Western Conference (NBA)
Conference champions
Table:
Season

Team

Record

Playoffs result

1946–47
Chicago Stags
39–22 (.639)
Lost BAA Finals 1–4

1947–48
Baltimore Bullets
28–20 (.583)
Won BAA Finals 4–2

1948–49
Minneapolis Lakers
44–16 (.733)
Won BAA Finals 4–2

1949–50
Anderson Packers[b]
37–27 (.578)
Lost NBA Semifinals 0–2

1950–51
Rochester Royals
41–27 (.603)
Won NBA Finals 4–3

1951–52
Minneapolis Lakers
40–26 (.606)
Won NBA Finals 4–3

1952–53
Minneapolis Lakers^
48–22 (.686)
Won NBA Finals 4–1

1953–54
Minneapolis Lakers^
46–26 (.639)
Won NBA Finals 4–3

1954–55
Fort Wayne Pistons^
43–29 (.597)
Lost NBA Finals 3–4

1955–56
Fort Wayne Pistons
37–35 (.514)
Lost NBA Finals 1–4

1956–57
St. Louis Hawks
34–38
Lost NBA Finals 3–4

1957–58
St. Louis Hawks
41–31
Won NBA Finals 4–2

1958–59
Minneapolis Lakers
49–23
Lost NBA Finals 0–4

1959–60
St. Louis Hawks
41–31
Lost NBA Finals 3–4

1960–61
St. Louis Hawks
51–28
Lost NBA Finals 1–4

1961–62
Los Angeles Lakers
54–26
Lost NBA Finals 3–4

1962–63
Los Angeles Lakers
53–27
Lost NBA Finals 2–4

1963–64
San Francisco Warriors
48–32
Lost NBA Finals 1–4

1964–65
Los Angeles Lakers
49–31
Lost NBA Finals 1–4

1965–66
Los Angeles Lakers
45–35
Lost NBA Finals 3–4

Using the provided table plus the supplementary paragraphs provided.

Respond to the question below: The team founded by the Duffey brothers , and that made the semifinals of the inaugural season of the National Basketball Association , withdrew from the NBA when ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

