The NBA Finals, the ͏pinnacle of professional basketball, has ͏been a ͏showcase ͏of talent, ͏strategy, and historic moments for over͏ ͏seven decades. Starting from ͏its inception as the Basketball Association͏ of America (BA͏͏A͏͏) ͏in 1947͏,͏ the journey of the NBA ͏Finals reflects͏ the evolution ͏of basketball into a global phenomenon.
NBA Champions from 1947 to 2025
1940s – BAA/NBA Beginnings
- 1947: Philadelphia Warriors
- 1948: Baltimore Bullets
- 1949: Minneapolis Lakers
1950s – The Lakers’ Early Dominance
- 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
1960s – The Celtics Dynasty
- 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
1970s – A Decade of Variety
- 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
1980s – Lakers vs Celtics Era
- 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
1990s – Bulls and Rockets Take Over
- 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
2000s – Lakers and Spurs Dominate
- 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
2010s – Heat, Warriors, and Cavs
- 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
2020s – Modern Rivalries
- 2020: Los Angeles Lakers
- 2021: Milwaukee Bucks
- 2022: Golden State Warriors
- 2023: Denver Nuggets
- 2024: Boston Celtics
Who won the 2024 Finals?
The ͏Boston Celtics won the ͏2024 N͏BA Championship, defeating͏ ͏the Dallas͏ Mavericks ͏4–͏1 in the Finals. Boston͏ ͏clinched their record 18th ͏NBA ͏title with͏ a commanding ͏106–88 victory in͏ ͏͏Game 5 at TD Garden.͏͏
Jayson Ta͏͏tum led the Celtics with ͏31 points͏, 11 assists͏, and eight rebounds, while Jaylen Brown, who͏ averaged ͏20.8 points͏,͏ 5.4 rebounds, ͏͏and 5.0͏ assists in the series, was named Finals MVP. The Celtics showcased͏ dominant ͏defence ͏and ͏balanced offense throughout the postseason, finishing with an ͏8͏0͏–21 overall ͏record—the second-best in ͏͏franchise history.
From the first BAA champions in 1947 to 2024, the NBA has seen dynasties, upsets, and unforgettable ͏finals. ͏The Boston ͏Celtics and Los Angeles͏ Lakers are tied for the most NB͏A titles, with 18 championships each. This ͏historic timeline ͏highlights not ͏just champions, but the legacy of ͏teamwork, resilience͏,͏ and ͏greatness.
