Decade overview
1940s NBA champions
Three franchises split the only three BAA and NBA titles of the 1940s. Joe Fulks and George Mikan starred in a slow, low-scoring league built around the paint.
The 1940s cover just three championship seasons: the first BAA title in 1947, the Bullets in 1948, and the Minneapolis Lakers in 1949 after the BAA merged into the NBA. Three different franchises won, with no repeat champions in this short window.
Joe Fulks led the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947 as the league's first scoring star. George Mikan arrived in Minneapolis in 1949 and immediately set the template for a dominant big man. No one else in this decade matched their profile as a true franchise carrier.
Pace was slow and scores stayed low. Teams packed the lane, fouled often, and ran much of their offense through centers and forward-centers. The game looked nothing like the modern open floor, but Mikan's size already foreshadowed how star big men would run the league for the next two decades.
Each season below links to a full article with the Finals result, roster, and context for that year.