List of NBA champions
Results by teams
Table:
Teams
Win
Loss
Total
Year(s) won
Year(s) lost

Boston Celtics
17
4
21
1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008
1958, 1985, 1987, 2010

Los Angeles Lakers[i]
16
15
31
1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008

Golden State Warriors[ii]
6
5
11
1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018
1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019

Chicago Bulls
6
0
6
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
—

San Antonio Spurs
5
1
6
1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
2013

Philadelphia 76ers[iii]
3
6
9
1955, 1967, 1983
1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001

Detroit Pistons[iv]
3
4
7
1989, 1990, 2004
1955, 1956, 1988, 2005

Miami Heat
3
2
5
2006, 2012, 2013
2011, 2014

New York Knicks
2
6
8
1970, 1973
1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999

Houston Rockets
2
2
4
1994, 1995
1981, 1986

Cleveland Cavaliers
1
4
5
2016
2007, 2015, 2017, 2018

Atlanta Hawks[g]
1
3
4
1958
1957, 1960, 1961

Washington Wizards[v]
1
3
4
1978
1971, 1975, 1979

Oklahoma City Thunder[vi]
1
3
4
1979
1978, 1996, 2012

Portland Trail Blazers
1
2
3
1977
1990, 1992

Milwaukee Bucks
1
1
2
1971
1974

Dallas Mavericks
1
1
2
2011
2006

Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954)[vii]
1
0
1
1948
—

Sacramento Kings[viii]
1
0
1
1951
—

Toronto Raptors
1
0
1
2019
—

Taking into account the table plus the context snippets provided.