The 1946-47 BAA season was the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America . ( Following its third , the 1948-49 season , the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA . ) The league launched with 11 teams playing a 60-game schedule . The postseason tournament at its conclusion , the 1947 BAA Playoffs , ended with the Philadelphia Warriors becoming the first BAA Champion , beating the Chicago Stags 4 games to 1 in the BAA Finals . The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history , sometimes without comment , so the 1946-47 BAA season is sometimes considered the first NBA season .
The Chicago Stags were an original National Basketball Association franchise based in Chicago , Illinois from 1946 to 1950 .
The 1947 BAA Finals was the championship round of playoffs following the inaugural Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) 's 1946-47 season . The Philadelphia Warriors of the Eastern Division faced the Chicago Stags of the Western Division for the inaugural championship , with Philadelphia having home court advantage . Hall of Fame inductee Joe Fulks played for the Warriors in the series . Following the 1948-49 season ( the BAA 's third season of play ) , the BAA and the National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association .
The 1947-48 BAA season was the second season of the Basketball Association of America . ( Following its third , 1948-49 season , the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA . ) The postseason tournament at its conclusion , the 1948 BAA Playoffs , ended with the Baltimore Bullets winning the BAA Championship , beating the Philadelphia Warriors 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals . Although not celebrated at the time , the season was historic , with Wataru Misaka of the New York Knicks becoming the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball . The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history , sometimes without comment , so BAA 1947-48 is sometimes considered the second NBA season .
The Baltimore Bullets were an American Basketball League ( 1944-1947 ) team , and later , a Basketball Association of America ( 1947-1949 ) , and ( beginning in 1949 , following the BAA 's absorption of the National Basketball League ) a National Basketball Association team based in Baltimore . The team folded November 27 , 1954 , with a 3-11 record , making the Bullets the last NBA franchise to do so , as of 2018 . [ citation needed ] Out of all defunct NBA teams , the Bullets were members of the association for the longest time and the only defunct team to win a championship . [ citation needed ] The Baltimore Bullets acquired their name in reference to the Phoenix Shot Tower .
The 1948 BAA Finals was the championship round of the Basketball Association of America 's 1947-48 season . ( Following its third , 1948-49 season , the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA . ) The Philadelphia Warriors of the Eastern Division faced the Baltimore Bullets of the Western Division , with Philadelphia having home court advantage . Baltimore was not the Western Division champion but advanced to the championship round by winning a four-team playoff among the Eastern and Western Division runners-up . Meanwhile , the Eastern and Western Division champions , Philadelphia Warriors and St. Louis Bombers , played one long series to determine the other finalist , a best-of-seven series that Philadelphia won 4-3 . In the runners-up bracket , Baltimore and Chicago from the West had first eliminated New York and Boston from the East , then faced each other in a best-of-three series . The format was used only twice , in 1947 and 1948 , and generated two champions from the runners-up bracket . The six games of the final series were played in twelve days , with at least one day off except prior to the decisive game . Division champions Philadelphia and St. Louis had played the seven games of their semifinal series in fifteen days , March 23 to April 6 , with at least one day off before every game . The entire playoff tournament extended 30 days .
The 1948-49 BAA season was the third and final season of the Basketball Association of America . ( Later that year the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA . ) The postseason tournament at its conclusion , the 1949 BAA Playoffs , ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the BAA Championship , beating the Washington Capitols 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals . The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history , sometimes without comment , so BAA 1948-49 is sometimes considered the third NBA season .
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles . The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , as a member of the league 's Western Conference in the Pacific Division . The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center , an arena shared with the NBA 's Los Angeles Clippers , the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women 's National Basketball Association , and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA , and have won 16 NBA championships , the second-most behind the Boston Celtics . The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team , the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League ( NBL ) . The new team began playing in Minneapolis , calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers . Initially a member of the NBL , the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Association of America , where they would win five of the next six championships , led by star George Mikan . After struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikan 's retirement , they relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season . Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West , Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s , but lost each series to the Celtics , beginning their long and storied rivalry . In 1968 , the Lakers acquired four-time NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Wilt Chamberlain , and won their sixth NBA title - and first in Los Angeles - in 1972 , led by new head coach Bill Sharman . After the retirement of West and Chamberlain , the team acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , who also won multiple MVP awards , but was unable to make the Finals in the late 1970s . The 1980s Lakers were nicknamed Showtime due to their fast break-offense led by Magic Johnson .
The 1949 BAA Finals was the championship round following the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) 's 1948-49 season , its third and last . Later that year the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . 6'10 George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers proved dominant . They routed the Washington Capitols in six games . This was the first of several successive NBA titles for the Lakers . It was the beginning of the George Mikan and the Lakers Dynasty . The six games of the final series were played in ten days - Monday , April 4 , to Wednesday , April 13 - with one day off except after game three , the first of three played in Washington ( Minneapolis led 3-0 ) . Prior to its start , however , Minneapolis had been idle for five days , having qualified on the preceding Tuesday ; Washington idle for only one day , having qualified on Saturday . The entire playoff tournament extended 23 days . This is the earliest NBA championship with a living player , Arnie Ferrin .
