Looking up historical NBA Finals winners is one of the most popular pastimes for hoops fans during the postseason crunch. To make tracking the league’s history seamless, we have compiled the complete list of NBA champions by year from the inaugural 1947 BAA Finals through the 2025 NBA Finals. Our charts provide the winner, the runner-up, and the overall series score so you can see exactly how many games it took to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy. While fans and broadcast networks love the high drama of a full seven-game series, historical data shows that dominant finishes happen far more frequently than a winner-take-all Game 7.
Recent NBA Champions
So, when it’s NBA Playoffs time, everyone wants to look at the recent NBA champions. See how they did. If they are tracking to compete again this year or not (injuries play a huge role as you can imagine), and more. If your team is already out of it for this year’s playoffs, you can get a head start on the 2026-27 NBA Regular season schedules here once they are released.
What is the Bracket Format for the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals is a best-of-seven game series. The matchup features the Eastern Conference winner vs the Western Conference. The NBA Playoffs start out with 20 teams now-a-days. They hold the Play-In tournament that takes this from 20 to 16 teams. These teams face off in best-of-seven series in single-elimination format along the way until we get to the finals. First team to win four games in any series (and the finals) wins.
List of NBA Finals Winners (2000-2023)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 2026 | TBD | ||
| 2025 | Thunder | Pacers | 4-3 |
| 2024 | Celtics | Mavericks | 4-1 |
| 2023 | Nuggets | Heat | 4-1 |
| 2022 | Warriors | Celtics | 4-2 |
| 2021 | Bucks | Suns | 4-2 |
| 2020 | Lakers | Heat | 4-2 |
| 2019 | Raptors | Warriors | 4-2 |
| 2018 | Warriors | Cavaliers | 4-0 |
| 2017 | Warriors | Cavaliers | 4-1 |
| 2016 | Cavaliers | Warriors | 4-3 |
| 2015 | Warriors | Cavaliers | 4-2 |
| 2014 | Spurs | Heat | 4-1 |
| 2013 | Heat | Spurs | 4-3 |
| 2012 | Heat | Thunder | 4-1 |
| 2011 | Mavericks | Heat | 4-2 |
| 2010 | Lakers | Celtics | 4-3 |
| 2009 | Lakers | Magic | 4-1 |
| 2008 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-2 |
| 2007 | Spurs | Cavaliers | 4-0 |
| 2006 | Heat | Mavericks | 4-2 |
| 2005 | Spurs | Pistons | 4-3 |
| 2004 | Pistons | Lakers | 4-1 |
| 2003 | Spurs | Nets | 4-2 |
| 2002 | Lakers | Nets | 4-0 |
| 2001 | Lakers | 76ers | 4-1 |
| 2000 | Lakers | Pacers | 4-2 |
List of NBA Finals Winners (1971-1999)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 1999 | Spurs | Knicks | 4-1 |
| 1998 | Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 |
| 1997 | Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 |
| 1996 | Bulls | Supersonics | 4-2 |
| 1995 | Rockets | Magic | 4-0 |
| 1994 | Rockets | Knicks | 4-3 |
| 1993 | Bulls | Suns | 4-2 |
| 1992 | Bulls | Trail Blazers | 4-2 |
| 1991 | Bulls | Lakers | 4-1 |
| 1990 | Pistons | Trail Blazers | 4-1 |
| 1989 | Pistons | Lakers | 4-0 |
| 1988 | Lakers | Pistons | 4-3 |
| 1987 | Lakers | Celtics | 4-2 |
| 1986 | Celtics | Rockets | 4-2 |
| 1985 | Lakers | Celtics | 4-2 |
| 1984 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1983 | 76ers | Lakers | 4-0 |
| 1982 | Lakers | 76ers | 4-2 |
| 1981 | Celtics | Rockets | 4-2 |
| 1980 | Lakers | 76ers | 4-2 |
| 1979 | Supersonics | Bullets | 4-1 |
| 1978 | Bullets | Supersonics | 4-3 |
| 1977 | Trail Blazers | 76ers | 4-2 |
| 1976 | Celtics | Suns | 4-2 |
| 1975 | Warriors | Bullets | 4-0 |
| 1974 | Celtics | Bucks | 4-3 |
| 1973 | Knicks | Lakers | 4-1 |
| 1972 | Lakers | Knicks | 4-1 |
| 1971 | Bucks | Bulles | 4-0 |
List of NBA Finals Winners (1947-1970)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 1970 | Knicks | Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1969 | Boston Celtis | Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1968 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-2 |
| 1967 | 76ers | Warriors | 4-2 |
| 1966 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1965 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-1 |
| 1964 | Celtics | Warriors | 4-1 |
| 1963 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-2 |
| 1962 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1961 | Celtics | Hawks | 4-1 |
| 1960 | Celtics | Hawks | 4-3 |
| 1959 | Celtics | Lakers | 4-0 |
| 1958 | Hawks | Celtics | 4-2 |
| 1957 | Celtics | Hawks | 4-3 |
| 1956 | Warrios | Pistons | 4-3 |
| 1955 | Nationals | Pistons | 4-3 |
| 1954 | Lakers | Nationals | 4-3 |
| 1953 | Lakers | Knicks | 4-1 |
| 1952 | Lakers | Knicks | 4-3 |
| 1951 | Royals | Knicks | 4-3 |
| 1950 | Lakers | Nationals | 4-2 |
| 1949 | Lakers | Capitols | 4-2 |
| 1948 | Bullets | Warriors | 4-2 |
| 1947 | Warriors | Stags | 4-1 |
Every NBA Finals MVP in History (Highlights)
We haven’t had NBA Finals MVPs forever. But we’ve had the award for a while. This video has highlights of all of the MVPs for you to enjoy.
NBA Champions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which team has won the most NBA Finals championships?
The Boston Celtics hold the record for the most titles in NBA history with 18 championships, breaking their historic tie with the Los Angeles Lakers (who sit at 17 franchise titles) by capturing the 2024 NBA Championship.
What is the current bracket format for the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals uses a traditional best-of-seven series format featuring a 2-2-1-1-1 home-court structure. The champion from the Eastern Conference faces off against the champion from the Western Conference, and the first team to secure four victories wins the title.
How many times has the NBA Finals gone to a Game 7?
Out of 79 total championship series played through 2025, the NBA Finals has gone to a winner-take-all Game 7 exactly 19 times, highlighting just how rare and competitive a full seven-game series is.
Who won the most recent 2025 NBA Finals?
The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals, defeating the Indiana Pacers in an intense seven-game series (4-3) to secure the franchise’s first championship since relocating to OKC.
