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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 winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The Boston Celtics are the most recent winners of the NBA Finals, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 to claim their 18th NBA title.
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What You'll Learn
Boston Celtics: the most successful NBA team
The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are the most successful team in NBA history, with 18 NBA championships, the most of any NBA franchise.
The Celtics were founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams. They play their home games at TD Garden, sharing the arena with the NHL's Boston Bruins. The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s when coach Red Auerbach acquired Bill Russell in 1956, who became the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty. Led by Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. Russell, along with other future Hall of Famers, led the Celtics to many more championships in the following years.
The Celtics have had several notable players and coaches throughout their history. Red Auerbach is the most successful franchise head coach, winning nine NBA championships. Celtics legend Bill Russell took coaching duties from Auerbach and led the team to two NBA championships while playing and coaching simultaneously. The other two coaches that won two NBA titles with the Celtics are Tom Heinsohn and K. C. Jones. In recent years, the Celtics have continued to find success, winning the NBA championship in 2024 under the leadership of Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
The Boston Celtics have a rich history and a winning culture, solidifying their place as one of the most iconic and successful franchises in NBA history. Their success on the court, combined with their passionate fan base, makes them one of the most well-known and respected teams in the league. The Celtics have left an indelible mark on the NBA and continue to strive for excellence as they add to their impressive list of achievements.
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Lakers: the inaugural NBA champions
The Lakers dominated the early years of the NBA, then known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), winning the third and final BAA championship in 1949. The BAA then merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA before the 1949-50 season. The Lakers went on to win the inaugural NBA championship in 1950, becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships.
The Lakers' success continued into the 1950s, winning three straight NBA championships from 1952 to 1954, making them the first team to achieve a "three-peat" and winning their fifth title in six seasons. The Lakers' dominance in the early years of the NBA cemented their status as one of the most successful franchises in the league's history.
The Lakers' success was not limited to the early years of the NBA, as they continued to be a force to be reckoned with in the decades that followed. They returned to the NBA Finals in 1982, facing off against the 76ers, who they defeated in six games. However, the 76ers bounced back the following year, sweeping the Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals.
The rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics emerged as a defining feature of the NBA, with the two teams meeting in the Finals multiple times in the 1980s. In 1984, the Celtics edged out the Lakers in a close series, winning 4-3. The 1984 Finals attracted a massive television audience, with the final game becoming the most-watched NBA game in history at the time. The Lakers got their revenge in 1985 and 1987, defeating the Celtics in both series and solidifying their place in the league's history.
The Lakers' most recent NBA championship came in 2020 when they defeated the Miami Heat. This victory added to the Lakers' impressive legacy and further established them as one of the most successful and iconic franchises in the NBA.
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Philadelphia Warriors: the first BAA champions
The Philadelphia Warriors were the first-ever champions of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which would later become the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the BAA and played in the American Basketball League in 1925. Led by scoring sensation Joe Fulks, the Warriors won the inaugural BAA championship in 1947, defeating the Chicago Stags in a best-of-seven series, four games to one.
The 1947 BAA Finals marked the conclusion of the league's inaugural season, with the Philadelphia Warriors of the Eastern Division facing the Chicago Stags of the Western Division. Philadelphia had home-court advantage and advanced to the championship round by winning a four-team playoff among the Eastern and Western Division runners-up. The Warriors were not the Eastern Division champions but earned their spot in the finals nonetheless. The Eastern and Western Division champions, Washington Capitols and Cleveland Rebels, played a separate series to determine the other finalist, which Chicago won.
The Warriors' road to the championship was not easy. In the deciding game, the Stags took a brief 69-68 lead until Philadelphia centre Art Hillhouse stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring 7 out of the last 10 points for his team. Howie Dallmar, a 6-foot-4 guard, also played a crucial role, scoring the winning basket with less than a minute left to seal the deal for Philadelphia. The final score was 83-80, and the Warriors lifted the first-ever BAA championship trophy.
The Philadelphia Warriors' victory in the 1947 BAA Finals set the tone for the franchise's early success. The team would go on to win multiple championships, including another title in 1956, solidifying their place in the history of professional basketball and laying the foundation for what would become the NBA. The Warriors' legacy continued even after the team's relocation, with the Golden State Warriors carrying the torch and achieving further success in the NBA.
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76ers: the 1983 NBA winners
The 1983 NBA Finals saw the Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-game sweep (4-0), marking their third NBA championship. This victory was particularly sweet for the 76ers, as they had lost to the Lakers in the previous two finals meetings in 1980 and 1982.
The 76ers' road to the 1983 NBA Finals began with a sweep of the New York Knicks, followed by a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. They then faced the Lakers, who had earned the top pick in the 1982 NBA draft and were the defending NBA champions. Despite the Lakers' strong roster, including Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the 76ers dominated with a final score of 113-107 in the first game, followed by 103-93, 111-94, and 115-108 in the subsequent games.
The 76ers' success in the 1982-83 season was largely attributed to the acquisition of center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets before the season began. Malone's presence bolstered the team's offense and rebounding capabilities, and he was named the NBA Finals MVP and league MVP for the third time in his career.
The 1983 NBA Finals also featured notable performances by Julius Erving, who made a crucial three-point play with 59 seconds remaining in Game 4, securing the victory for the 76ers. Erving, also known as "Dr. J", was a key member of the team and is now recognised as a Hall of Famer.
The 76ers' victory in the 1983 NBA Finals remains a memorable moment in the team's history, and they continue to celebrate the achievements of this championship team even 40 years later.
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Toronto Raptors: 2019 NBA champions
The Toronto Raptors emerged as the NBA champions in 2019, defeating the Golden State Warriors in the finals. This was the Raptors' first-ever NBA championship title, and also the first win by an NBA team based outside the US. The Raptors won the best-of-seven playoff series 4-2, with Kawhi Leonard being named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in his career.
The Raptors' journey to the finals was not without its challenges. They lost Game 1 of the first round to the Orlando Magic but then went on to win the next four games in a row to take the series. They faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, trailing 2-1 before ultimately winning the series in seven games. Leonard was the star once more, hitting the game-winner at the buzzer. This set up a clash with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Raptors found themselves trailing 2-0 again. However, they displayed resilience and fought back to win the next four games, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
In the NBA Finals, the Raptors faced a formidable Warriors team that was appearing in their third consecutive finals. The series was tightly contested, with the Raptors holding a 3-1 lead before the Warriors staved off elimination in Game 5 with a narrow 106-105 victory. The deciding moment came in Game 6, where Leonard's 10 straight points in the fourth quarter erased a 14-point Warriors lead. The Raptors closed out the game and the series, making history in the process.
This victory marked a significant milestone for the city of Toronto and Canadian sports as a whole, ending a 25-year drought for Toronto teams appearing in championship rounds across major North American professional sports leagues. The Raptors' triumph also highlighted the impact of star player Kawhi Leonard, who joined the team via an off-season trade and delivered a stellar performance throughout the playoffs, solidifying his status as one of the NBA's elite players.
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Frequently asked questions
The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals, defeating the Dallas Mavericks.
The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals, defeating the Miami Heat.
The Boston Celtics have won the most championships, with 18 titles.
