NBA Finals results and records by year throughout league history

A new team will reach the NBA’s mountaintop in 2024.

The Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks are heading to the conference finals this year. With the defending champion Denver Nuggets out of the picture, a team led by a young superstar will lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month.

There’s still a long way to go before the final buzzer in the 2024 NBA Finals. As the chase for a championship continues, let’s look back at every champion in league history:

1940s

• 1947: Philadelphia Warriors def. Chicago Stags 4-1
• 1948: Baltimore Bullets def. Philadelphia Warriors 4-2
• 1949: Minneapolis Lakers def. Washington Capitols 4-2

1950s

• 1950: Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals 4-2
• 1951: Rochester Royals def. New York Knicks 4-3
• 1952: Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks 4-3
• 1953: Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks 4-1
• 1954: Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals 4-3
• 1955: Syracuse National def. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-3
• 1956: Philadelphia Warriors def. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-1
• 1957: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks 4-3
• 1958: St. Louis Hawks def. Boston Celtics 4-2
• 1959: Boston Celtics def. Minneapolis Lakers 4-0

1960s

• 1960: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks 4-3
• 1961: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks 4-1
• 1962: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
• 1963: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
• 1964: Boston Celtics def. San Francisco Warriors 4-2
• 1965: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
• 1966: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
• 1967: Philadelphia 76ers def. San Francisco Warriors 4-2
• 1968: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
• 1969: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3

1970s

• 1970: New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
• 1971: Milwaukee Bucks def. Baltimore Bullets 4-0
• 1972: Los Angeles Lakers def. New York Knicks 4-1
• 1973: New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
• 1974: Boston Celtics def. Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
• 1975: Golden State Warriors def. Washington Bullets 4-0
• 1976: Boston Celtics def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
• 1977: Portland Trail Blazers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
• 1978: Washington Bullets def. Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
• 1979: Seattle SuperSonics def. Washington Bullets 4-1

1980s

• 1980: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
• 1981: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets 4-2
• 1982: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
• 1983: Philadelphia 76ers def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
• 1984: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
• 1985: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-2
• 1986: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets 4-2
• 1987: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-2
• 1988: Los Angeles Lakers def. Detroit Pistons 4-3
• 1989: Detroit Pistons def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0

1990s

• 1990: Detroit Pistons def. Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
• 1991: Chicago Bulls def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
• 1992: Chicago Bulls def. Portland Trail Blazers 4-2
• 1993: Chicago Bulls def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
• 1994: Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks 4-3
• 1995: Houston Rockets def. Orlando Magic 4-0
• 1996: Chicago Bulls def. Seattle SuperSonics 4-2
• 1997: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz 4-2
• 1998: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz 4-2
• 1999: San Antonio Spurs def. New York Knicks 4-1

2000s

• 2000: Los Angeles Lakers def. Indiana Pacers 4-2
• 2001: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
• 2002: Los Angeles Lakers def. New Jersey Nets 4-0
• 2003: San Antonio Spurs def. New Jersey Nets 4-2
• 2004: Detroit Pistons def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
• 2005: San Antonio Spurs def. Detroit Pistons 4-3
• 2006: Miami Heat def. Dallas Mavericks 4-2
• 2007: San Antonio Spurs def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
• 2008: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
• 2009: Los Angeles Lakers def. Orlando Magic 4-1

2010s

• 2010: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-3
• 2011: Dallas Mavericks def. Miami Heat 4-2
• 2012: Miami Heat def. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1
• 2013: Miami Heat def. San Antonio Spurs 4-3
• 2014: San Antonio Spurs def. Miami Heat 4-1
• 2015: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2
• 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers def. Golden State Warriors 4-3
• 2017: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1
• 2018: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
• 2019: Toronto Raptors def. Golden State Warriors 4-2

2020s

• 2020: Los Angeles Lakers def. Miami Heat 4-2
• 2021: Milwaukee Bucks def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
• 2022: Golden State Warriors def. Boston Celtics 4-2
• 2023: Denver Nuggets def. Miami Heat 4-1

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in June 2022.