The 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals features two of the West’s top teams battling for a trip to the NBA Finals. Over the years, powerhouses like the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Golden State Warriors have dominated the West and racked up multiple titles.
This time around, it’s the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder going up against the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves — and both teams are chasing their first NBA championship.
The Thunder took care of the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 and then battled through a tough seven-game series in the semifinals to make it here. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, pulled off a few surprises — first by eliminating the Lakers in the opening round, then by taking down the Warriors in the semis.
So, with all the excitement around this year’s Western Conference Finals, let’s take a look back at the history of the matchup and the teams that have earned their way into the NBA Finals over the years.
The Western Conference Finals Winners List in NBA History
Here’s a list of the Western Conference Finals winners over the years:
| Year | Champions | Result | Runners-up |
| 1971 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1972 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1973 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1974 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-0 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1975 | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1976 | Phoenix Suns | 4-3 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1977 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1978 | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-2 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1979 | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1981 | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Kansas City Kings |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1983 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1986 | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1989 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1990 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1991 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1992 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Utah Jazz |
| 1993 | Phoenix Suns | 4-3 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1994 | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Utah Jazz |
| 1995 | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1996 | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Utah Jazz |
| 1997 | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Houston Rockets |
| 1998 | Utah Jazz | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1999 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-0 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2000 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2003 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2004 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2005 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2006 | Dallas Mavericks | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2007 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Utah Jazz |
| 2008 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2011 | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2012 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2013 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-0 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | 4-1 | Houston Rockets |
| 2016 | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Houston Rockets |
| 2019 | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2021 | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | 4-1 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2024 | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2025 | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves |
TBD | TBD |
When it comes to most Western Conference Finals appearances, the Lakers lead the way with 24 trips, turning 19 of those into championships.
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The Thunder have made the Conference Finals 11 times, counting their history as the Seattle SuperSonics before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.
The Timberwolves have reached the Conference Finals just twice, and they’ve yet to break through to the NBA Finals.
The 2025 Western Conference Finals promises to be a matchup to remember, with two teams hungry to make history.
