The NBA Finals
Although the National Basketball Association traces its first championship back to the 1946-47 season, the league was then called the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It did not become the NBA until after the 1948-49 season when the BAA and the National Basketball League (NBL) agreed to merge.
In the chart below, the Eastern finalists (representing the NBA Eastern Division from 1947-70, and the NBA Eastern Conference since 1971) are listed in CAPITAL letters. Also, each NBA champion's wins and losses are noted in parentheses after the series score.
Multiple winners: Boston (16); Minneapolis-LA Lakers (11); Chicago Bulls (4); Phi-SF-Golden St. Warriors and Syracuse Nationals-Phi. 76ers (3); Detroit, Houston and New York (2).
| Year | Winner | Head Coach | Series | Loser | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | PHILADELPHIA WARRIORS | Eddie Gottlieb | 4-1 (WWWLW) | Chicago Stags | Harold Olsen |
| 1948 | Baltimore Bullets | Buddy Jeannette | 4-2 (LWWWLW) | PHILA. WARRIORS | Eddie Gottlieb |
| 1949 | Minneapolis Lakers | John Kundla | 4-2 (WWWLLW) | WASH. CAPITOLS | Red Auerbach |
| 1950 | Minneapolis Lakers | John Kundla | 4-2 (WLWWLW) | SYRACUSE | Al Cervi |
| 1951 | Rochester | Les Harrison | 4-3 (WWWLLLW) | NEW YORK | Joe Lapchick |
| 1952 | Minneapolis Lakers | John Kundla | 4-3 (WLWLWLW) | NEW YORK | Joe Lapchick |
| 1953 | Minneapolis Lakers | John Kundla | 4-1 (LWWWW) | NEW YORK | Joe Lapchick |
| 1954 | Minneapolis Lakers | John Kundla | 4-3 (WLWLWLW) | SYRACUSE | Al Cervi |
| 1955 | SYRACUSE | Al Cervi | 4-3 (WWLLLWW) | Ft. Wayne Pistons | Charley Eckman |
| 1956 | PHILADELPHIA WARRIORS | George Senesky | 4-1 (WLWWW) | Ft. Wayne Pistons | Charley Eckman |
| 1957 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-3 (LWLWWLW) | St. Louis Hawks | Alex Hannum |
| 1958 | St. Louis Hawks | Alex Hannum | 4-2 (WLWLWW) | BOSTON | Red Auerbach |
| 1959 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-0 | Mpls. Lakers | John Kundla |
| 1960 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-3 (WLWLWLW) | St. Louis Hawks | Ed Macauley |
| 1961 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-1 (WWLWW) | St. Louis Hawks | Paul Seymour |
| 1962 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-3 (WLLWLWW) | LA Lakers | Fred Schaus |
| 1963 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-2 (WWLWLW) | LA Lakers | Fred Schaus |
| 1964 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-1 (WWLWW) | SF Warriors | Alex Hannum |
| 1965 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-1 (WWLWW) | LA Lakers | Fred Schaus |
| 1966 | BOSTON | Red Auerbach | 4-3 (LWWWLLW) | LA Lakers | Fred Schaus |
| 1967 | PHILADELPHIA 76ERS | Alex Hannum | 4-2 (WWLWLW) | SF Warriors | Bill Sharman |
| 1968 | BOSTON | Bill Russell | 4-2 (WLWLWW) | LA Lakers | B.van Breda Kolff |
| 1969 | BOSTON | Bill Russell | 4-3 (LLWWLWW) | LA Lakers | B.van Breda Kolff |
| 1970 | NEW YORK | Red Holzman | 4-3 (WLWLWLW) | LA Lakers | Joe Mullaney |
| 1971 | Milwaukee | Larry Costello | 4-0 | BALT. BULLETS | Gene Shue |
| 1972 | LA Lakers | Bill Sharman | 4-1 (LWWWW) | NEW YORK | Red Holzman |
| 1973 | NEW YORK | Red Holzman | 4-1 (LWWWW) | LA Lakers | Bill Sharman |
| 1974 | BOSTON | Tommy Heinsohn | 4-3 (WLWLWLW) | Milwaukee | Larry Costello |
