When Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks tips off on Thursday, there’ll be some history on the line — beyond the obvious.
The Celtics will be trying to break their current tie with the rival Lakers atop the leaderboard for the most championships in NBA history. Those two teams dominate that board, with a sizable gap between them and the next-fullest trophy case.
Here’s a thorough history of all past NBA Finals winners, including how many titles the Celtics have won, when the Mavericks earned their lone ring and which teams are still searching for their first.
Who has won the most NBA Finals?
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have won the most NBA Finals, with 17 apiece.
Next is the Golden State Warriors, whose four titles within the last decade brought their all-time total to seven — counting their 1947 win during the era of the Basketball Association of America, which merged with the National Basketball League to become the NBA in 1949.
After them are the Chicago Bulls, whose six championships came in the 1990s with Michael Jordan, and the San Antonio Spurs, who have won five — all with Gregg Popovich at the helm.
Who are the last 5 NBA champions?
The 2023-24 season will be the sixth straight season without a repeat NBA Finals winning team.
2022-23: Denver Nuggets (def. Miami Heat)
2021-22: Golden State Warriors (def. Boston Celtics)
2020-21: Milwaukee Bucks (def. Phoenix Suns)
2019-20: Los Angeles Lakers (def. Miami Heat)
2018-19: Toronto Raptors (def. Golden State Warriors)
Has there ever been a 4-0 sweep in the Finals?
Several times, actually. The first was in 1959, when the Celtics swept the Lakers (then the Minneapolis Lakers). The last was in 2018, when the Warriors swept the Cavaliers.
Here are the seven in between.
1971: Milwaukee Bucks sweep Baltimore Bullets
1975: Golden State Warriors sweep Washington Bullets
1983: Philadelphia 76ers sweep Los Angeles Lakers
1989: Detroit Pistons sweep Los Angeles Lakers
1995: Houston Rockets sweep Orlando Magic
2002: Los Angeles Lakers sweep New Jersey Nets
2007: San Antonio Spurs sweep Cleveland Cavaliers
How many teams have won a three-peat in NBA history?
Well, three — but it’s happened five times. The first and last were the same franchise: The Minneapolis Lakers three-peated from 1952-54, and the Los Angeles Lakers three-peated from 2000-02.
The Jordan-led Chicago Bulls three-peated twice in the same decade, winning from 1991-93 and again from 1996-98. If Jordan hadn’t retired for the 1993-94 season and most of the next, perhaps it would’ve been an eight-peat.
Instead, the only eight-peat in NBA history — and probably the only one the league will ever see — belongs to the Boston Celtics. They won the title every year from 1959-66.
However, there were only eight (until 1961) or nine teams in the league during that Celtics run.
What teams have never won an NBA title?
The Nuggets won their first championship last year, leaving 10 franchises that have yet to reach the mountaintop: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.
Which team has lost the most NBA Finals?
That would be the Lakers, with 15. The next closest are the Knicks and 76ers, with six apiece.
Every NBA champion by year
| YEAR | NBA CHAMPION |
| 1947 (BAA) | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1948 (BAA) | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1949 (BAA) | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1950 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1951 | Rochester Royals |
| 1952 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1953 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1954 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1955 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1956 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1957 | Boston Celtics |
| 1958 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1959 | Boston Celtics |
| 1960 | Boston Celtics |
| 1961 | Boston Celtics |
| 1962 | Boston Celtics |
| 1963 | Boston Celtics |
| 1964 | Boston Celtics |
| 1965 | Boston Celtics |
| 1966 | Boston Celtics |
| 1967 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1968 | Boston Celtics |
| 1969 | Boston Celtics |
| 1970 | New York Knicks |
| 1971 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1973 | New York Knicks |
| 1974 | Boston Celtics |
| 1975 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1976 | Boston Celtics |
| 1977 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1978 | Washington Bullets |
| 1979 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981 | Boston Celtics |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1984 | Boston Celtics |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1986 | Boston Celtics |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1989 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1990 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1991 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1993 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1994 | Houston Rockets |
| 1995 | Houston Rockets |
| 1996 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1997 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1998 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1999 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2000 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2004 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2005 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2006 | Miami Heat |
| 2007 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2008 | Boston Celtics |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2011 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2012 | Miami Heat |
| 2013 | Miami Heat |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets |
