NBA championship timeline: 1947 to today

1947 through 1949: The BAA launched with the Philadelphia Warriors as its first champion. Baltimore won in 1948. Minneapolis took 1949 before the BAA merged with the NBL to form the NBA.

1950s: George Mikan's Lakers won five titles in six years. The Celtics won their first in 1957 and started the Russell era. Syracuse (later Philadelphia) won in 1955.

1960s: Boston won nine titles in ten years with Russell. The 76ers broke through in 1967 with Wilt Chamberlain. New York won its first in 1970.

1970s: The league expanded. Milwaukee won quickly with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson in 1971. Portland's only title came in 1977. Washington won in 1978. Seattle (now Oklahoma City) won in 1979.

1980s: The Lakers and Celtics traded titles. Magic and Bird defined the decade. The Bad Boy Pistons won back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars led Detroit.

1990s: Jordan's Bulls went 6-for-6 in Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon won two with Houston in 1994 and 1995 during Jordan's first retirement. The Spurs started their run in 1999.

2000s: Shaq and Kobe won three straight for the Lakers. The Spurs added three more. Boston returned in 2008. Dallas won its first in 2011. Miami's Big Three won in 2012 and 2013.

2010s: Golden State won three in four years, then Toronto broke through in 2019. The Cavaliers' 2016 comeback from 3-1 down against those Warriors stands out.

2020s: Milwaukee won in 2021. Golden State added 2022. Denver won its first in 2023. Boston won 18 in 2024. Oklahoma City won in 2025. The Knicks won in 2026 in this site's curated history set.

Each year on this site has a full page with the roster and the story of that season. Start from the index or pick a decade overview to narrow the field.