Andrew Pace
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 Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships (18), with their most recent victory in 2024. The 2019-2020 season was delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Championship series | National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals |
| Format | Best-of-seven |
| Contestants | Winners of the Eastern and Western Conference |
| Current Trophy | Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy |
| Previous Trophy | Walter A. Brown Trophy |
| Most Recent Winner | Boston Celtics |
| Number of Wins | 18 |
| Previous Winners | Denver Nuggets, 76ers, Lakers, Rochester Royals, Baltimore Bullets, Minneapolis Lakers, Philadelphia Warriors, Chicago Stags, Washington Capitals |
| Number of Franchises | 21 |
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What You'll Learn
Boston Celtics: the most successful NBA team
The Boston Celtics are commonly regarded as the most successful team in the history of the NBA. They are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and they compete in the National Basketball Association as part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics were founded in 1946 as one of the NBA's original eight teams, and they play their home games at the TD Garden, sharing the arena with the Boston Bruins NHL team. The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s after the team, led by coach Red Auerbach, acquired Bill Russell in 1956. Russell, along with other talented players such as Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, formed the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty. The team won their first NBA championship in 1957, and Russell went on to lead them to seven more titles as a player and two more as a player-coach.
The Celtics have continued to be a dominant force in the NBA, with their success spanning several decades. They won the NBA championship in 1986 and 2008, and the team has consistently produced outstanding players and coaches. The Celtics have had 18 head coaches in their history, with Red Auerbach being the most successful, winning nine NBA championships. Other notable coaches include Bill Russell, who won two championships, and Tom Heinsohn and K.C. Jones, who each won two titles.
The Celtics' success has continued into the 2020s, with the 2023-24 team being hailed as one of the best in NBA history. They have a stellar offensive and defensive record, outscoring their opponents by an average of 10.7 points per game. The team also set a record by winning 19 games by at least 25 points, showcasing their dominance. The Celtics clinched their 18th NBA championship in 2024, further solidifying their status as the most successful NBA franchise.
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Lakers: the first team to three-peat
The Lakers have a rich history in the NBA, particularly in its early years. Known as the Minneapolis Lakers, the team dominated the beginning era of modern professional basketball, winning five of the first ten championship titles.
The Lakers won the inaugural 1949 BAA championship, then known as the Basketball Association of America, before it was renamed the NBA in the 1949-50 season. The Lakers won the first NBA championship in 1950, successfully defending their title. They went on to win three consecutive championships from 1952 to 1954, becoming the first team to achieve a three-peat, as well as winning their fifth title in six seasons.
The Lakers continued their success into the 1980s, reaching the NBA Finals in 1982, where they faced the 76ers, who they defeated in six games. The following year, the 76ers swept the Lakers, winning the 1983 championship. The Lakers returned to the Finals in 1984 and 1985, facing the Celtics on both occasions. The Celtics won in 1984, but the Lakers came out on top in 1985, despite losing the first game by 34 points. The two teams met again in the 1987 Finals, with the Lakers winning once more.
The Lakers' success has inspired other teams, and they remain a legendary team in the history of the NBA, with their early dominance setting a precedent for future champions.
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1947-1956: the first decade of the NBA
The NBA, or the National Basketball Association, traces its roots back to the Basketball Association of America (BAA), founded in 1946. The first game in BAA/NBA history was played on November 1, 1946, between the New York Knickerbockers (the Knicks) and the Toronto Huskies. The Knicks won the game 68-66, with the first basket made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers.
The BAA became the NBA in 1949, and the first NBA Finals were played that year between the Capitols and the Chicago Stags, with the Stags winning 4-1. The Stags were led by Joe Fulks, who led the league in scoring at 23.2 ppg, almost seven points higher than any other player in the league.
The 1950s saw the Minneapolis Lakers win five NBA championships and establish themselves as the league's first dynasty. Their squad was led by centre George Mikan, who was the NBA's first superstar. The 1950s also saw the introduction of the 24-second shot clock in 1954 to encourage shooting and discourage stalling.
