1940s NBA champions

The 1940s produced 3 NBA champions: 1947 Philadelphia Warriors; 1948 Baltimore Bullets; 1949 Minneapolis Lakers.

A few franchises split the decade among themselves.

Franchise names in this window included Philadelphia Warriors, Baltimore Bullets, Minneapolis Lakers. City moves and mergers matter when you compare counts. Minneapolis titles count toward the Lakers. Syracuse titles count toward the 76ers. Philadelphia Warriors titles count toward Golden State.

Each season below links to a full article. Read them in order if you want a chronological tour, or jump to the franchise hub if you care about one club's full history.

The league itself changed during the 1940s: team count, playoff length, and style of play all shifted. Context on the individual champion pages matters as much as the final score of the Finals.