The 1949-50 NBA season was the inaugural season of the National Basketball Association , which was created in 1949 by merger of the 3-year-old BAA and 12-year-old NBL . The postseason tournament at its conclusion , the 1950 NBA Playoffs , ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Commonly 1949-50 is counted as the fourth NBA season . It recognizes the three BAA seasons ( 1946-47 , 1947-48 and 1948-49 ) as part of its own history , sometimes without comment .
The Anderson Packers , also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers , were a professional basketball team based in Anderson , Indiana , in the 1940s and 1950s . The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and John B. Duffey , founders of meat packing company Duffey 's Incorporated , which had purchased the Hughes-Curry Packing Co. of Anderson in 1946 , at which time the brothers founded the Anderson Packers . John Duffey was president of the club , and its secretary-treasurer was Ike . The Duffeys profitably sold their Anderson packing plant three years later , although they retained ownership of the team until its demise . The Packers played in the National Basketball League from 1946 to 1949 . The team moved into the National Basketball Association for the 1949-50 season . The franchise withdrew from the NBA on April 11 , 1950 , when the organization was absorbed by the league . After that season the team moved to the National Professional Basketball League , which folded entirely at the end of their only ( 1950-1951 ) season .
The 1950 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the inaugural National Basketball Association 1949-50 season . The tournament concluded with the Central Division champion Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Twelve teams qualified for the playoffs . Including tiebreaker games that preceded two of the six first-round series , they began play on Monday to Wednesday , March 20 to 22 , and the best-of-seven Finals concluded in game six on Sunday , April 23 . The champions played the greatest number of games , 13 in a span of 34 days , on a schedule including both back-to-back games and as many as six days off .
The 1950-51 NBA season was the fifth season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Rochester Royals winning the NBA Championship , beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento , California . The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento . The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center . Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s , including the 2001-02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61-21 ( a winning percentage of .744 ) . The Sacramento Kings are the latest and current version of one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation . They originated in Rochester , New York , as the Rochester Seagrams ( a semi-professional team ) in 1923 , hosting a number of teams there over the next 20 years . They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals , winning that league 's championship in their first season , 1945-46 . They later jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Association of America , forerunner of the NBA , in 1948 . As the Royals , the team was often successful on the court , winning the NBA championship in 1951 . The team , however , found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester and relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 , becoming the Cincinnati Royals . In 1972 the team relocated again , this time to Kansas City , Missouri , and was renamed the Kansas City-Omaha Kings because it initially split its home games between Kansas City and Omaha , Nebraska .
The 1951 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1951 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1950-51 season . The Western Division champion Rochester Royals faced the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series with Rochester having home-court advantage . Rochester won the first three games , two at home , but New York won the next three , two at home . It was the first BAA or NBA Finals ( spanning 1947 to 1951 ) [ a ] that extended to a seventh-game conclusion , a 4-point win by Rochester at home on Saturday , April 21 . The seven games were played in fifteen days , beginning Saturday and Sunday , April 7 and 8 , in Rochester and incorporating one game in Rochester on each following weekend . Three Wednesday or Friday games were played in New York City . The entire postseason tournament spanned 33 days in which both Rochester and New York played 14 games . The Royals appeared in their first NBA finals by defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons in the semifinals and the two-time defending champion Minneapolis Lakers in the division finals while the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in the semifinals and the Syracuse Nationals in the division finals . This was the first finals appearance for both teams , and the first Finals with two teams that had not made a finals appearance since the 1947 BAA Finals
The 1951-52 NBA season was the sixth season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The 1952 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1952 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1951-52 season . The Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage . Minneapolis won game one and the teams thereafter alternated victories , Minneapolis winning the decisive game by a 17-point margin at home on Friday , April 25 . The seven games were played in fourteen days , beginning Saturday and Sunday , April 12 and 13 , in Minneapolis and returning to Minneapolis for games five and seven on the following Saturday and Friday . Meanwhile , three Wednesday or Friday games were played in New York City . The entire postseason tournament spanned 39 days in which Minneapolis played 13 games and New York 14 .
The 1952-53 NBA season was the seventh season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
The 1953 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1953 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1952-53 season . The Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage . By winning four games to one , the Lakers won their fifth title in six years dating from 1948 , the club 's final season in the National Basketball League . The five games were played in seven days , beginning Saturday and Sunday , April 4 and 5 , in Minneapolis and concluding there on the following Friday . Meanwhile , two mid-week games were played in New York City . The entire postseason tournament spanned 25 days in which Minneapolis played 12 games , New York 11 .
The 1953-54 NBA season was the eighth season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning their 5th NBA Championship in 6 years , beating the Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals . It was also the final time the Lakers would win an NBA Championship before the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1960 .
The 1954 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1954 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1953-54 season . The Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage . The Lakers won their third consecutive NBA championship and their fifth title in seven years dating from 1948 , the club 's final season as a member of the National Basketball League . Minneapolis won game one and the teams thereafter alternated victories , with the Lakers winning the decisive game by a seven-point margin at home . The seven games were played in thirteen days , beginning Wednesday , March 31 and concluding Monday , April 12 . The entire postseason tournament spanned 28 days in which both Minneapolis and Syracuse played 13 games .
