The previous 10 years of the NBA Finals were constantly filled with generational talent and team dynasties. Let’s check out the previous 10 NBA Final Champions and select highlights from the series below.
2023–24 NBA Finals Champions: Boston Celtics
After going a league-best 64-18 in the regular season, the Boston Celtics entered the postseason as favorites to win the championship. They lived up to the hype. Boston lost only two games en route to making the NBA Finals, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks. The upstart Mavericks became just the second No. 5 seed to ever make the NBA finals, but the Celtics, led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, proved too much to handle. The Celtics only lost one game to Dallas: Game 4, which the Mavericks won, 122-84. On June 17, 2024, Boston won their NBA-record 18th title with a 106-88 victory in Game 5. Brown was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists in the series.
2022–23 NBA Finals Champions: Denver Nuggets
Led by superstar center Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets battled their way through a tough Western Conference to reach the NBA Finals, where they faced off against the Miami Heat, winning the title 4 games to 1. Winning the fifth game, 94-89, after a second-half comeback, the Nuggets hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy on June 12, 2023 for the first time in franchise history. Nikola Jokic was unanimously named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
2021–22 NBA Finals Champions: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics, 4–2, to win the 2021–22 NBA Finals. The final game was played at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 16, 2022, with the Warriors winning, 103–90. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors received the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award for the first time in his career. This was the Golden State Warriors fourth championship in eight years.
2020–21 NBA Finals Champions: Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks became NBA Finals Champions when they defeated the Phoenix Suns, 4–2, at home at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 20, 2021. The Bucks defeated the Suns in Game 6, 105–98. This was the second championship win for the Bucks and their first since 1971. This was also the first championship since 2010 that did not feature NBA superstars LeBron James or Steph Curry.
2019–20 NBA Finals Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, defeated the Miami Heat to win the 2020 NBA Finals, 4–2, at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee, Florida, on October 11, 2020, with a Game 6 score of 106–93. James was the recipient of the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. With a season stoppage in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season resumed in July, pushing the NBA Finals back to September/October. During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, teams resided in an NBA bubble behind closed doors with all games being played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.
2018–19 NBA Finals Champions: Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors, 4–2, on June 13, 2019, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The final score of Game 6 was 114–110. This was the fifth consecutive time the Golden State Warriors appeared in the NBA Finals. Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors was named the Finals MVP. This was also the first NBA Finals to not include LeBron James since 2010.
2017–18 NBA Finals Champions: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–0, to become the NBA Finals Champions on June 8, 2018, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. This was the Warriors’ second consecutive NBA Finals victory. LeBron James of the Cavaliers scored an astounding 51 points in the first game only, for the Cavs to lose 107–106. Kevin Durant of the Warriors won the Finals MVP for the second consecutive year. The Warriors’ Steph Curry also had a terrific NBA Finals performance, averaging 27.5 points during the series.
2016–17 NBA Finals Champions: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–1, to become the 2017 NBA Finals Champions on June 12, 2017, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. This was the first NBA Finals to feature the same two teams for the third consecutive year. The Warriors were the first team in the history of the NBA to enter the Finals with a 12–0 playoff record.
2015–16 NBA Finals Champions: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Finals Championship after defeating the Golden State Warriors, 4–3, on June 19, 2016, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The Cavaliers were led by LeBron James, who was unanimously decided as the Finals MVP. The Cavaliers became only the fourth team in NBA history to win the NBA Finals Championship after being down 2–0 and the first team to win after being down 3–1 in the Finals.
2014–15 NBA Finals Champions: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–2, to become NBA Finals Champions on June 16, 2015, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. LeBron James of the Cavaliers became the first player in NBA history to lead both teams in points, rebounds and assists, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists throughout the series. However, Andre Iguodala of the Warriors was named the Finals MVP. This marked the first championship for the Warriors since 1975.
Previous NBA Finals Champions
| Year | Result | Western Champion | Eastern Champion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4-1 | Dallas Mavericks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 2023 | 4-1 | Denver Nuggets | Miami Heat | ||
| 2022 | 4–2 | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | ||
| 2021 | 2–4 | Phoenix Suns | Milwaukee Bucks | ||
| 2020 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Miami Heat | ||
| 2019 | 2–4 | Golden State Warriors | Toronto Raptors | ||
| 2018 | 4–0 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 2017 | 4–1 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 2016 | 3–4 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 2015 | 4–2 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 2014 | 4–1 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat | ||
| 2013 | 3–4 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat | ||
| 2012 | 1–4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Miami Heat | ||
| 2011 | 4–2 | Dallas Mavericks | Miami Heat | ||
| 2010 | 4–3 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 2009 | 4–1 | Los Angeles Lakers | Orlando Magic | ||
| 2008 | 2–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 2007 | 4–0 | San Antonio Spurs | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 2006 | 2–4 | Dallas Mavericks | Miami Heat | ||
| 2005 | 4–3 | San Antonio Spurs | Detroit Pistons | ||
| 2004 | 1–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | ||
| 2003 | 4–2 | San Antonio Spurs | New Jersey Nets | ||
| 2002 | 4–0 | Los Angeles Lakers | New Jersey Nets | ||
| 2001 | 4–1 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 2000 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana Pacers | ||
| 1999 | 4–1 | San Antonio Spurs | New York Knicks | ||
| 1998 | 2–4 | Utah Jazz | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1997 | 2–4 | Utah Jazz | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1996 | 2–4 | Seattle SuperSonics | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1995 | 4–0 | Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic | ||
| 1994 | 4–3 | Houston Rockets | New York Knicks | ||
| 1993 | 2–4 | Phoenix Suns | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1992 | 2–4 | Portland Trail Blazers | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1991 | 1–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Chicago Bulls | ||
| 1990 | 1–4 | Portland Trail Blazers | Detroit Pistons | ||
| 1989 | 0–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | ||
| 1988 | 4–3 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | ||
| 1987 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1986 | 2–4 | Houston Rockets | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1985 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1984 | 3–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1983 | 0–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 1982 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 1981 | 2–4 | Houston Rockets | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1980 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 1979 | 4–1 | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets | ||
| 1978 | 3–4 | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets | ||
| 1977 | 4–2 | Portland Trail Blazers | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 1976 | 2–4 | Phoenix Suns | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1975 | 4–0 | Golden State Warriors | Washington Bullets | ||
| 1974 | 3–4 | Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1973 | 1–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | ||
| 1972 | 4–1 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | ||
| 1971 | 4–0 | Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets | ||
| 1970 | 3–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | ||
| 1969 | 3–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1968 | 2–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1967 | 2–4 | San Francisco Warriors | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| 1966 | 3–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1965 | 1–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1964 | 1–4 | San Francisco Warriors | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1963 | 2–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1962 | 3–4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1961 | 1–4 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1960 | 3–4 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1959 | 0–4 | Minneapolis Lakers | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1958 | 4–2 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1957 | 3–4 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | ||
| 1956 | 1–4 | Fort Wayne Pistons | Philadelphia Warriors | ||
| 1955 | 3–4 | Fort Wayne Pistons | Syracuse Nationals | ||
| 1954 | 4–3 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals | ||
| 1953 | 4–1 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks | ||
| 1952 | 4–3 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks | ||
| 1951 | 4–3 | Rochester Royals | New York Knicks | ||
| 1950 | 4–2 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals |
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