NBA champions by decade

Nine decades of NBA champions, from the first BAA title in 1947 through the latest banner. Each overview links to every individual championship season in that window.

• 1940s

  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.

• 1950s

  Six franchises won titles in the 1950s. George Mikan's Lakers and Bill Russell's Celtics bookended the decade in a slow, center-dominated era.

• 1960s

  Only two franchises won in the 1960s: Boston took nine titles and Philadelphia one. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain defined a decade of bruising, defense-first basketball.

• 1970s

  Eight franchises won titles in the 1970s, the most spread of any full decade. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Willis Reed, and a wave of new stars played in a faster, more balanced league.

• 1980s

  Four franchises won in the 1980s, led by the Lakers and Celtics. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the highest-profile basketball of the era.

• 1990s

  Four franchises won in the 1990s. Michael Jordan's Bulls took six titles, Hakeem Olajuwon won two, and the decade opened and closed with Detroit and San Antonio.

• 2000s

  Five franchises won in the 2000s. Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant combined for most of the titles in a post-oriented, defense-heavy era.

• 2010s

  Seven franchises won in the 2010s. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Tim Duncan starred as three-point shooting and pace-and-space offense reshaped the league.

• 2020s

  Seven franchises have won so far in the 2020s, one per title. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic each carried a ring in a switch-heavy, positionless era.