| 1975 | Golden St. Warriors | Al Attles | 4-0 | WASH. BULLETS | K.C. Jones |
| 1976 | BOSTON | Tommy Heinsohn | 4-2 (WWLLWW) | Phoenix | John MacLeod |
| 1977 | Portland | Jack Ramsay | 4-2 (LLWWWW) | PHILA. 76ERS | Gene Shue |
| 1978 | WASHINGTON BULLETS | Dick Motta | 4-3 (LWLWLWW) | Seattle | Lenny Wilkens |
| 1979 | Seattle | Lenny Wilkens | 4-1 (LWWWW) | WASH. BULLETS | Dick Motta |
| 1980 | LA Lakers | Paul Westhead | 4-2 (WLWLWW) | PHILA. 76ERS | Billy Cunningham |
| 1981 | BOSTON | Bill Fitch | 4-2 (WLWLWW) | Houston | Del Harris |
| 1982 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley | 4-2 (WLWWLW) | PHILA. 76ERS | Billy Cunningham |
| 1983 | PHILADELPHIA 76ERS | Billy Cunningham | 4-0 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley |
| 1984 | BOSTON | K.C. Jones | 4-3 (LWLWWLW) | LA Lakers | Pat Riley |
| 1985 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley | 4-2 (LWWLWW) | BOSTON | K.C. Jones |
| 1986 | BOSTON | K.C. Jones | 4-2 (WWLWLW) | Houston | Bill Fitch |
| 1987 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley | 4-2 (WWLWLW) | BOSTON | K.C. Jones |
| 1988 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley | 4-3 (LWWLLWW) | DETROIT PISTONS | Chuck Daly |
| 1989 | DETROIT PISTONS | Chuck Daly | 4-0 | LA Lakers | Pat Riley |
| 1990 | DETROIT | Chuck Daly | 4-1 (WLWWW) | Portland | Rick Adelman |
| 1991 | CHICAGO | Phil Jackson | 4-1 (LWWWW) | LA Lakers | Mike Dunleavy |
| 1992 | CHICAGO | Phil Jackson | 4-2 (WLWLWW) | Portland | Rick Adelman |
| 1993 | CHICAGO | Phil Jackson | 4-2 (WWLWLW) | Phoenix | Paul Westphal |
| 1994 | Houston | Rudy Tomjanovich | 4-3 (WLWLLWW) | NEW YORK | Pat Riley |
| 1995 | Houston | Rudy Tomjanovich | 4-0 | Orlando | Brian Hill |
| 1996 | CHICAGO | Phil Jackson | 4-2 (WWWLLW) | Seattle | George Karl |
Most Valuable Player
Selected by an 11-member media panel. Winner who did not play for the NBA champion is in bold type.
Multiple winners: Michael Jordan (4); Magic Johnson (3); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon and Willis Reed (2).
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1969 | Jerry West, LA Lakers, G |
| 1970 | Willis Reed, New York, C |
| 1971 | Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee, C |
| 1972 | Wilt Chamberlain, LA Lakers, C |
| 1973 | Willis Reed, New York, C |
| 1974 | John Havlicek, Boston, F |
| 1975 | Rick Barry, Golden State, F |
| 1976 | Jo Jo White, Boston, G |
| 1977 | Bill Walton, Portland, C |
| 1978 | Wes Unseld, Washington, C |
| 1979 | Dennis Johnson, Seattle, G |
| 1980 | Magic Johnson, LA Lakers, G/C |
| 1981 | Cedric Maxwell, Boston, F |
| 1982 | Magic Johnson, LA Lakers, G |
| 1983 | Moses Malone, Philadelphia, C |
| 1984 | Larry Bird, Boston, F |
| 1985 | K. Abdul-Jabbar, LA Lakers, C |
| 1986 | Larry Bird, Boston, F |
| 1987 | Magic Johnson, LA Lakers, G |
| 1988 | James Worthy, LA Lakers, F |
| 1989 | Joe Dumars, Detroit, G |
| 1990 | Isiah Thomas, Detroit, G |
| 1991 | Michael Jordan, Chicago, G |
| 1992 | Michael Jordan, Chicago, G |
| 1993 | Michael Jordan, Chicago, G |
| 1994 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston, C |
| 1995 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston, C |
| 1996 | Michael Jordan, Chicago, G |
