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The NBA Finals is the championship series of the
(NBA). The
conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winners of the Finals are awarded the , which replaced the
Prior to the 1949–50 season, the series was named the BAA Finals, before seeing alteration following the merger between the
(BAA) and the
(NBL) which created the modern NBA. The competition oversaw further name changes to NBA World Championship Series from 1950 to 1982, as well as a brief stint as the Showdown, before settling on NBA Finals in 1986.
The NBA Finals was initially structured to harbor a 2–3–2 format until 2013, where the first two and last two games of the series were played at the arena of the team who earned
by having the better record during the regular season. The competition is currently structured under a 2–2–1–1–1 format, where the first two games are played at home for the higher-seeded team, and the following two at the home of the lower-seeded team. The following three are played at each team's home arena respectively.
A total of 19 franchises have won the NBA Finals. The
hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition 17 times, as well as winning the competition the most times in a row, winning it eight times from 1959 to 1966. The
have contested the NBA Finals the most times, with 31 appearances. The Eastern Conference has provided the most champions, with 38 wins from ten franchises, while the Western Conference have 32, from nine franchises.
The classic NBA Finals script logo, used until 2017.
(off ball) was a member of one of the first dynasties in the NBA, winning eight straight titles while contending against
(on ball).
went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 13 seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). They won eight straight NBA championships from 1959 through 1966. This period marks the largest stretch of seasons that a single team made up over 65% of Finals appearances, and also includes the
the NBA Finals was decided in double overtime.
With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957 spearheaded by center , the team would see great success, only ever encountering difficulty when up against teams led by . However, for most of the late 1950s and 1960s, the Celtics and Russell managed to have an upper hand on teams led by Chamberlain.
In 1964, Chamberlain, who had moved to the state of California alongside , led the
to a Western Conference championship, but again failed to conquer the Celtics. The following season, he returned to the
to join the , who were the former Syracuse Nationals that had relocated to the city to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors.
The first clash between the two stars in the playoffs was in 1966, with Boston winning the series 4–1. In the following season, Philadelphia coach
instructed Chamberlain to provide an increased focus on playing a team game, to avoid drawing the double-teams that troubled Chamberlain during the Finals. This tactical change brought the team to a new record of 68 wins the following season, as well as defeating the Celtics before winning the Finals. In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals. They went on to defeat the
in the Finals to again become NBA Champions.
In 1969, the Celtics faced great difficulty entering the postseason, as they had an aging team and multiple injuries to a number of players. They qualified for the playoffs as the fourth and final seed in the East, while the Lakers, who in the added Chamberlain in the offseason to join stars
and . The Lakers won the West and were prohibitive favorites to become Champions for the first time since relocating to Los Angeles. Despite holding a 2-1 advantage going into Game 4, the Lakers led 87–86 and had the ball with 10 seconds to play. But after a turnover,
scored to give the Celtics a narrow 88–87 win and tying the series. The series was eventually tied 3-3 going into Game 7 in Los Angeles, with Lakers owner
hanging balloons in the arena in anticipation of a Lakers victory. West also picked up injuries to his thigh and hamstring during the series, however, returned to play for the final game. Russell utilized this newly lacking mobility in West to organize fast breaks at every opportunity for the Celtics, which allowed them to gain an early lead. They held off a furious Lakers comeback to win 108–106 and win the series, and win their eleventh championship in 13 years.
As many stars either declined or retired following this win, it is largely recognized as the last NBA Finals conducted by the Celtics dynasty.
The 1970s saw eight teams win the title, with the Celtics and
winning twice.
In , a classic final featured the Knicks against the Lakers. In the waning moments of Game 3, with the series tied,
hit a basket from 60 feet to tie the game, a shot which became one of the most famous ever. However, the Knicks won in
and continued their momentum for a 4–3 win, becoming the first team after the Celtics dynasty to win an NBA championship. The
also won their first franchise title, defeating the
Two seasons after losing in the Finals, the Lakers got a measure of revenge by winning 33 straight games, the longest such streak in NBA history. By season's end, they broke the record for most wins in a season with 69, one more than the , before taking home the
for the first time since relocating to . The Knicks returned to win the championship again a season later to record their second ever victorious season.