The Celtics and the Lakers were the dominant forces of the 1950s and 1960s, with the Celtics winning 11 championships by 1969 and the Lakers winning five during the same period. The Celtics' dynasty began in 1950 when Red Auerbach arrived, and they made 12 NBA Finals appearances during a 19-year playoff streak.
The NBA continued to evolve during the 1960s, with the addition of expansion franchises and the emergence of new teams, such as the Chicago Packers (now the Washington Wizards) in 1961, and the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns between 1966 and 1968.
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1982-1987: the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics
The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics is one of the NBA's most storied. The two teams are tied for the highest number of championships in the NBA at 17 apiece, accounting for 45% of all NBA championships. The rivalry was renewed in the 1980s, in large part due to the personal rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Johnson, speaking about the games against the Celtics, said, "when the new schedule would come out each year, I'd grab it and circle the Boston games. To me, it was The Two and the other 80." Bird, similarly, is quoted as saying, "the first thing I would do every morning was look at the box scores to see what Magic did. I didn't care about anything else."
The 1980s saw the two teams face off several times, with the Lakers winning the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Celtics winning the 1981 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. The Celtics lost the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals to the 76ers, and with it, the possibility of a rematch with the Lakers. However, the final game of that series is memorable to the rivalry because Boston fans chanted for the 76ers, who were about to eliminate the Lakers. This "Beat L.A.!" chant has since been used by fans in opposing arenas whenever a Los Angeles-based team plays in their home venue.
The 1982–1983 season was the rookie year of Laker James Worthy, another Hall of Famer in the storied rivalry. The Lakers, however, were defeated by the 76ers in the 1983 NBA Finals. The Celtics rebounded the following year, winning the 1986 NBA Finals against the Rockets. The two teams met again in the 1987 NBA Finals for a tie-breaker of their 1980s Finals matches, with the Lakers emerging victorious in six games. This series marked the end of an era for the Celtics, who did not reach the Finals again until 2008. The Lakers, meanwhile, went on to win the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
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1993: the Bulls three-peat
The 1992-93 NBA season concluded with the Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship title, defeating the Phoenix Suns 99-98 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. This marked the first "three-peat" in the NBA since the Boston Celtics' eight-in-a-row championship run from 1959 to 1966.
Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls entered the season aiming for an unprecedented third straight NBA title. They began their campaign with back-to-back sweeps of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. However, they faced a challenging series against the New York Knicks, falling behind 2-0 before rallying to win the next two games and eventually taking the series in six games.
The Western Conference playoff champions, the Phoenix Suns, were led by regular-season MVP Charles Barkley and All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson. The Suns had acquired Barkley in an offseason blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, and his addition propelled the team to new heights. Despite the Suns' strong lineup, the Bulls, driven by Jordan and Scottie Pippen, remained determined to secure their place in NBA history.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals was a tightly contested battle. The Bulls got off to a good start but stumbled in the fourth quarter, nearly squandering a double-digit lead. With the score at 98-96 in favour of the Suns and the possibility of a deciding Game 7 looming, the Bulls executed a crucial play called "Blind Pig," designed to increase the offensive thrust. The play resulted in John Paxson receiving the ball 25 feet from the basket, and he sank a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99-98 lead and ultimately securing the championship.
The 1993 NBA Finals were aired on NBC and later chronicled in the documentary "Three-Peat," marking a return to the use of film in NBA Entertainment's championship coverage. The Bulls' historic three-peat was bittersweet, as Michael Jordan's father, James R. Jordan Sr., was tragically murdered just a month after their triumph. Jordan's grief led him to retire from basketball before the 1993-94 season, citing a loss of desire to play.
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Frequently asked questions
The Boston Celtics are the most recent NBA champions, winning their 18th title in 2024.
The Boston Celtics have won the most championships, with 18 total.
The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags in the 1947 BAA Finals in five games.
The NBA Finals are played in a best-of-seven format between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference champions.
The winning team of the NBA Finals receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
