Ayrton Oneill
The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the end of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, except in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner of the Western and Central Division champions. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which has been awarded since 1977. As of 2024, the Eastern champions have a 41-36 advantage in NBA titles over the Western champions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is the NBA Finals? | The championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. |
| Format | All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, except in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner of the Western and Central Division champions. |
| Teams | Contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970). |
| History | From 1946 through 1949, when the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the playoffs were a three-stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals. |
| Trophy | The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which has been awarded since 1977. From 1947 to 1976, the winning team received the Walter A. Brown Trophy. |
| Current Standings (as of 2024) | The Eastern champions have a 41-36 advantage in NBA titles over the Western champions. The Boston Celtics have won the most titles (18) of any team in the league. |
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What You'll Learn
The NBA Finals format
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The NBA Finals was initially structured in a 2–2–1–1 format. In 1985, to reduce cross-country travel, it was changed to a 2–3–2 format, where the first two and last two games were played at the arena of the team with the better regular season record. In 2014, the 2–2–1–1–1 format was restored. The team with the better regular season record hosts the first two games, and the other team hosts the next two. If needed, the remaining three are played at each team's home arena alternately, starting with the team with the better regular season record.
The NBA postseason is a four-round, best-of-seven tournament (including the Finals). The top six teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, ranked by winning percentage, advance directly to the playoffs. Teams ranked seventh through tenth compete in the NBA play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds. The NBA play-in tournament is separate from the NBA playoffs and uses a modified Page playoff format. The seventh- and eighth-place teams play each other, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the seventh seed. The ninth- and tenth-place teams also play each other, with the loser being eliminated and the winner playing the loser of the seven-eight game to determine the eighth playoff seed. All rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven series.
The NBA has undergone several format changes over the years. It started as a best-of-three division semifinals and finals format in 1951, with only eight teams qualifying. In 1954, the number of playoff teams was reduced to six, and the division semifinals were changed to a double round-robin format within the division. The division finals were also extended to a best-of-five format. In 1984, the tournament expanded to its current 16-team, four-round knockout format, with the first round changed to a best-of-seven in 2003. With the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats as the 30th NBA franchise in 2004, the NBA realigned its divisions into three divisions of five teams each. This guaranteed a top-three playoff seed for division winners. However, this format was criticised when the two best teams in the Western Conference faced each other in the conference semifinals instead of the finals in 2005-06.
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Past winners of the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held annually after the postseason. The NBA Finals have always been played in a best-of-seven format, and the winning team receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
2023-24
The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks with a final score of 4-1, with Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets being the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
2022-23
The Denver Nuggets emerged victorious against the Miami Heat with a final score of 4-1. The MVP was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
2021-22
The Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4-2. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets was the MVP for the second time.
2020-21
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2. The MVP was Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, winning his first of back-to-back MVPs.
2019-20
The Los Angeles Lakers won against the Miami Heat with a final score of 4-2. The MVP was Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
2018-19
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors with a final score of 4-2. Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors was named the MVP.
2016-17
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1. The MVP was Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2015-16
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 4-3. The MVP was Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
2014-15
The Golden State Warriors won their first championship of the decade, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the MVP.
2013-14
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 4-1. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the MVP.
2012-13
The Miami Heat won against the San Antonio Spurs with a final score of 4-3. The MVP was LeBron James of the Miami Heat.
2011-12
The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1. LeBron James of the Miami Heat was the MVP for the second consecutive year.
2010-11
The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 4-2. The MVP was Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.
2009-10
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 4-3. The MVP was LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2008-09
The Los Angeles Lakers won back-to-back championships, defeating the Orlando Magic. The MVP was Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.
2007-08
The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2. The MVP was Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics.
1946-47
The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags 4-1 to win the inaugural NBA Finals (known as the Basketball Association of America at the time).
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The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
The Boston Celtics were the first team to win the newly renamed Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 1984, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. The trophy's design has undergone changes over the years, with the most recent redesign taking place for the NBA's 75th anniversary season. The current design, depicting a basketball over a hoop and basket, was conceived by artist Victor Solomon and is manufactured by Tiffany & Co.
The championship team maintains permanent possession of the trophy, with the year and winning team's name engraved on it. The trophy is often prominently displayed in the winning team's arena. In some cases, the trophy has been toured around the state of the winning team, such as when it travelled around Michigan after the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Finals in 2004. The trophy has also been showcased in various cities during the NBA Legends Tour, providing fans with opportunities for autographs and photos with former players.
In recent years, the NBA has been actively promoting the O'Brien Trophy to increase its recognition and iconic status. This has included featuring the trophy on logos for the NBA Finals and creating social media accounts specifically for the trophy itself. The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy is now an integral part of the NBA's brand and continues to be a coveted award for teams competing in the NBA Finals.
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The Eastern Conference vs. the Western Conference
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is held at the end of the postseason. All NBA Finals are played in a best-of-seven format and are contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (these used to be called Divisions before 1970). The only exception to this format was in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner of the Western and Central Division champions.
The Eastern champions have a 41-36 advantage in NBA titles over the Western champions. The Boston Celtics have won the most titles of any team in the league, with 18. The Minneapolis Lakers won the NBA Finals in 1949-50 but are not counted in the Eastern versus Western champions record as they played in the Central Division.
From 1946 to 1949, the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and the playoffs were a three-stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals. The winning team of the series now receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which has been awarded since 1977. Before this, from 1947 to 1976, the winning team received the Walter A. Brown Trophy.
Due to the NBA's realignment into three divisions, the team with the best regular-season record after the Divisional Finals now advances automatically to the NBA Finals, while the other two teams face off in the NBA Semifinals to determine the other finalist.
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The Basketball Association of America (BAA)
The BAA was the first league to play primarily in large arenas in major cities, such as Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden. The league was divided into two divisions, the Eastern Division and the Western Division, with each team playing 60 or 61 regular-season games. The best three teams from each division advanced to the playoffs, which culminated in a final series to determine the league winner. The Philadelphia Warriors won the inaugural BAA championship in 1947, followed by the Baltimore Bullets and the Minneapolis Lakers in 1948 and 1949, respectively.
During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. In fact, the 1948 and 1949 BAA titles were won by teams that had played in other leagues the previous year (the Baltimore Bullets and the Minneapolis Lakers, respectively). However, the BAA did feature some groundbreaking players, such as Japanese-American Wataru Misaka, who is considered to have broken the NBA colour barrier when he played for the New York Knicks in the 1947-48 season.
Following its third season in 1948-49, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ten BAA teams joined with seven from the NBL, including the expansion team Indianapolis Olympians, to create a new league of 17 teams. The NBA later adopted the BAA's history and statistics as its own, considering its founding date to be that of the BAA. As of the 2024-25 NBA season, six teams from the BAA remain in operation: the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia Warriors (all co-founders of the BAA), and the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, and Rochester Royals (all of which joined from the NBL in 1948).
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the end of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format and are contested between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conferences. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
The NBA Finals are played in a best-of-seven format, meaning the first team to win four games is crowned the champion. The current home-and-away format is 2-2-1-1-1, meaning the team with the better regular-season record plays on its home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7.
The NBA Finals are contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Before 1970, these were known as Divisions. The only exception to this format was in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and Central Division champions.
As of 2024, the Eastern Division has won 41 NBA Finals titles, compared to 36 by the Western Division. The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA Finals of any team, with 18 titles.