Despite the rise of the Knicks, the
returned to the Celtics, as a newly formed cohort of players led by
demonstrated excellent teamwork and resilience to win in seven games to secure another title.
Following the success of the Lakers, the 1970s were characterized by a major breakthrough of the league's western franchises. In 1975, after compiling a 48–34 regular-season record, the
swept the heavily favored
4–0 in the . In 1976, the , who only enjoyed eight years of existence as a franchise, overcame a losing record early in the season to build a remarkable win streak to finish 42–40. The events culminated in upset victories over the
and the Warriors, before facing Boston in the Finals. The teams split the first four games, before Game 5 went into three overtimes before Boston won 128–126. The Celtics managed to secure their 13th championship quickly after, defeating the Suns 87–80 in Game 6.
Other western franchises that secured their first titles in the 1970s included the
in 1977, and the Washington Bullets defeating the SuperSonics in 1978. The SuperSonics managed to exact revenge in the following season, however, as they secured their first franchise title in 1979.
The 1980s saw a renewal in the rivalry between the
(green) and the
(gold), combining to win eight titles.
Between 1980 and 1990, the Celtics, 76ers, Lakers, or the
won every NBA Finals.[] The Lakers won five titles from 1980 to , , 1987, and 1988); the Celtics won three (, and 1986); the Pistons won twice (1989 and 1990); and the 76ers won once (1983).
featured 's
team facing off against 's
team. This meeting has been immortalized as the beginning of the Lakers and Celtics rivalry of the 1980s, which saw each team being represented by either player respectively. The game also attracted the largest ever TV rating for an NCAA Championship game, with 38 percent of all television viewers that night tuned to the game.
Bird had actually been drafted the year before, but later decided to stay an additional year, and the two superstars both entered the league in 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights. Johnson and the
reached the
against the 76ers, which was also led by NBA superstar . The Lakers took a 3–2 lead, but
could not play in Game 6 due to injury. Johnson, a natural point guard, was shifted to center, and ended up playing every position on the court during the game, scoring 42 points, while also attaining 15 rebounds and 7 assists to win his first championship while being awarded his first NBA Finals MVP; a remarkable performance in the annals of the sport.
Boston reached the
led by the "Big Three" of Larry Bird, , and . During the , the Celtics traded two first round picks to the Warriors for Parish and a first round pick later spent on McHale. Considered to be one of the best front courts of all time, all three players would later make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They met the
in the 1981 Finals, practically single-handedly carried by , who upset the Lakers and Johnson in the first round. The Rockets were only the second team in NBA history to make the Finals after posting a losing record in the regular season, and the Celtics had an NBA best record of 62–20. The Celtics would later win the Finals in 6 games.
The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in , time time led by new coach , in a rematch against the 76ers. The 76ers defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals in a 7-game series, but were defeated by Lakers in 6 games, with Johnson being named Finals MVP. Upon losing their past three NBA Finals appearances, the 76ers decided that they needed one more piece to become champions, and enlisted Malone as their premier target. On September 15, 1982, they traded for Malone, who was also the league's reigning MVP.
With the new duo of Malone and Erving, the 76ers won the , losing only once in the entire playoffs, as well as sweeping the Lakers. However, the
was conducted by the Celtics and Lakers, who faced each other for the first time since 1969. After an inspired performance from Bird, the Celtics toppled the Lakers 4–3. The final game of this series attracted the largest ever TV audience for an NBA game, and the second-largest ever for a basketball game, with only the game between the two stars played five years earlier having a larger audience. It was the last NBA Finals played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format, until 2014.
