NBA Champions by Year: List of every NBA Season Winner since 1946

NBA Champions by Year: The NBA started back in 1946, there have been 73 champions till date. 

2019 was a historic year for the NBA. The first time a non-USA based team, aka, the Toronto Raptors won a title. They upset the then defending champions Golden State Warriors, 4-2, to do so.

There have been 21 different teams who won the coveted title, with Boston Celtics leading the way, has 17 titles. A close second is Los Angeles Lakers, with 16 titles. There have been teams who have had era based dominance, like the Chicago Bulls had, back in the 90s. They won 6 titles in 8 years.

There is also LA Lakers, who did a 3-peat from 2000-2002 and won 2 more in 2009&10. Then came the era of the Miami Heat. They made it to 4 straight finals between 2010-2014, winning in two of those four years. The last era we saw before us was the Warriors era. They went from a below the radar team to a Champion in 2014, and have won 3 titles in 5 years.

This year’s NBA Champion will be declared in the month of October, for the first time in the league’s history. The Champions will also have an asterisk next to their name, signifying the Bubble victory.

Also Read: “This year’s championship is going to be the toughest championship to win”

NBA Champions for every Year:

Year	Champion	Result	Opponent
2019	Toronto Raptors	4-2	Golden State Warriors
2018	Golden State Warriors	4-0 (sweep)	Cleveland Cavaliers
2017	Golden State Warriors	4-1	Cleveland Cavaliers
2016	Cleveland Cavaliers	4-3	Golden State Warriors
2015	Golden State Warriors	4-2	Cleveland Cavaliers
2014	San Antonio Spurs	4-1	Miami Heat
2013	Miami Heat	4-3	San Antonio Spurs
2012	Miami Heat	4-1	Oklahoma City Thunder
2011	Dallas Mavericks	4-2	Miami Heat
2010	Los Angeles Lakers	4-3	Boston Celtics
2009	Los Angeles Lakers	4-1	Orlando Magic
2008	Boston Celtics	4-2	Los Angeles Lakers
2007	San Antonio Spurs	4-0 (sweep)	Cleveland Cavaliers
2006	Miami Heat	4-2	Dallas Mavericks
2005	San Antonio Spurs	4-3	Detroit Pistons
2004	Detroit Pistons	4-1	Los Angeles Lakers
2003	San Antonio Spurs	4-2	New Jersey Nets
2002	Los Angeles Lakers	4-0 (sweep)	New Jersey Nets
2001	Los Angeles Lakers	4-1	Philadelphia 76ers
2000	Los Angeles Lakers	4-2	Indiana Pacers
1999	San Antonio Spurs	4-1	New York Knicks
1998	Chicago Bulls	4-2	Utah Jazz
1997	Chicago Bulls	4-2	Utah Jazz
1996	Chicago Bulls	4-2	Seattle SuperSonics
1995	Houston Rockets	4-0 (sweep)	Orlando Magic
1994	Houston Rockets	4-3	New York Knicks
1993	Chicago Bulls	4-2	Phoenix Suns
1992	Chicago Bulls	4-2	Portland Trail Blazers
1991	Chicago Bulls	4-1	Los Angeles Lakers
1990	Detroit Pistons	4-1	Portland Trail Blazers
1989	Detroit Pistons	4-0 (sweep)	Los Angeles Lakers
1988	Los Angeles Lakers	4-3	Detroit Pistons
1987	Los Angeles Lakers	4-2	Boston Celtics
1986	Boston Celtics	4-2	Houston Rockets
1985	Los Angeles Lakers	4-2	Boston Celtics
1984	Boston Celtics	4-3	Los Angeles Lakers
1983	Philadelphia 76ers	4-0 (sweep)	Los Angeles Lakers
1982	Los Angeles Lakers	4-2	Philadelphia 76ers
1981	Boston Celtics	4-2	Houston Rockets
1980	Los Angeles Lakers	4-2	Philadelphia 76ers
1979	Seattle SuperSonics	4-1	Washington Bullets
1978	Washington Bullets	4-3	Seattle SuperSonics
1977	Portland Trail Blazers	4-2	Philadelphia 76ers
1976	Boston Celtics	4-2	Phoenix Suns
1975	Golden State Warriors	4-0 (sweep)	Washington Bullets
1974	Boston Celtics	4-3	Milwaukee Bucks
1973	New York Knicks	4-1	Los Angeles Lakers
1972	Los Angeles Lakers	4-1	New York Knicks
1971	Milwaukee Bucks	4-0 (sweep)	Baltimore Bullets
1970	New York Knicks	4-3	Los Angeles Lakers
1969	Boston Celtics	4-3	Los Angeles Lakers
1968	Boston Celtics	4-2	Los Angeles Lakers
1967	Philadelphia 76ers	4-2	San Francisco Warriors
1966	Boston Celtics	4-3	Los Angeles Lakers
1965	Boston Celtics	4-1	Los Angeles Lakers
1964	Boston Celtics	4-1	San Francisco Warriors
1963	Boston Celtics	4-2	Los Angeles Lakers
1962	Boston Celtics	4-3	Los Angeles Lakers
1961	Boston Celtics	4-1	St. Louis Hawks
1960	Boston Celtics	4-3	St. Louis Hawks
1959	Boston Celtics	4-0 (sweep)	Minneapolis Lakers
1958	St. Louis Hawks	4-2	Boston Celtics
1957	Boston Celtics	4-3	St. Louis Hawks
1956	Philadelphia Warriors	4-1	Fort Wayne Pistons
1955	Syracuse Nationals	4-3	Fort Wayne Pistons
1954	Minneapolis Lakers	4-3	Syracuse Nationals
1953	Minneapolis Lakers	4-1	New York Knicks
1952	Minneapolis Lakers	4-3	New York Knicks
1951	Rochester Royals	4-3	New York Knicks
1950	Minneapolis Lakers	4-2	Syracuse Nationals
1949	Minneapolis Lakers	4-2	Washington Capitols
1948	Baltimore Bullets	4-2	Philadelphia Warriors
1947	Philadelphia Warriors	4-1	Chicago Stags

Ever since the inception of the league, there was always a tough battle for the coveted trophy.

Everyone knows that the championship can’t be won by a player alone, but there are always players who stand out in the series. The NBA Finals MVP award was taken out to recognize that player and was named after Bill Russell, the player who has won the NBA Championships the most times.

Currently, the player with the maximum number of Finals MVP is Micheal Jordan, with 6. No other player in the history of the league has over 3.

Best Playoff player of all time?

This is a question that makes everyone wonder a lot. There have been a lot of players who can make cases for this title, but when the dust settles, only two big names stand. There is the most NBA titles holder, Bill Russell. In his 13 years with the Celtics, he went to the Finals 12 times, and won it 11 times! 11 titles in a 13-year career!

The second name is Micheal ‘his Airness’ Jordan. Micheal Jordan has led a decorated career. He led the Chicago Bulls to 2 different 3-peats. The first was between the 1990-91 season till the 1992-93 season. The second 3-peat was between 1995-96 season till 1997-98 season. Jordan has played in 6 NBA Finals, won all 6 of them, and bagged the Finals MVP in all 6. Jordan averaged 33.6ppg, 6apg, and 6rpg in his 35 appearances in Finals matches.

The numbers speak for themselves, don’t they?