The 1954-55 NBA season was the ninth season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Syracuse Nationals winning the NBA Championship , beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit , Michigan . The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division and plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena , located in Midtown . The team was founded in Fort Wayne , Indiana as the Fort Wayne ( Zollner ) Pistons in 1941 , a member of the National Basketball League ( NBL ) where it won two NBL championships : in 1944 and 1945 . The Pistons later joined the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) in 1948 . The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949 , and the Pistons became part of the merged league . In 1957 , the franchise moved to Detroit . The Pistons have won three NBA championships : in 1989 , 1990 and 2004 .
The 1955 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1954-55 NBA season . The best-of-seven series was won by the Syracuse Nationals , who defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the final game when Syracuse 's George King made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up 92-91 . King then stole the ball from Fort Wayne 's Andy Phillip with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Syracuse . Because of the arena not believing Fort Wayne would make the NBA Finals , the arena was booked and not available , and the Fort Wayne home games were played in Indianapolis . It has been alleged that some Fort Wayne players conspired with gamblers to throw the series to Syracuse . The suspicious nature of the seventh game in particular has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the series . Fort Wayne led Syracuse 41-24 early in the second quarter , then allowed the Nationals to rally to win the game . Andy Phillip , who turned the ball over with three seconds left in the game , was believed by at least one of his teammates , George Yardley , to have thrown the game . There were always unwholesome implications about that ball game , Yardley told the author Charley Rosen . However , Phillip may not have acted alone . Other Pistons players were strongly believed to have thrown games during the 1954 and 1955 NBA seasons . In fact , Yardley himself turned the ball over to Syracuse with a palming violation with 18 seconds remaining in Game 7 .
The 1955-56 NBA season was the 10th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Philadelphia Warriors winning the NBA Championship , beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
The 1956 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the 1955-56 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to one . The series is notable for being one of only two Finals in which the two teams alternated home games , the other being in 1971 .
The 1956-57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship ( which would be the first of their 17 NBA titles ) , beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta . The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Southeast Division . The team plays its home games at State Farm Arena . The team 's origins can be traced to the establishment of the Buffalo Bisons in 1946 in Buffalo , New York , a member of the National Basketball League ( NBL ) owned by Ben Kerner and Leo Ferris . After 38 days in Buffalo , the team moved to Moline , Illinois , where they were renamed the Tri-Cities Blackhawks . In 1949 , they joined the NBA as part of the merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) , and briefly had Red Auerbach as coach . In 1951 , Kerner moved the team to Milwaukee , where they changed their name to the Hawks . Kerner and the team moved again in 1955 to St. Louis , where they won their only NBA Championship in 1958 and qualified to play in the NBA Finals in 1957 , 1960 and 1961 . The Hawks played the Boston Celtics in all four of their trips to the NBA Finals . The St. Louis Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968 , when Kerner sold the franchise to Thomas Cousins and former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders . The Hawks currently own the second-longest drought ( behind the Sacramento Kings ) of not winning an NBA championship at 60 seasons . The franchise 's lone NBA championship , as well as all four NBA Finals appearances , occurred when the team was based in St. Louis .
The 1957 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1956-57 National Basketball Association season , and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics . This was the first trip to the Finals for each team , the first Finals in which both teams competing were making their first appearances since 1951 . The Celtics won the series over the Hawks , 4-3 . It remains the only Game 7 in NBA history to be decided in double-overtime .
The 1957-58 NBA season was the 12th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the St. Louis Hawks winning the NBA Championship , beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
The 1958 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series for the 1957-58 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It pitted the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics . The Hawks won the series in six games to win the franchise 's first and only NBA title .
The 1958-59 NBA Season was the 13th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship ( the first of what would be 8 straight ) , beating the Minneapolis Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals .
The 1959 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1958-59 National Basketball Association season , and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics . It was Boston 's third trip to the NBA Finals and Minneapolis 's sixth . The Boston Celtics swept the Lakers 4-0 . That was the start of the Celtics ' 8 consecutive championships , from 1959-1966 . To date , this is the most recent time that an NBA team from Minnesota appeared in an NBA Finals , as well as the first of two times in NBA history that a team with a losing record made the NBA Finals ( the other was in 1981 ) .
The 1959-60 NBA season was the 14th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 2nd straight NBA Championship , beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The 1960 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1960 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1959-60 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . It was Boston 's fourth trip to the NBA Finals and St. Louis ' third . The Celtics beat the Hawks 4-3 . The Finals featured Hall of Famers Bill Russell , Bob Cousy , Tom Heinsohn , Frank Ramsey , Sam Jones , K.C . Jones , Coach Red Auerbach , Bob Pettit , Cliff Hagan , Slater Martin , Clyde Lovellette , and Coach Alex Hannum . This was the last time the NBA Finals would be played in March .
The 1960-61 NBA season was the 15th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 3rd straight NBA Championship , beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
The 1961 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1961 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1960-61 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . This was the fourth and final World Championship Series meeting between the two teams . It was also Celtics ' fifth straight trip to the championship series , and they won the series against the Hawks , 4-1 . As of the 2018-19 season [ update ] , this remains the Hawks franchises [ note 1 ] last appearance in the NBA Finals , the second-longest drought behind the Kings franchise who last played in the NBA Finals in 1951 .