In the , the Lakers made amends for their previous eight losses to the Celtics by defeating them in six games. Even though the Lakers lost the first game by 34 points in the , they won 4 of the next 5 games, including Game 6 at the , to finally end the long years of frustration of failing to defeat the Celtics. These finals were the first to be played in the 2–3–2 format, which was suggested by Boston coach
to NBA commissioner , as he hoped to cut back on the frequent traveling from
to Los Angeles.
saw the Celtics face off against the Rockets, with Boston winning in six games, as well as securing their 16th title. Bird was also named Finals MVP for the second time. In , the Lakers and Celtics met again, with both sides holding a win in the Finals apiece. With the third being contested, it is regarded as a rubber match between the two dynasties. The Lakers won the first two games, but Boston won Game 3. In Game 4, Johnson hit an sky-hook with two seconds left to give the Lakers a 107–106 win and a 3–1 series lead. The Lakers would lose Game 5, but would eventually win Game 6 to clinch the series, and a 2-1 all time win against the Celtics. Johnson was also named Finals MVP for the third time.
In the following two seasons, the aging Celtics failed to reach the Finals, becoming overshadowed by the rise of the . The Lakers would manage to defend their title in the , winning the series in 7 games against the Pistons. They then became the first team to win back-to-back NBA titles since 1969. Seeking a three-peat in , the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in a rematch of the previous year's Finals. In , the Pistons then went back-to-back after defeating the Blazers in five games, attaining the nickname "Bad Boys" due to its rough, physical play. Led by a Hall of Fame back court in
and a rugged front court in
and , the Pistons were attained great success.
combined with coach
to win six NBA championships.
The majority of the 1990s was marked by the supremacy of the , which saw them appear in six Finals. Coached by
and led by NBA superstar , the Bulls won a title in every single appearance to the Finals from 1991 to 1998. Jordan was also the Finals MVP every time. The only other team to win championships during this period was the , who went back-to-back in 1994 and 1995 during Jordan's initial retirement from professional basketball. Jordan was not retired in the 95 playoffs, the Bulls lead by Jordan were defeated by the Magic.
The first championship came at the expense of the , which also saw the last appearance in the Finals for . Billed[] as a showdown between the aging Johnson and the upstart Jordan, the Lakers won the first game, 93–91. For the rest of the series, Pippen guarded Johnson, allowing Jordan to attain a free scoring role to lead Chicago to ultimately taking the next four games. The Bulls returned to the Finals in the next year, pitted against
and the . Throughout the
season, Jordan and Drexler led their teams to the best records in their respective conferences, leading to several comparisons between the two players in anticipation of a postseason match-up. Chicago defeated the Trail Blazers in Game 1 by 33 points, a game notable for Jordan breaking the record for the most three-pointer in a first half, with six. Game 2 went into overtime, with the Trail Blazers outscoring the Bulls 18–7 in the final period to run away with the win. Game 3 and 4 were split between Chicago and Portland, respectively, but the Bulls took the final two games, clinching their second championship.
In 1993, Jordan was matched against close friend , who was the league's reigning MVP at the . The Bulls won the first two games in Phoenix, with 100–92 and 111–108 as the final scores, respectively. The Suns, rallying behind Barkley, won Game 3, 129–121, in Chicago in triple overtime. The Bulls took Game 4, 111–105, with Jordan scoring 55 points and tying
for the second-most points in an NBA Finals game. The Suns won Game 5, 108–98, sending the series back to Phoenix. Chicago won the series clincher in Game 6, 99–98,on 's three-pointer, as the Bulls became the third team in history to . After this win, Jordan would retire from basketball to pursue a career in baseball.
Following Jordan's departure, the , led by , won the 1994 and 1995 NBA titles. During this period, Olajuwon became the only player in history to win the ,
and Finals MVP awards in the same season. That was the only year that both the NBA and
went to seven games while involving teams from the same city, with the Rockets facing the
in 1994. With their win in Game 7, the Rockets denied New York from winning both the NBA and NHL titles in the same year, as the
won the . After trading for Drexler midseason, the Rockets later swept an
team consisting of
in the 1995 F Olajuwon was again named Finals MVP, and the Rockets became the fifth franchise to win back-to-back titles and became the first 6th-seeded team to win the title without enjoying home court advantage on any of their playoff series.
