Which teams are the latest NBA champions?
The New York Knicks are the latest NBA champions, winning the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, 4–1. The championship ended New York’s 53-year wait for another NBA title and gave the franchise its third championship in team history.
The Knicks’ 2026 championship adds another chapter to one of professional basketball’s longest-running stories. Since the league’s first championship in 1947, dozens of teams have competed for the title, but only a select group have repeatedly reached the top.
The history of NBA champions is therefore much more than a list of teams and years. It is a record of dynasties, superstar careers, legendary coaches, dramatic Finals series, franchise rebuilds, and championship droughts.
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For basketball fans in the Philippines, the NBA championship is also one of the biggest annual events in basketball. Every season brings a new question: Which team will survive the regular season, dominate the playoffs, win its conference, and ultimately lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy?
This guide explores the NBA championship history from the league’s early years through the 2026 season, highlights the franchises with the most titles, and explains why some championship runs became legendary.
What is the history of the NBA championship?
The NBA’s championship history began with the Basketball Association of America in the 1946–47 season. The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags to become the first champions of the league that preceded the NBA.
The BAA later merged with the National Basketball League, creating the NBA in 1949. The championship tradition continued as the league expanded, franchises relocated, and the style of basketball changed.
NBA.com maintains a year-by-year record of the Finals and championship winners, covering the league’s history from its beginnings to the present.
The championship itself has also changed names and presentation over the decades. Today’s champion receives the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, which has become one of the most recognizable trophies in professional sports.
Although the league has changed significantly, the basic goal has remained the same: win four games in the NBA Finals before the opponent does.
That simple objective makes the championship difficult to win.
A team can dominate the regular season and still fail in the playoffs. A talented roster can suffer injuries at the wrong time. A franchise can reach the Finals repeatedly without winning. Meanwhile, another team can build the right combination of talent, coaching, health, and chemistry at exactly the right moment.
That uncertainty is one reason the history of NBA champions remains so fascinating.
Who were the first NBA champions?
The first championship winner in the league’s history was the Philadelphia Warriors.
The Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags in the 1947 BAA Finals. This championship occurred before the BAA became the NBA, but it is recognized as part of the league’s championship lineage.
The early years looked very different from today’s NBA.
The league was smaller, arenas were different, travel was more difficult, and the style of play emphasized a very different type of basketball. There was no modern three-point line, no global television audience on today’s scale, and none of the enormous media ecosystem surrounding the NBA today.
Nevertheless, the basic competitive principle was already present.
Teams had to win playoff series and ultimately defeat their Finals opponent.
The early championship years established the foundation for what would eventually become one of the world’s most recognizable sports competitions.
How has the NBA championship changed over the years?
The NBA championship has changed along with the league.
During the 1950s and 1960s, dominant big men and defensive systems played enormous roles. The Boston Celtics eventually became the defining dynasty of that period, winning championships at a rate that remains difficult to imagine in the modern NBA.
The 1970s brought a wider variety of champions. The New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets, and Seattle SuperSonics all captured championships during the decade.
The 1980s became closely associated with the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.
The 1990s were heavily influenced by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
The 2000s featured championship runs from the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, and Miami Heat.
The 2010s saw the rise of the Golden State Warriors, while the Cleveland Cavaliers delivered one of the most dramatic championship stories in NBA history by overcoming a 3–1 Finals deficit in 2016.
The 2020s have already produced a wide range of champions, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and New York Knicks.
This changing landscape is important when examining an NBA champions list. Different eras produced different types of championship teams.
Which team has won the most NBA championships?
The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships, with 18 titles.
Boston’s 18th championship came in 2024, when the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. That victory moved Boston ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won 17 championships.
The Celtics’ championship history includes some of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
Their most dominant period came during the Bill Russell era. Boston won 11 championships during Russell’s career, including eight consecutive titles from 1959 through 1966.
That level of sustained success is almost impossible to reproduce.
Modern NBA teams face salary-cap restrictions, free agency, roster turnover, injuries, stronger league-wide talent, and intense competition. Building a championship roster is difficult; maintaining one for many years is even harder.
