1964–65	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–1
1965–66	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–3
1966–67	Philadelphia 76ers	San Francisco Warriors	4–2
1967–68	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–2
1968–69	The 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	The Boston Celtics	Milwaukee Bucks	4–3
1974–75	Golden State Warriors	Washington Bullets	4–0
1975–76	The 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	The 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	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–3
1984–85	Los Angeles Lakers	The Boston Celtics	4–2
1985–86	The Boston Celtics	Houston Rockets	4–2
1986–87	Los Angeles Lakers	The 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	The Boston Celtics	Los Angeles Lakers	4–2
2008–09	Los Angeles Lakers	Orlando Magic	4–1
2009–10	Los Angeles Lakers	The 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	The Boston Celtics	4–2
2022–23	Denver Nuggets	Miami Heat	4–1
2023–24	The Boston Celtics	Dallas Mavericks	4–1

So that’s all for the list of NBA champions from 1946 to the present. It’s fascinating to watch the evolution of the league and the different teams that have achieved success over the years.

The NBA has become a global phenomenon, with fans around the world following their favorite teams and players. The list of champions is a reminder of the league’s rich history and heritage.

Stay tuned for more NBA info!

How was the NBA founded?

NBA teams and divisions

List of NBA Champions

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