The 2025 NBA Finals are set, and it's a great matchup between two attempted first-timers. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers have zero NBA championships between them. There will be moans and groans about "small markets" and "no star-power," but those folks hate basketball. This is what it's all about.
Indiana has been in the NBA since the the 70s, going on 50 years without a ring (those three ABA championships belong to a different era). OKC is much newer, but Sam Presti's patient rebuild has led to what is the closest to a juggernaut we've seen since the Steph-led Warriors fell off. The Thunder still need to prove it on the Finals stage, of course, but this team is built to win games — a lot of 'em — for years to come.
As we all prepare for a thrilling clash of styles between All-NBA point guards and high-paced offenses, let's dive into the annals of NBA history for a bit of context. Here are all the champs (and who they beat) since the NBA was incepted in the 1940s.
Every NBA Finals champion in league history
Year | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
1947 | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Stags |
1948 | Baltimore Bullets | Philadelphia Warriors |
1949 | Minneapolis Lakers | Washington Capitols |
1950 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals |
1951 | Rochester Royals | New York Knicks |
1952 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks |
1953 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks |
1954 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals |
1955 | Syracuse Nationals | Ft. Wayne Pistons |
1956 | Philadelphia Warriors | Ft. Wayne Pistons |
1957 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks |
1958 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics |
1959 | Boston Celtics | Minneapolis Lakers |
1960 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks |
1961 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks |
1962 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1963 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1964 | Boston Celtics | San Francisco Warriors |
1965 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1966 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1967 | Philadelphia 76ers | San Francisco Warriors |
1968 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1969 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1970 | New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers |
1971 | Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets |
1972 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks |
1973 | New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers |
1974 | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks |
1975 | Golden State Warriors | Washington Bullets |
1976 | Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns |
1977 | Portland Trail Blazers | Philadelphia 76ers |
1978 | Washington Bullets | Seattle SuperSonics |
1979 | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets |
1980 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers |
1981 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets |
1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers |
1983 | Philadelphia 76ers | Los Angeles Lakers |
1984 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
1985 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics |
1986 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets |
1987 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics |
1988 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons |
1989 | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers |
1990 | Detroit Pistons | Portland Trail Blazers |
1991 | Chicago Bulls | Los Angeles Lakers |
1992 | Chicago Bulls | Portland Trail Blazers |
1993 | Chicago Bulls | Phoenix Suns |
1994 | Houston Rockets | New York Knicks |
1995 | Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic |
1996 | Chicago Bulls | Seattle SuperSonics |
1997 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz |
1998 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz |
1999 | San Antonio Spurs | New York Knicks |
2000 | Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana Pacers |
2001 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers |
2002 | Los Angeles Lakers | New Jersey Nets |
2003 | San Antonio Spurs | New Jersey Nets |
2004 | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers |
2005 | San Antonio Spurs | Detroit Pistons |
2006 | Miami Heat | Dallas Mavericks |
2007 | San Antonio Spurs | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2008 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers |
2009 | Los Angeles Lakers | Orlando Magic |
2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics |
2011 | Dallas Mavericks | Miami Heat |
2012 | Miami Heat | Oklahoma City Thunder |
2013 | Miami Heat | San Antonio Spurs |
2014 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat |
2015 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors |
2017 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2018 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2019 | Toronto Raptors | Golden State Warriors |
2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | Miami Heat |
2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | Phoenix Suns |
2022 | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics |
2023 | Denver Nuggets | Miami Heat |
2024 | Boston Celtics | Dallas Mavericks |
My main takeaway here is the degradation of NBA team names since 1947. Chicago Stags is 10,000X better than Chicago Bulls. Sorry. We just don't get teams in Rochester or Fort Wayne anymore either. It's a real shame. This is what corperate greed has taken from us. Just remember: the Knicks' first Finals appearance was a fat loss to the Rochester Royals.
Another big takeaway: not sure how Lakers fans can really sit here and talk like it's an even battle with the Celtics historically. I know the numbers even out in the end, but Boston spend the first couple decades of NBA basketball just mollywhopping L.A. in the Finals every year. Tough scene.
A new team will join the championship ranks this summer, as both Indiana and OKC are looking to add their first Larry O'Brein trophy. We are going to witness history either way, folks, so appreciate it while it's here.
Which NBA teams have the most NBA championships?
Rank | Team | Championships |
|---|---|---|
1 | Boston Celtics | 18 |
2 | Los Angeles Lakers | 17 |
3 | Golden State Warriors | 7 |
4 | Chicago Bulls | 6 |
5 | San Antonio Spurs | 5 |
Boston took the crown last summer. It might be a while before the Lakers can punch back. Credit where it's due to San Antonio, though. Four of our largest media markets, franchises dominated by star-power and untold glitz... and the San Antonio Spurs. Those Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili teams were magical.