Boston’s 18 championships therefore represent more than a large number.
They demonstrate how consistently the franchise has remained relevant across different generations.
How many NBA championships have the Los Angeles Lakers won?
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, placing them second in the league’s all-time championship standings.
The Lakers’ history is especially notable because the franchise has enjoyed championship success across several different eras.
The franchise’s early Minneapolis years featured George Mikan and one of the first dominant big men in professional basketball.
The Los Angeles era later became associated with legends such as Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
The Lakers’ championship history demonstrates an important characteristic of great NBA franchises: they can remain competitive by successfully transitioning from one generation of stars to another.
The Showtime Lakers of the 1980s were built around Magic Johnson’s playmaking and a fast-paced offensive style.
The Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers dominated the early 2000s.
Kobe later led another championship era alongside Pau Gasol.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis then brought another championship to Los Angeles in 2020.
That ability to reinvent the roster is one reason the Lakers remain near the top of every discussion about the most NBA championships.
Which NBA teams have won multiple championships?
Several franchises have established themselves as major championship powers.
After Boston’s 18 championships and the Lakers’ 17, the Golden State Warriors have built one of the strongest championship resumes of the modern era.
Golden State has won seven NBA championships, with its most recent title coming in 2022. The franchise’s championship run was closely connected to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr.
The Chicago Bulls have won six championships, all during the Michael Jordan era.
The Bulls won three consecutive titles from 1991 through 1993 and then repeated the achievement from 1996 through 1998.
The San Antonio Spurs have won five championships, building one of the longest-running examples of sustained success in modern basketball.
The Spurs won titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
The Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and several other franchises have also won multiple championships.
This distribution shows that championship success is not evenly spread throughout NBA history.
Some franchises have built dynasties, while others have experienced long periods between championships.
What does the NBA champions list look like from the last decade?
The recent championship history provides a good example of how quickly NBA power can shift.
The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors after coming back from a 3–1 Finals deficit.
Golden State returned to the top in 2017 and 2018 before the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers won in 2020 inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble.
Milwaukee captured the championship in 2021, ending a 50-year wait for another title.
Golden State returned to the championship stage in 2022.
The Denver Nuggets won their first championship in 2023.
Boston captured its 18th title in 2024.
Oklahoma City won the 2025 championship.
Then the New York Knicks won the 2026 championship, defeating San Antonio 4–1.
This recent sequence demonstrates why the NBA champions list is constantly changing.
A franchise can go from rebuilding to contention surprisingly quickly, while a previous champion can fall out of the championship picture after injuries, free-agent departures, or roster changes.
Which NBA champions created the greatest dynasties?
A dynasty is more than winning multiple championships.
A true dynasty dominates an era and changes the way fans think about the league.
The Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 1960s are arguably the greatest example.
Boston won 11 championships in 13 seasons during the Russell era.
The Celtics’ defensive identity, rebounding, passing, and team-oriented approach helped establish a blueprint for sustained winning.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics both created another type of dynasty during the 1980s.
The rivalry between Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics became one of the defining stories of the decade.
Then came the Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan led Chicago to six championships in the 1990s, winning Finals MVP in all six series.
The Bulls became the dominant team of the decade and turned Jordan into a global basketball icon.
Another modern dynasty emerged in Golden State.
The Warriors won four championships between 2015 and 2022, while revolutionizing NBA offense with three-point shooting, ball movement, spacing, and constant off-ball movement.
Each dynasty was different.
That is what makes NBA championship history so interesting.
Which NBA champions ended long championship droughts?
Some championships are remembered because of the number of titles.
Others are remembered because of what they meant to the fans.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 championship is one of the clearest examples.
Cleveland had never won an NBA championship before LeBron James returned to the franchise. The Cavaliers then defeated the Warriors in a historic Finals comeback.
The championship ended Cleveland’s long wait for a major professional sports championship and became one of the most celebrated moments in the city’s sports history.
The Milwaukee Bucks also ended a long wait in 2021.
Milwaukee’s championship was the franchise’s first since 1971.