After his short stint in baseball, Jordan returned to basketball late in the 1994–95 season. Although he did not lead the Bulls to the Finals, he returned to pre-retirement form the next year while the team acquired perennial rebounding champion . The
finished the regular season 72–10, attaining, at the time, the best regular season record in NBA history. They dominated in the playoffs, with series records of 3–0, 4–1 and 4–0, before facing the
in the NBA Finals. After the Bulls took a 3–0 series lead, Seattle won the next two games after coach
switched point guard
onto Jordan, leading to a sixth game. However, Jordan altered his game to accommodate the advances of Payton, and the Bulls won Game 6 to win their fourth title.
In 1997 and 1998, the Bulls met the
in the Finals twice. Led by
and , the Jazz were defeated in both Finals by the Bulls in six games. In both series, Chicago won by hitting winning shots in the sixth and deciding game — the first by
in 1997 in Chicago, and the second by Jordan in Utah in 1998. This saw Chicago winning their sixth NBA championship, and managing their second three-peat. However, prior to the 1999 season, Jackson decided to retire, which set off a chain reaction that resulted in most of the team, including Jordan and Pippen, requesting to leave the Bulls. With no foundation of youth to build upon, the Bulls became a
team for the next six seasons.
was a member of the
that won five NBA championships from .
combined to win nine NBA Championships during this period.
The Spurs were responsible for winning four championships during this period, in , 2005, and 2007. In the 1999 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs finished with a 15–2 mark, including sweeps of the Blazers and Lakers. With a defensive squad led by
and , San Antonio's 84.7 points allowed per game was the fewest average points allowed in the post-season in the last 30 years. In the
that year, the Spurs held the , the first #8 seed team to reach the finals in NBA history, to an average of 79.8 points per game. During the , the Spurs defeated the Nets in 6 games, which also marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams. In Game 6, Duncan was two blocks short of recording the first
in NBA Finals history, finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks. The Spurs went on to defeat the
4–3 in the , as well as sweeping the -led
in the . Duncan won the Finals MVP in
and 2005. In 2007,
was named MVP, becoming the first European-born player to win the award.
won five championships with the
From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers, led by
and , won three straight NBA Championships. O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. Their
came at the expense of the , whom the Lakers defeated in 6 games. During their
postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with an unprecedented 15–1 record, the best postseason record in NBA history. Their opponent in the Finals that year were the , led by . In the , the Lakers swept the , leading almost the enti only for a short while after the beginning of Game 4 did the
gain any significant lead in any game.
In the 2003 offseason, veteran stars
signed with the Lakers. Along with Bryant and O'Neal, they formed what many expected to be one of the best teams in NBA history, and were the favorites to win the championship in 2004. However, the , under coach , upset the Lakers in 5 games.
was named the Finals MVP. Now established as one of the premier powerhouses of the East, the Pistons would return to the NBA Finals in the following year, bowing out to the Spurs in seven games.
were the only Finals during this period not to feature the Spurs or Lakers, instead featuring the
and . It was the first NBA Finals since 1971 that had both Western and Eastern Conference champions making their first Finals appearance in franchise history. The Mavericks won the first two games at home, but the turning point of the series was in Game 3, when the Heat overcame a 13-point deficit with less than 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter to win 98–96. The comeback was led by 's 12 points in the final six minutes and a clutch outside jumpshot by , who was appearing in his third NBA finals. Miami swept all three of their home games, two of which were sparked by fourth quarter comebacks led by W the Heat would win their first ever championship in game six.
The Lakers returned to the finals in 2008, against the . Renewing the teams' fierce rivalry, this marked the 11th time that these two teams met in the Finals, the last such meeting happening in 1987. The Celtics, who defeated the Lakers 4–2, were led by their "Big Three" superstars of , , and , who was also named Finals MVP.
