When discussions are in place about who are the greatest players in the NBA history, most of them are judged by how many championships each of them has won. This is because this trait certainly changes a player’s legacy. The same can be said about a team’s perspective.Its a known fact that when you look up to a team, the history book is very important, as in the case of the newly crowned champion Golden State Warriors.

This might determine which places any NBA team takes among the best NBA franchises in history. Therefore, winning a title in a season or repeating the feat multiple times increases the prestige of a franchise, leading to plenty of tangible benefits. In the end, history always remembers the winner and rarely, if ever, those who lost.

So, in total 19 NBA franchises have won at least once the NBA title. Lakers, Warriors and the 76ers have done it for different cities, while five teams have managed to win it more than 3 NBA titles. This includes, the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors. In fact, those teams represent nearly the 70% of all the NBA championships won.

Complete list by year of all NBA Championship games

It is important to note the fact that the Basketball Association of America was born first. But after only 3 seasons, the National Basketball Association unified to create the National Basketball Association we know today. The first champion registered was the Philadelphia Warriors, one of the founding members of the BAA. Currently, the Milwaukee Bucks are the NBA Champions.

In addition, if you were wondering if every NBA franchise have ever won the title, the answer is no. There are 11 NBA franchises that haven't been able to make their entry into the NBA Champions list yet. This includes Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hortnets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. 

With their recent win over the Boston Celtics, which clinched the NBA Finals 2022 in their favor 4-2, the Golden State Warriors became the third winningest team in league history, behind only the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are still far behind the Dubs with their 17 championships.

Basketball Association of America (BAA) 

Year BAA Champions Result Runners-up
1947 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Chicago Stags
1948 Baltimore Bullets 4-2 Philadelphia Warriors
1949 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Washington Capitals

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Year NBA Champions Result Runners-up
1950 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Syracuse Nationals
1951 Rochester Royals 4-3 New York Knicks
1952 Minneapolis Lakers  4-3 New York Knicks
1953 Minneapolis Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks
1954 Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 Syracuse Nationals
1955 Syracuse Nationals 4-3 Fort Wayne Pistons
1956 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Fort Wayne Pistons
1957 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks
1958 St. Louis Hawks 4-2 Boston Celtics
1959 Boston Celtics 4-0 Minneapolis Lakers
1960 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks
1961 Boston Celtics 4-1 St. Louis Hawks
1962 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1963 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers
1964 Boston Celtics 4-1 San Francisco Warriors
1965 Boston Celtics 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
1966 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1967 Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 San Francisco Warriors
1968 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers
1969 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1970 New York Knicks 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1971 Milwaukee Bucks 4-0 Baltimore Bullets
1972 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks
1973 New York Knicks 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
1974 Boston Celtics 4-3 Milwaukee Bucks
1975 Golden State Warriors 4-0 Washington Bullets
1976 Boston Celtics 4-2 Phoenix Suns
1977 Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers
1978 Washington Bullets 4-3 Seattle SuperSonics
1979 Seattle SuperSonics 4-1 Washington Bullets
1980 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers
1981 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets
1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers
1983 Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers
1984 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics
1986 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets
1987 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics
1988 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Detroit Pistons
1989 Detroit Pistons 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers
1990 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Portland Trail Blazers
1991 Chicago Bulls 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
1992 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Portland Trail Blazers
1993 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Phoenix Suns
1994 Houston Rockets 4-3 New York Knicks
1995 Houston Rockets     4-0 Orlando Magic
1996 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Seattle SuperSonics
1997 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz
1998 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz
1999 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 New York Knicks
2000 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Indiana Pacers
2001 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Philadelphia 76ers
2002 Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 New Jersey Nets
2003 San Antonio Spurs 4-2 New Jersey Nets
2004 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
2005 San Antonio Spurs 4-3 Detroit Pistons
2006 Miami Heat 4-2 Dallas Mavericks
2007 San Antonio Spurs 4-0 Cleveland Cavaliers
2008 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers
2009 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Orlando Magic
2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Boston Celtics
2011 Dallas Mavericks 4-2 Miami Heat
2012 Miami Heat 4-1 Oklahoma City Thunder
2013 Miami Heat 4-3 San Antonio Spurs
2014 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 Miami Heat
2015 Golden State Warriors 4-2 Cleveland Cavaliers
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3 Golden State Warriors
2017 Golden State Warriors 4-1 Cleveland Cavaliers
2018 Golden State Warriors 4-0 Cleveland Cavaliers
2019 Toronto Raptors 4-2 Golden State Warriors
2020 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Miami Heat
2021 Milwaukee Bucks 4-2 Phoenix Suns
2022 Golden State Warriors 4-2 Boston Celtics