The 1961-62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 4th straight NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles . The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , as a member of the league 's Western Conference in the Pacific Division . The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center , an arena shared with the NBA 's Los Angeles Clippers , the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women 's National Basketball Association , and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA , and have won 16 NBA championships , the second-most behind the Boston Celtics . The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team , the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League ( NBL ) . The new team began playing in Minneapolis , calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers . Initially a member of the NBL , the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Association of America , where they would win five of the next six championships , led by star George Mikan . After struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikan 's retirement , they relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season . Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West , Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s , but lost each series to the Celtics , beginning their long and storied rivalry . In 1968 , the Lakers acquired four-time NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Wilt Chamberlain , and won their sixth NBA title - and first in Los Angeles - in 1972 , led by new head coach Bill Sharman . After the retirement of West and Chamberlain , the team acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , who also won multiple MVP awards , but was unable to make the Finals in the late 1970s . The 1980s Lakers were nicknamed Showtime due to their fast break-offense led by Magic Johnson .
The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1961-62 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics . This was the Celtics ' 6th straight trip to the Finals , and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7 , 110-107 in overtime . It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime in Game 7 . The only other Finals series decided in overtime in the seventh game was the 1957 Finals .
The 1962-63 NBA season was the 17th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 5th straight NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
The 1963 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1963 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1962-63 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics . This was the Celtics ' 7th straight trip to the championship series , and they won the series over the Lakers , 4-2 .
The 1963-64 NBA season was the 18th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 6th straight NBA Championship , beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco . The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , as a member of the league 's Western Conference Pacific Division . Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia , the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city 's name , before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971 . [ b ] They play their home games at the Chase Center . The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) championship in 1947 , [ c ] and won again in 1956 , led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin , Tom Gola , and Neil Johnston . After a brief rebuilding period after the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain , the team moved to San Francisco . In 1975 , star players Jamaal Wilkes and Rick Barry powered the Warriors to their third championship , largely considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history . The team struggled in the 1980s , then became playoff regulars at the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway , Mitch Richmond , and Chris Mullin , nicknamed Run TMC . The team returned to championship glory in 2015 , led by Stephen Curry , Klay Thompson , and Draymond Green ; they won again in 2017 and 2018 , with the help of former MVP Kevin Durant . Nicknamed the Dubs as a shortening of W 's , the Warriors hold several NBA records : best regular season , most wins in a season ( regular season and postseason combined ) , and best postseason run . Curry and Thompson are among the greatest backcourts of all time . Only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have more NBA championships .
The 1964 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1963-64 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . This was the Celtics ' 8th straight trip to the championship series , and they won the series over the Warriors , 4-1 . This was the first time Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain faced off in the NBA Finals ; they did once again in 1969 .
The 1964-65 NBA Season was the 19th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 7th straight NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
The 1965 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1965 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association 1964-65 season . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . The Celtics made their ninth-straight trip to the championship finals after beating the Philadelphia 76ers in a highly contested Eastern Division Finals that ended on John Havlicek 's steal of the ball . The Lakers made it to their third Finals in four seasons after beating Baltimore in six games , though it came at a cost as Elgin Baylor suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the playoffs . The Celtics won the series over the Lakers , 4-1 .
The 1965-66 NBA Season was the 20th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning an unprecedented 8th straight NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the 1966 NBA Finals .
The 1966 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1966 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1965-66 season . The Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics faced the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series that the Celtics won 4 games to 3 . For the Celtics this was their tenth straight finals appearance , which tied a North American professional sports record set by the National Hockey League 's Montreal Canadiens from 1951 to 1960 . Thus Boston won its 8th consecutive league title , which no other team has achieved in North American professional sports competition . Before Game 2 , after the Los Angeles Lakers ' comeback overtime win in Game 1 , Red Auerbach , who had challenged the entire league to topple the Celtics from their reign by announcing he would retire after 1965-1966 before the season had started ( thus giving his detractors one last shot at him ) , announced Bill Russell as the Celtics coach for 1966-1967 and beyond . He would be the first African-American to coach in the NBA . Laker coach Fred Schaus privately fumed that Red 's hiring had taken away all of the accolades his Lakers should have received following their tremendous Game 1 win . The Celtics won the next three games and looked ready to close out L.A. in Game 5 . However , the Lakers won the next two games , setting the stage for another classic Game 7 in the Boston Garden . The Celtics raced out to a huge lead , and held off a late Los Angeles rally to capture the NBA title and send Red Auerbach out a champion . This was the last NBA championship series until 2016 in which a team trailing 3 games to 1 rallied to force a Game 7 .