The Lakers bounced back from their 2008 loss and returned to the Finals in 2009, where they faced the , led by
in 2009. The Lakers would defeat Orlando in five games, with Bryant earning the Finals MVP award. The Lakers met the Celtics once again in , trailing 3–2 before winning the last two at home, marking the first time in the history of the Celtics that they lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Bryant was also named Finals MVP, with the triumphs in 2009 and 2010 becoming 's 10th and 11th NBA titles. With these championship victories, Jackson surpassed both 's record for most NBA titles of all time and
coach 's record for most titles as head coach in any major American professional sport.
(left) and
(right) joined
(center) at the
to form the .
During the 2010 offseason, the
re-signed team captain
and added free agents
to form the . The Heat were then considered the favorites by many to win multiple championships, appearing in the next four finals, winning two in
and . LeBron James has also appeared in every NBA Finals since 2011, with both the Heat and the Cavaliers.
The second appearance by the Heat in a Finals came in , where they were pitted against the
in a rematch of the finals from . The Mavericks, led by , , , and , won the series 4–2, with Nowitzki being named the Finals MVP. The Heat returned to the finals in the
against an upstart
team featuring future All-Stars , , and 3-time
. After the Thunder took Game 1 at home, the Heat won four straight games to win the series 4–1, becoming the first team to win a championship after trailing in three playoff series. James won his first championship and was unanimously named NBA Finals MVP.
The Heat repeated as champions in 2013, this time over the , with the finals being the first since 1987 to feature four former Finals MVPs in a F with
(, 2005) and
(2007) for the Spurs, and Wade (2006) and James (2012) for the Heat. The Spurs went up 3–2 in the series, but the Heat bounced back with a Game 6 victory, notable for a game-tying three-pointer by
in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime. The game is considered one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history. The Heat would win Game 7, 95–88, to clinch the title. James was named Finals MVP for the second straight year.
Looking for a , the Heat reached the
and faced the Spurs in a rematch of the . With James limited in Game 1 due to leg cramps, the Spurs ended the game on a 31–9 run, winning the game 110–95. The Heat bounced back in Game 2, but that would be their only win of the series, as the Spurs would sweep their home games to win the Championship in five games, their first since 2007 and the fifth and final title of Duncan's career.
was named Finals MVP, becoming the third-youngest Finals MVP after Duncan and .
have met in every NBA Finals to date since .
to the best regular season record in NBA history, and the
championship.
After the 2014 Finals,
became a free agent and returned to the
where he teamed up with . The Cavs also traded for
to form a new
in Cleveland. In the , the defending champion
were eliminated in the first round while the reigning finalist
failed to even qualify for the playoffs. Golden State, spearheaded by reigning
, achieved a 67–15 record and managed to take the West, while the Cavs won the East as LeBron James, along with
who played for both the Heat and Cavaliers, made their fifth straight finals appearance – the first two players to do so since the 1960s Celtics. The Warriors defied conventional wisdom and traditionalist ideas with a small-ball, three-point shooting, fast-paced team. The Cavs were without star forward
due to an injury suffered earlier in the playoffs, and also lost
to injury in a Game 1 overtime loss in the . LeBron rallied the Cavaliers to wins in Games 2 and 3, but the Warriors won the next three games after coach
made the adjustment of inserting sixth man
into the starting lineup in place of center , thus achieving the desired small-ball offense. The Warriors won the title, with Iguodala becoming the first player to win the Finals MVP award without ever starting a regular season game that season.
During the , the Warriors broke the record for most wins in a season with a record of 73–9 and Curry won his second straight MVP award, as well as becoming the first unanimous MVP in history and shattering his own record for three-pointers made in a single season by over one hundred in the process. The Warriors fell to a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals against a -led Oklahoma City Thunder, but won three straight elimination games to take the series and advance to a second straight Finals. The Cavaliers finished the season as the top-seed in the Eastern Conference and won their first 10 straight playoff games, ultimately defeating the
4–2 in the Eastern Conference Finals to ensure the rematch of last year's Finals. In the , the Warriors got out to a 3-1 lead, but James and Irving led the Cavs to two straight victories to force a deciding Game 7. In a key sequence with two minutes remaining in Game 7, LeBron James made a memorable
on Iguodala to keep the game tied, while Irving hit a 3-point shot a minute later to take the lead. Cleveland managed to hold on to the lead to win the title and end the city's , with James earning his third Finals MVP honor.
