A new team will reach the NBA summit of a mountain in 2024.
THE Boston CelticsIndiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks are headed to the conference finals this year. With the Defending Champions Denver Nuggets Out of the picture, a team led by a young superstar will win the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month.
There is still a long way to go before the final whistle of the 2024 NBA Finals. As the championship race continues, let’s look back at each champion in league history:
1940s
- 1947: Philadelphia Warriors defeated. Chicago Deer 4-1
- 1948: Baltimore Bullets def. Philadelphia Warriors 4-2
- 1949: Minneapolis Lakers defeated. Washington Capitols 4-2
1950s
- 1950: Minneapolis Lakers defeated. Syracuse Nationals 4-2
- 1951: Rochester Royals def. New York Knicks 4-3
- 1952: Minneapolis Lakers defeated. New York Knicks 4-3
- 1953: Minneapolis Lakers defeated. New York Knicks 4-1
- 1954: Minneapolis Lakers defeated. Syracuse Nationals 4-3
- 1955: Syracuse National def. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-3
- 1956: Philadelphia Warriors def. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-1
- 1957: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks 4-3
- 1958: St. Louis Hawks def. Boston Celtics 4-2
- 1959: Boston Celtics defeated. Minneapolis Lakers 4-0
1960s
- 1960: Boston Celtics defeated. St. Louis Hawks 4-3
- 1961: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks 4-1
- 1962: Boston Celtics def. the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
- 1963: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
- 1964: Boston Celtics def. San Francisco Warriors 4-2
- 1965: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
- 1966: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
- 1967: Philadelphia 76ers def. San Francisco Warriors 4-2
- 1968: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
- 1969: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1970s
- 1970: New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
- 1971: Milwaukee Bucks def. Baltimore Bullets 4-0
- 1972: Los Angeles Lakers def. New York Knicks 4-1
- 1973: New York Knicks defeated. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
- 1974: Boston Celtics def. Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
- 1975: Warriors of the Golden State def. Washington Bullets 4-0
- 1976: Boston Celtics def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
- 1977: Portland Trail Blazers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
- 1978: Washington Bullets def. Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
- 1979: Seattle SuperSonics def. Washington Bullets 4-1
1980s
- 1980: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
- 1981: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets 4-2
- 1982: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
- 1983: Philadelphia 76ers def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
- 1984: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
- 1985: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-2
- 1986: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets 4-2
- 1987: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-2
- 1988: Los Angeles Lakers def. Detroit Pistons 4-3
- 1989: Detroit Pistons def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
1990s
- 1990: Detroit Pistons def. Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
- 1991: Chicago Bulls def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
- 1992: Chicago Bulls def. Portland Trail Blazers 4-2
- 1993: Chicago Bulls def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
- 1994: Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks 4-3
- 1995: Houston Rockets def. Orlando Magic 4-0
- 1996: Chicago Bulls def. Seattle SuperSonics 4-2
- 1997: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz 4-2
- 1998: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz 4-2
- 1999: San Antonio Spurs def. New York Knicks 4-1
2000s
- 2000: Los Angeles Lakers def. Indiana Pacers 4-2
- 2001: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
- 2002: Los Angeles Lakers def. New Jersey Nets 4-0
- 2003: San Antonio Spurs def. New Jersey Nets 4-2
- 2004: Detroit Pistons def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
- 2005: San Antonio Spurs def. Detroit Pistons 4-3
- 2006: Miami heat def. Dallas Mavericks 4-2
- 2007: San Antonio Spurs def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
- 2008: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
- 2009: Los Angeles Lakers def. Orlando Magic 4-1
2010s
- 2010: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-3
- 2011: Dallas Mavericks def. Miami Heat 4-2
- 2012: Miami Heat def. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1
- 2013: Miami Heat def. San Antonio Spurs 4-3
- 2014: San Antonio Spurs def. Miami Heat 4-1
- 2015: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2
- 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers def. Golden State Warriors 4-3
- 2017: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1
- 2018: Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
- 2019: Toronto Raptors def. Golden State Warriors 4-2
2020s
- 2020: Los Angeles Lakers def. Miami Heat 4-2
- 2021: Milwaukee Bucks def. Phoenix Suns 4-2
- 2022: Golden State Warriors def. Boston Celtics 4-2
- 2023: Denver Nuggets def. Miami Heat 4-1
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in June 2022.
