Andrew Pace
The NBA Finals, also known as the National Basketball Association championship, is an annual basketball tournament that usually takes place in late spring or early summer. The tournament is the biggest and most important basketball tournament of the year, attracting a large TV audience. The 2022 NBA Finals, for example, began on May 31, with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers facing off in a best-of-seven championship series. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference champions play to determine the NBA league champion, who is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Championship Series Name | NBA Finals |
| Championship Series Other Names | BAA Finals, NBA World Championship Series, Showdown |
| Current Sponsors | Google, Nestle, YouTube TV |
| Championship Trophy | Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy |
| Previous Trophy Name | Walter A. Brown Trophy |
| Number of Games | Best of seven |
| Participating Teams | Winners of the Eastern and Western Conference champions |
| Date | Late spring or early summer |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada |
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What You'll Learn
- The NBA Finals is the championship series
- The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series
- The winning team receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
- The Minneapolis Lakers dominated the early era of professional basketball
- The NBA Playoffs are the biggest and most important basketball tournament of the year
The NBA Finals is the championship series
The NBA Finals has a rich history, with the Boston Celtics holding the record for the most championships of any team in the league at 18. The Minneapolis Lakers dominated the early years of the NBA, winning five of the first ten titles. The Lakers also made their mark on the NBA Finals, winning back-to-back titles in 1988 and seeking a three-peat in 1989. The 1990s belonged to the Chicago Bulls, who won six championships in six consecutive Finals appearances from 1991 to 1998.
The format for the NBA Finals has evolved over time. Initially, from 1946 to 1949, when the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the playoffs followed a three-stage tournament format. In 1985, to reduce travel, the format changed to a 2-3-2 structure, which remained until 2014 when the 2-2-1-1-1 format was reintroduced.
The NBA Finals is a highly anticipated event, with the winning team receiving the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The 2025 NBA Finals began on June 5, with the Thunder winning their first championship of the OKC era.
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The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The championship series is held at the conclusion of the NBA's postseason. The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion. The NBA has used this format since its inception in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
The BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA before the 1949-50 season. The inaugural NBA championship was won by the Lakers in 1950, making them the first team to win back-to-back championships. The NBA Finals were known as the NBA World Championship Series from 1950 to 1985, and briefly as the Showdown, before settling on NBA Finals in 1986. Since 2018, it has been officially known as the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons.
The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the original Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1976-77. The NBA Playoffs are the biggest and most important basketball tournament of the year. The NBA champions are called world champions because the championship is considered the highest level of play in basketball.
The NBA season usually concludes in late spring or early summer, with the Conference Finals determining the winner. The NBA Finals is the final championship game, held at the end of the postseason, with no overall champion crowned until all thirty teams have competed. The NBA is unique in that it crowns only one champion per year, in contrast to other major North American professional sports leagues.
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The winning team receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy is awarded annually to the winning team of the NBA Finals, the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA Finals are held at the conclusion of the NBA postseason and are played in a best-of-seven format. The trophy depicts a basketball over a hoop and basket and was first awarded in 1977, when it was known as the Walter A. Brown Trophy.
The trophy was renamed in 1984 to honour former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien, who served from 1975 to 1984. O'Brien was the United States postmaster general under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1968 before joining the NBA. The Boston Celtics were the inaugural winners of the newly renamed trophy, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in the 1984 NBA Finals.
The Larry O'Brien Trophy has undergone several design changes over the years. In 2023, the trophy featured two discs that replaced the previous square foundation, designed by Victor Solomon, who believed the former design was awkward to hold. The championship team maintains permanent possession of the trophy, and the year and winning team names are engraved on it.
The most recent winners of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy are the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were crowned the 2024-25 NBA Champions. The NBA Finals for the 2025-26 season are scheduled to begin on June 5, 2026, and the winning team will once again receive the prestigious Larry O'Brien Trophy.
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The Minneapolis Lakers dominated the early era of professional basketball
The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. While the NBA Finals usually take place in June, the early era of professional basketball predates the NBA, which was formed in 1949.
The Lakers were first known as the Detroit Gems and played in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1946-47 season. After one season, the team was sold and relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and renamed the Minneapolis Lakers, inspired by the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".
In 1947, the Lakers acquired George Mikan, who became professional basketball's first dominant "big man" and led the franchise in its early years. Mikan and the Lakers won four of the first five league titles, establishing professional basketball's first dynasty. Mikan was joined by future Hall of Famers Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, and Clyde Lovellette. The Lakers joined the BAA (the official precursor of the NBA) for the 1948-49 season and won the final BAA championship.
After Mikan's retirement in 1956, attendance at Lakers games fell, and the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season. The Lakers entered another dominant period in their history when they selected Magic Johnson in the first overall pick of the 1979 NBA draft. Johnson, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, led the Lakers to eight appearances in the NBA Finals over the following decade, resulting in five NBA championships.
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The NBA Playoffs are the biggest and most important basketball tournament of the year
The NBA Playoffs are the most prestigious basketball tournament of the year. The tournament usually takes place in late spring or early summer, with the NBA Finals commencing in June.
The NBA Playoffs are a series of games that determine the champion of the National Basketball Association. The tournament consists of six games played by divisional opponents, three matchups between conference champions, and two consecutive matchups between league winners. The Conference Finals is conducted as a best-of-seven series to determine the winner, with the winning team receiving the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
The NBA Playoffs are considered the pinnacle of basketball competition, attracting a vast global audience. The tournament features the top basketball players and teams, showcasing their skills and strategies in a high-stakes environment. The intense competition, dramatic upsets, and remarkable displays of athleticism captivate fans worldwide.
The 2025 NBA Playoffs, for instance, featured a highly anticipated matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The series began on May 31st, with the Warriors and Cavaliers battling it out in a best-of-seven championship series. The NBA Playoffs are not just about the game but also about the spectacle, with title sponsors like Google and Nestle providing exciting commercials throughout the playoffs.
The NBA Playoffs stand out as the pinnacle event in basketball due to their rich history, intense competition, and global appeal. It is a tournament where legends are made, and the champions are crowned as the best in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2025 NBA playoffs began on June 5.
Sean May, Scott May, and Don May are all NBA champions in May. Sean May won the NCAA championship in 2005 with North Carolina. Scott May led the Indiana University Hoosiers to an undefeated record and the national championship in the 1975-76 season. Don May played for the NBA champion New York Knicks in 1970.
Sean May was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA tournament, leading North Carolina to its fourth national championship. He was also named MVP of the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league.
Scott May was the leading scorer for the 1975-76 Indiana University Hoosiers team and was named NCAA Men's Basketball National Player of the Year in 1976. He won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics and played seven seasons in the NBA.
Don May played seven seasons in the NBA and won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1970. He was a two-time consensus second-team All-American and was elected to the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