In the summer of 2016, the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant through free agency. After finishing 67–15, they became the first team in history to win 67+ games in three straight seasons, marching to the Finals with a 12–0 sweep of the West, the first team to do so since the first round changed to best-of-seven in 2003. Meanwhile, though the Cavaliers slipped to the second seed going into the playoffs, they only lost one game en route to defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, setting up a rubber match against the Warriors in the . This marks the first time in history that two teams have met in three straight NBA Finals. The Warriors started strong with a 3-0 lead over the Cavs, eventually winning the series in five games with Durant being named Finals MVP. The Warriors set a playoffs record of 15 consecutive wins and a 16-1 final record, as well as a 13.5-point differential in the Finals.
The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.
Most recent appearance
Most recent title
Currently hold the record for the most appearances in the NBA Finals, and have appeared in the Finals in every decade since the 1940s. They have won 11 titles in
and 5 in . They also attained a three-peat in Minneapolis from 1952 to 1954, and another in Los Angeles from 2000 to 2002.
Won 8 straight titles from 1959 to 1966, and are the most successful team in the NBA Finals, winning 17 championships.
Won two titles in Philadelphia, before eventually securing three more as the Golden State Warriors.
Won one title in , before winning another two following the move to .
appearance, they became the first 8th seed to ever reach the Finals.
Went back-to-back in 1989-90, and won all three championships in Detroit.
All the titles were with head coach
and players
and . The titles were won via two three-peats, from – and –. They are the only active NBA franchise with multiple Finals appearances, and no losses.
All the titles were with
and . Won their first championship in 1999, and an additional three championships in the odd years from 2003 - 2007, before another in 2014. They are the only franchise to move from the
to the NBA, and subsequently win a championship.
All thr two were during ' 4-year tenure in Miami, during which they made the Finals each year. They faced the Mavericks twice in
and , the Thunder once in , and the Spurs twice in
Won two championships with
and coach , with both championships being back-to-back. Their 1995 triumph was done as the 6th seed, the lowest seeded team to win a championship.
All appearances when the team resided in .
Hold a record of 1–2 as , and 0–1 as . They remain the only franchise since 1977 to win a title in one city, and later relocate.
All appearances in the Finals came between 1971 and 1979, featuring . They were 0–1 as the newly formed Baltimore Bullets, and 1–2 as Washington Bullets.
featured in all four Finals appearances. After losing to the Spurs in , they faced the Warriors three straight times in the 2010s, losing in
and winning in .
Their only title was won with , but the franchise lost two finals with .
They lost in 2006 and won in 2011, both times against the Heat. Both Mavericks teams were led by
Their singular triumph was recorded with a team that consisted of
They appeared twice in the Finals as New Jersey Nets, in
They were swept by the Rockets in 1995, and defeated by the Lakers in 2009. Have only recorded a singular win in the Finals.
Lost in the
Finals to the Celtics and Bulls, respectively. Best historical won-loss record among all franchises to have never won a title.
Both appearances were with coach
and players
and , and losses against the Bulls.
Only appearance in NBA Finals and was won as the Rochester Royals.
Only appearance was in 2000 led by
and coach , losing to the Lakers.
Team folded in 1954 and is the only championship winning team to fold.
Team folded in 1950.
Team folded in 1951.
No. of seasons
Other achievements
Reached three conference semifinals as the Braves, and four as the Clippers. First appeared was in the
and lost to the , before returning in the , losing to the . Their other appearances came in the
when they lost to the , and in the
when they lost to the .
Joined NBA after nine
(ABA) in 1976. They have played in the 1976 ABA championship, but lost to the , as well as participating in the 1978 conference finals, before ultimately losing to the . They also featured in the 1985 and 2009 conference finals, but lost both times to the .