Then came Denver’s first NBA championship in 2023.
The Nuggets had spent decades building their identity before finally reaching the top behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and a talented supporting cast.
Boston’s 2024 championship ended a 16-year title drought.
And in 2026, the Knicks finally ended their 53-year wait.
New York had last won the championship in 1973.
The 2026 title therefore became one of the defining stories in the latest chapter of the NBA champions timeline.
Which NBA champions are most important to basketball history?
It is difficult to identify only a handful because every championship represents a different story.
The 1960s Celtics are essential because they established the league’s first great dynasty.
The 1980s Lakers and Celtics are essential because their rivalry helped transform the NBA into a major global sports league.
The 1990s Bulls are essential because Michael Jordan became one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.
The 2000s Spurs are important because they demonstrated how a franchise could maintain championship-level basketball through organizational stability and tactical discipline.
The Warriors changed modern offense by making three-point shooting and spacing central to championship basketball.
The Cavaliers demonstrated the emotional importance of ending a championship drought.
The Nuggets showed how an unconventional offensive center could become the centerpiece of a championship team.
The Knicks’ 2026 championship added another historic chapter by ending one of the league’s longest title waits.
The best NBA champions are therefore not necessarily the teams with the most titles.
Some champions changed basketball.
Some created dynasties.
Some ended droughts.
Some delivered unforgettable Finals series.
Which teams have the most NBA championships?
When discussing the most NBA championships, the current franchise leaders are especially important.
The Boston Celtics lead the league with 18 championships.
The Los Angeles Lakers are second with 17.
The Golden State Warriors have seven.
The Chicago Bulls have six.
The San Antonio Spurs have five.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat have each won three.
Several other franchises have won two or one championship.
This hierarchy can change over time, which is why championship articles should be updated after every NBA Finals.
For example, Boston’s 2024 championship changed the top of the standings by moving the Celtics ahead of the Lakers.
The 2026 Knicks championship did not alter the top two positions, but it significantly changed New York’s place in its own franchise history.
Why is winning an NBA championship so difficult?
Winning the NBA championship requires more than having a superstar.
A team needs depth, coaching, health, defense, offensive efficiency, rebounding, late-game execution, and enough consistency to survive four playoff rounds.
The regular season itself is demanding.
Then the playoffs become progressively more difficult.
A team that reaches the Finals must win multiple playoff series against elite opponents.
The Finals can then require four victories against another conference champion.
This is why the NBA championship remains such a powerful measure of team success.
Individual statistics can demonstrate greatness, but a championship shows that a team successfully navigated an entire postseason.
Even the greatest players have experienced seasons where they failed to win the title.
That is part of what makes the championship so difficult.
How important are superstars to NBA champions?
Superstars are usually central to championship teams, but championship history also shows that supporting players matter enormously.
Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen and the rest of the Bulls roster.
Magic Johnson played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and an exceptional Lakers team.
Tim Duncan won championships with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and an outstanding Spurs organization.
Stephen Curry won alongside Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and several strong supporting players.
LeBron James won championships with different teammates and organizations throughout his career.
Nikola Jokic won Denver’s first championship with Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and a deep supporting cast.
This reinforces an important lesson from NBA championship history.
One player can transform a franchise, but basketball remains a team sport.
The strongest championship teams combine star power with role players who understand their responsibilities.
What can Filipino basketball fans learn from NBA championship history?
For basketball fans in the Philippines, studying the NBA champions list provides more than historical trivia.
It shows how different styles of basketball can succeed.
The Celtics demonstrated the value of defense, passing, rebounding, and team basketball.
The Lakers demonstrated how elite talent and fast-paced offense can dominate.
The Bulls showed the impact of an all-time superstar surrounded by the right supporting cast.
The Spurs showed how organization, player development, and continuity can sustain success.
The Warriors showed how three-point shooting and spacing can reshape the sport.
The Nuggets showed how an elite passing center can become the hub of a championship offense.
These examples can also be useful for fans who follow local basketball.
The principles of spacing, ball movement, defensive communication, rebounding, transition offense, and role definition apply at many levels of the game.
