So everyone, I know that some of you may be geniuses in today’s realm of ball, but some of you may not know as much about the NBA’s history.
For instance, you all know that Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships and and two Three-Peats, but did you remember or realize that the Houston Rockets were the team that owned the two seasons in between? And that Hakeem the Dream is a two-time Finals MVP?
Check out the all-time list of NBA champions, Finals participants, and NBA Finals MVPs below. It’ll teach you some things you need to know.
And then there are the old-timers, the ones who watched Russell and Wilt, watched Dr. J throw it down, and watched Magic and Larry go head-to-head as if it were Super Bowl Sunday. Well for you people, this is a useful list of what has happened before, during, and after these guys were lacing ‘em up.
Take a quick look at these links if you’re planning on going to any NBA games (so that you can get the best deals on tickets) then enjoy a quick run through NBA Finals history.
- StubHub: Regular Season NBA Tickets
- StubHub: NBA Playoffs Tickets
- RazorGator: Regular Season NBA Tickets
- RazorGator: NBA Playoffs Tickets
Below folks, I present to you a list of the very, very few basketball players and teams who have lived the one dream that most ball players wish to fulfill. These are the all-time great teams and players, the ones who have captured all of the glory or fallen just one series short.
Here is the all-time list of NBA champions, Finals participants, and NBA Finals MVPs.
All-Time List of NBA Champions, Finals Participants, and Results
| Year | NBA Champion | NBA Finals Runner-Up | Result | Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | LA Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Kobe Bryant, LA |
| 2008-09 | LA Lakers | Orlando Magic | 4-1 | Kobe Bryant, LA |
| 2007-08 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-2 | Paul Pierce, Boston |
| 2006-07 | San Antonio Spurs | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 | Tony Parker, San Antonio |
| 2005-06 | Miami Heat | Dallas Mavericks | 4-2 | Dwyane Wade, Miami |
| 2004-05 | San Antonio Spurs | Detroit Pistons | 4-3 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| 2003-04 | Detroit Pistons | LA Lakers | 4-1 | Chauncey Billups, Detroit |
| 2002-03 | San Antonio Spurs | New Jersey Nets | 4-2 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| 2001-02 | LA Lakers | New Jersey Nets | 4-0 | Shaquille O'Neal, LA |
| 2000-01 | LA Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-1 | Shaquille O'Neal, LA |
| 1999-00 | LA Lakers | Indiana Pacers | 4-2 | Shaquille O'Neal, LA |
| 1998-99 | San Antonio Spurs | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| 1997-98 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1996-97 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1995-96 | Chicago Bulls | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1994-95 | Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic | 4-0 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston |
| 1993-94 | Houston Rockets | New York Knicks | 4-3 | Hakeem Olajuwon |
| 1992-93 | Chicago Bulls | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1991-92 | Chicago Bulls | Portland TrailBlazers | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1990-91 | Chicago Bulls | LA Lakers | 4-1 | Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| 1989-90 | Detroit Pistons | Portland TrailBlazers | 4-1 | Isiah Thomas, Detroit |
| 1988-89 | Detroit Pistons | LA Lakers | 4-0 | Joe Dumars, Detroit |
| 1987-88 | LA Lakers | Detroit Pistons | 4-3 | James Worthy, LA |
| 1986-87 | LA Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, LA |
| 1985-86 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | Larry Bird, Boston |
| 1984-85 | LA Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LA |
| 1983-84 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-3 | Larry Bird, Boston |
| 1982-83 | Philadelphia 76ers | LA Lakers | 4-0 | Moses Malone, Philadelphia |
| 1981-82 | LA Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, LA |
| 1980-81 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | Cedric Maxwell, Boston |
| 1979-80 | LA Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, LA |
| 1978-79 | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets | 4-1 | Dennis Johnson, Seattle |
| 1977-78 | Washington Bullets | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Wes Unseld, Washington |
| 1976-77 | Portland TrailBlazers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Bill Walton, Portland |
| 1975-76 | Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | Jo Jo White, Boston |
| 1974-75 | Golden State Warriors | Washington Bullets | 4-0 | Rick Barry, Golden State |
| 1973-74 | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-3 | John Havlicek, Boston |
| 1972-73 | New York Knicks | LA Lakers | 4-1 | Willis Reed, NY |
| 1971-72 | LA Lakers | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Wilt Chamberlain, LA |
| 1970-71 | Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets | 4-0 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee |
| 1969-70 | New York Knicks | LA Lakers | 4-3 | Willis Reed, NY |
| 1968-69 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-3 | Jerry West, LA |
| 1967-68 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-2 | |
| 1966-67 | Philadelphia 76ers | San Francisco Warriors | 4-2 | |
| 1965-66 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-3 | |
| 1964-65 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-1 | |
| 1963-64 | Boston Celtics | San Francisco Warriors | 4-1 | |
| 1962-63 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-2 | |
| 1961-62 | Boston Celtics | LA Lakers | 4-3 | |
| 1960-61 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4-1 | |
| 1959-60 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4-3 | |
| 1958-59 | Boston Celtics | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-0 | |
| 1957-58 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | |
| 1956-57 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4-3 | |
| 1955-56 | Philadelphia Warriors | Fort Wayne Pistons | 4-1 | |
| 1954-55 | Syracuse Nationals | Fort Wayne Pistons | 4-3 | |
| 1953-54 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals | 4-3 | |
| 1952-53 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks | 4-1 | |
| 1951-52 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knicks | 4-3 | |
| 1950-51 | Rochester Royals | New York Knicks | 4-3 | |
| 1949-1950 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals | 4-2 | |
| 1948-49 | Minneapolis Lakers | Washington Capitols | 4-2 | |
| 1947-48 | Baltimore Bullets | Philadelphia Warriors | 4-2 | |
| 1946-47 | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Stags | 4-1 |
Source: NBA.com