Reached the
in the , but lost to the Lakers.
Reached the conference semifinals four times, first in the
when they lost to the , second in the , losing to the , third in the
when they lost to the , and fourth in the , losing to the .
Reached the
in the , but lost to the Spurs.
Reached the
in the , but lost to the .
Reached the
in the , but lost to the Spurs.
(*) As a result of the original franchise's relocation to , the NBA team in
suspended operations for the 2002–03 and the 2003–04 seasons, before a new team, also named the Bobcats, was established for the 2004–05 season. In 2014, the Bobcats later became the second incarnation of the Charlotte Hornets, and retained the history and records of the Hornets organization from 1988 to 2002. The original Hornets, now renamed the Pelicans, obtained the records during their time in New Orleans and
from 2002 to 2013.
(5) vs. / (1)
(*) the number in parentheses describes the victories in the Finals for either team.
Hold the record for the most games in a Finals, with a record of 20–15 in Minneapolis and 69-75 while in Los Angeles. Won 4-3 in their last Finals appearance in 2010.
Recorded the first ever sweep in the Finals. Lost 4-3 in their last Finals appearance in 2010.
Includes a record of 9–11 while in Syracuse, and 15-18 while in Philadelphia. Lost 4-1 in their last Finals appearance in 2001.
Includes records of 10–6 while in Philadelphia, 3–8 while in San Francisco, and 15-7 in their current incarnation. Won 4-1 in their last Finals appearance in 2017.
Lost 4–1 in their last Finals appearance in 1999.
Includes a record of 4–8 while in Fort Wayne, and 18-10 while in Detroit. Lost 4-3 their last Finals appearance in 2005.
Won 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 1998.
Won 4–1 in their last Finals appearance in 2014.
Lost 4-1 in their last Finals appearance in 2014.
All appearances in the Finals occurred while the team was in St. Louis.
Won 4-0 in their last Finals appearance in 1995.
Includes a record of 9–9 while in Seattle, and 1-4 while in Oklahoma City. Lost 1-4 their last Finals appearance in 2012.
Lost 4-1 in their last Finals appearance in 2017, as well as becoming the only team in the Finals to overcome a 3-1 deficit in 2016.
Includes a record of 0–4 in Baltimore and 5–11 in Washington, all as the Bullets.
Lost 4-2 in their last Finals appearance in 1992.
All games played during the Finals have been against the Heat, and won 4-2 in their last Finals appearance in 2011.
Lost 4-2 in their last Finals appearance in 1993.
Lost 4-2 in both Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, both times against the Bulls.
Lost 4–3 in their last Finals appearance in 1974.
All Finals appearances have occurred while the team was in New Jersey, and lost 4-2 in their last Finals appearance in 2003.
Lost 4-1 in their last Finals appearance in 2009.
All appearances have occurred while the team was in Rochester.
Franchise defunct.
Lost 4-2 in their only Finals appearance in 2000.
Franchise defunct.
Franchise defunct.
Most years in Finals (12) –
Most games played in Finals (70) –
Most career points in Finals (1,679) –
Most career assists in Finals (584) –
Most career rebounds in Finals (1,718) –
Most career blocks in Finals (116) –
Most career steals in Finals (102) –
Most career turnovers in Finals (190) –
Total points (finals)
PPG average (min 10 games) (finals)
Most points, one series (284) –
Most assists, one series (95) –
Most rebounds, one series (189) –
Most blocks, one series (32) –
Most steals, one series (20) –
Most turnovers, one series (31) –
Ballard, Bill (June 4, 1989). . Los Angeles Times. Associated Press.
from the original on March 26, 2015.
. NBA.com. Associated Press. October 23, 2013.
. Boston Celtics 2017.
. nba.com 2015.
. NBA.com. 1 July .
Team Stream Now. . Bleacher Report 2015.
Jones, Michael C. (June 19, 2013).
Johnson, Jared. . Bleacher Report.
. mcubed.net.
. NBA.com 2015.
. nba.com 2015.
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