That is one reason NBA history remains so influential in Philippine basketball culture.
How can the NBA champions list be kept accurate?
Because the NBA adds a new champion every season, historical articles should be designed for easy updates.
The simplest method is to separate the article into permanent historical sections and updateable sections.
The year-by-year NBA champions list should be checked after every Finals.
The franchise championship totals should also be updated whenever a team wins.
Active championship droughts should be recalculated after each Finals.
The latest champion should be identified near the beginning of the article so readers immediately know whether the information is current.
For example, this article should identify the New York Knicks as the 2026 NBA champions and note their 4–1 Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
This approach is better for both readers and search engines because the article can remain useful as historical reference material while still receiving timely updates.
What is the complete recent NBA champions list?
The most recent NBA champions are:
2026 — New York Knicks, who defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4–1.
2025 — Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the Indiana Pacers 4–3.
2024 — Boston Celtics, who defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4–1.
2023 — Denver Nuggets, who defeated the Miami Heat 4–1.
2022 — Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Boston Celtics 4–2.
2021 — Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Phoenix Suns 4–2.
2020 — Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Miami Heat 4–2.
2019 — Toronto Raptors, who defeated the Golden State Warriors 4–2.
2018 — Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0.
2017 — Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–1.
2016 — Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the Golden State Warriors 4–3.
2015 — Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–2.
This recent sequence comes from the NBA’s official championship history and illustrates how championship power has moved between franchises over the past decade.
For a full historical list extending back to the league’s beginning, NBA.com provides a year-by-year championship record.
What does the NBA champions list tell us about the league?
The NBA champions list reveals something important: dominance comes in cycles.
There are periods when one or two franchises control the league.
Then the balance shifts.
The Celtics dominated the early NBA.
The Lakers and Celtics became the defining powers of different eras.
The Bulls dominated the 1990s.
The Lakers and Spurs became major forces during the 2000s.
The Warriors transformed the league during the 2010s.
The 2020s have already produced several different champions.
This constant movement is one of the reasons NBA basketball remains unpredictable.
A team that misses the playoffs one year can become a contender after a successful draft, trade, coaching change, or player development breakthrough.
A championship roster can also decline quickly because of injuries, aging, free-agent movement, or financial restrictions.
The history of NBA champions therefore tells the story of both dominance and change.
Conclusion: Why does NBA championship history matter?
NBA champions represent the teams that successfully completed the most difficult journey in professional basketball. From the early Philadelphia Warriors to the dominant Boston Celtics, legendary Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, and the newest champions such as Denver, Oklahoma City, and New York, every title tells a different story. The NBA championship history also shows how basketball continues to evolve. Dynasties eventually end, new stars emerge, franchises rebuild, and long championship droughts finally come to an end.
The Boston Celtics currently stand alone at the top with 18 championships, while the Lakers remain close behind with 17. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks’ 2026 championship adds another memorable chapter after a 53-year wait. For fans in the Philippines, following the NBA champions list is a great way to connect today’s NBA with the legends and teams that shaped the game. Championship history is ultimately about more than trophies—it is about eras, rivalries, players, coaches, communities, and the unforgettable moments that make basketball history worth remembering.
Join the Discussion
Which NBA champions do you consider the greatest team in league history? Do the 1960s Celtics remain the ultimate dynasty, or would you choose Michael Jordan’s Bulls, the Showtime Lakers, the Spurs, or the modern Warriors? Share your favorite championship team and tell us which NBA Finals moment you remember most.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the latest NBA champions?
The New York Knicks are the latest NBA champions. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4–1 in the 2026 NBA Finals to win their first championship since 1973.
Which NBA team has won the most championships?
The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships, with 18 titles. They moved ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers after winning the 2024 championship.
How many NBA championships have the Lakers won?
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, placing them second behind the Boston Celtics in the current franchise championship standings.
Which player has won the most NBA championships?
Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics. His championship total remains one of the most remarkable individual achievements in NBA history.
Where can I find the complete NBA champions list?
NBA.com maintains an official year-by-year list of NBA championship winners, covering the league’s championship history from its earliest seasons through the current champion.
