NBA Finals Champions
Who Will Win the 2023 NBA Finals?
Which teams will play in the 2023 NBA Finals? First of all, congratulations to Steph Curry, who led the Golden State Warriors to a 4-2 series win in the 2022 NBA Finals. Now as we turn our attention the 2023 NBA season, the question every fan is asking is which teams will play their way into the ’23 NBA Finals. There are 82 regular-season games and three rounds of playoff games that every team must overcome first to earn a spot in the NBA Finals.
There are a large number of teams who could be in the 2023 NBA Finals, and a lot will depend on who plays best during the 2022-2023 NBA Regular Season. The top contenders to be in the upcoming NBA Finals include the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks could each make a return. Other top candidates are the Lakers, Clippers, Suns, and Mavericks from the Western Conference. In the East, the Nets, Bucks, Celtics, Heat, Sixers, and Raptors look the most promising. Tickets for the 2023 NBA Finals will be available very soon and regular-season NBA tickets for all 2022-2023 games are already available to purchase. NBA playoffs tickets will be posted for sale as soon as they are closer.
Past NBA Champions
Below is the full list of NBA Champions by Year, including their opponent and the series record. This full list of past NBA Finals Champions starts back in 1947 when the Philadelphia Warriors beat the Chicago Stags. It spans through the decades where powerful teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls won for years in a row. It features the teams that were among the greatest dynasties in the history of the sport: the 60’s Celtics, 80’s Lakers, 90’s Bulls, 00’s Spurs and the recent Golden State Warriors. All of the best teams in the history of basketball are on the list of NBA Finals Champions here:
NBA Finals Champions (All-Time)
Year | Champion | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | TBD | 0-0 | TBD |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Miami Heat |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | 4-2 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 (sweep) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | 4-1 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-3 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Miami Heat |
| 2013 | Miami Heat | 4-3 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2012 | Miami Heat | 4-1 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2011 | Dallas Mavericks | 4-2 | Miami Heat |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Orlando Magic |
| 2008 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2007 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-0 (sweep) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2006 | Miami Heat | 4-2 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2005 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-3 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2004 | Detroit Pistons | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 (sweep) | New Jersey Nets |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2000 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1999 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | New York Knicks |
| 1998 | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Utah Jazz |
| 1997 | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Utah Jazz |
| 1996 | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1995 | Houston Rockets | 4-0 (sweep) | Orlando Magic |
| 1994 | Houston Rockets | 4-3 | New York Knicks |
| 1993 | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1992 | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1991 | Chicago Bulls | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990 | Detroit Pistons | 4-1 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1989 | Detroit Pistons | 4-0 (sweep) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1986 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Houston Rockets |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1984 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983 | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-0 (sweep) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1981 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Houston Rockets |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1979 | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-1 | Washington Bullets |
| 1978 | Washington Bullets | 4-3 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1977 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1976 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1975 | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 (sweep) | Washington Bullets |
| 1974 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1973 | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1972 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | New York Knicks |
| 1971 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-0 (sweep) | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1970 | New York Knicks | 4-3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1969 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1968 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1967 | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1966 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1965 | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1964 | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1963 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1962 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1961 | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1960 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1959 | Boston Celtics | 4-0 (sweep) | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1958 | St. Louis Hawks | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1957 | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1956 | Philadelphia Warriors | 4-1 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| 1955 | Syracuse Nationals | 4-3 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| 1954 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-3 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1953 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-1 | New York Knicks |
| 1952 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-3 | New York Knicks |
| 1951 | Rochester Royals | 4-3 | New York Knicks |
| 1950 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-2 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1949 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-2 | Washington Capitols |
| 1948 | Baltimore Bullets | 4-2 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1947 | Philadelphia Warriors | 4-1 | Chicago Stags |
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