State the answer to the question: How many members of the team that 's been NBA champion 17 times have been designated MVP ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The Boston Celtics ( /ˈsɛltɪks/ SEL-tiks ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston . The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division . Founded in 1946 as one of the league 's original eight teams , the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden , which they share with the National Hockey League ( NHL ) 's Boston Bruins . The Celtics are regarded as the most successful basketball team in NBA history ; the franchise has won the most championships in the NBA with 17 ( accounting for 23.9 percent of all NBA championships since the league 's founding ) , and currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team . The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers , who have won 16 NBA championships , second behind the Celtics . The rivalry was heavily highlighted throughout the 1960s and 1980s . The franchise has played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals ( including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010 ) , of which the Celtics have won nine . Four Celtics players ( Bob Cousy , Bill Russell , Dave Cowens and Larry Bird ) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards . Both the nickname Celtics and their mascot Lucky the Leprechaun are a nod to Boston 's historically large Irish population . The Celtics ' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s , after acquiring center Bill Russell in a draft day trade in 1956 , who would become the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty . Led by Russell and superstar point guard Bob Cousy , the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957 . Russell , along with a talented supporting cast of future Hall of Famers including John Havlicek , Tom Heinsohn , K. C. Jones , Sam Jones , Satch Sanders , and Bill Sharman , would usher the Celtics into the greatest period in franchise history , winning eight consecutive NBA championships throughout the 1960s .
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 .
The 1968 NBA World Championship Series pitted the Boston Celtics from the East , against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West , for the sixth time in ten years . The Celtics won their tenth NBA Championship in twelve seasons , by defeating the Lakers in six games . Significantly , Game 6 of the 1968 NBA Finals marked the first time that any NBA competition had taken place during the month of May .
The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics , the Lakers being heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars : Elgin Baylor , Wilt Chamberlain , and Jerry West . In addition , Boston was an aging team ; they made the playoffs as the 4th place team in the Eastern Division , and were not favored to make it to the finals . The Celtics ' finals victory - the last championship of the Bill Russell dynasty - is considered one of the great upsets in NBA history . This series is also notable in that West , with an average of nearly 38 points a game , won the Finals Most Valuable Player award , despite being on the losing team . This was the first year a Finals MVP award was given , and it remains the only time in NBA Finals history that the MVP was awarded to a player on the losing team . It also marks the first time ever in NBA Finals history that a Game 7 was won by the road team .
The 1974 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1973-74 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 to win the NBA championship .
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1975-76 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 . Celtics point guard Jo Jo White was named as the series MVP .
The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1980-81 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It pitted the 62-20 Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the 40-42 Western Conference champion Houston Rockets . This series has the distinction of featuring for the second time in NBA history , and last to date , a team with a losing record in the Finals . The previous team was the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 .
The 1984 NBA World Championship Series , also known as Showdown '84 , was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1983-84 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals , winning Game 7 111-102 . Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series , earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) . Bird was also named the league 's regular season MVP for that year . This series was the long-awaited rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird pair entering the league . After the Lakers won Game 1 , a crucial steal in Game 2 led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series . The Lakers won Game 3 easily and almost won Game 4 , but were again thwarted . Now tied 2-2 , the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for Game 7 . Game 5 was a classic , with Bird coming up with a huge game in one of the ( literally ) hottest games ever ( 97 °F ( 36 °C ) ) in the non-air conditioned Boston Garden . Game 7 was also contested in hot temperatures that hovered around 91 °F ( 33 °C ) . The score was close but the contest eventually went to the Celtics . Cedric Maxwell scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the decisive Game 7 victory .
The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1985-86 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets , in a rematch of the 1981 Finals ( only Allen Leavell and Robert Reid remained from the Rockets ' 1981 team ) . It was the second and last NBA Championship Series of the 1980s not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers . The Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their 16th NBA championship . The championship would be the Celtics ' last until 2008 . Larry Bird was named the Finals MVP . On another note , this series marked the first time the NBA Finals branding was officially used , as they dropped the NBA World Championship Series branding which had been in use since the beginning of the league , though it had been unofficially called the NBA Finals for years . Until the 2011 series , this was the last time the NBA Finals had started before June . Since game three , all NBA Finals games have been played in June . Starting with the following year , the NBA Finals would be held exclusively in the month of June . It was also the last NBA Finals series to schedule a game on a Monday until 1999 and also the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day . Until the 2018 series , it was the last to conclude before June 10 .
The 2008 NBA Finals were held June 5 through June 17 , 2008 , to decide the winner of the 2007-08 NBA season , and conclude the season 's playoffs . The Boston Celtics , top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference , defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , top-seeded champions of the Western Conference , four games to two in a best-of-seven series . This was Boston 's first title since 1986 during the Larry Bird era and 17th overall . 2008 marked the first time since 2000 that the top seeds from both conferences met in the Finals and the first time since 2003 that any top seeded team played in the NBA finals . The Lakers appeared in the Finals for the first time since 2004 and a record 29th time overall . The Celtics appeared in the Finals for the first time since 1987 and second-best 20th time overall . The 2008 Boston Celtics championship team was famously led by the organization 's Big 3 in Paul Pierce , Ray Allen , and Kevin Garnett . Prior to acquiring Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics and Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster 7-to-1 player trade , Boston had won just 24 of its 82 games in the 2006-07 NBA regular season . The formation of the All-Star trifecta in the summer of 2007 positioned the new-look Celtics as a popular favorite to win the 2008 NBA Finals . Going into the series , the Celtics had won the most championships of all-time with 16 , and the Lakers were second with 14 . The two most successful teams in NBA history looked to renew a longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987 . They narrowly missed meeting each other in 2002 , when the Lakers advanced to the Finals , but the Celtics , who led 2-1 in the Conference Finals , eventually fell to the favored New Jersey Nets 4-2 .
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 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1984-85 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It featured the Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers . The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968-69 season . The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63-19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62-20 record . The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year 's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series , and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history . Also for the first time , the Finals went to a 2-3-2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles . The final two games of the series would be played in Boston , if required . This change of format came after David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend Red Auerbach in 1984 , who did n't like the frequent traveling between games . The 2-3-2 format would be used until the 2013 NBA Finals , after which the 2-2-1-1-1 format returned the following year . The Los Angeles Lakers with the help of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson defeated the Celtics four games to two to defeat the Celtics for the first time in Laker history in the NBA Finals . It would mark the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it the next season . The video documentary Return to Glory recaps the 1985 NBA Playoff action .
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1986-87 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference and defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 . The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson 's junior sky hook in Game 4 . This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals ( more than any other Finals matchup ) . It would be the Celtics ' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008 . This was the first NBA Championship Series conducted entirely in June . The last time there were no NBA Championship Series games in May was in the 1970-1971 season , when the finals ( a four-game sweep that year ) ended on April 30 . It is also the first NBA Finals series to be conducted on a Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday rotation , which was in use until 1990 and revived since the 2004 NBA Finals ; in between the NBA Finals were conducted on a Sunday-Wednesday-Friday rotation .
The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's championship series for the 2009-10 season . The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers ( who were also defending NBA champions ) , and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . The Lakers defeated the Celtics , four games to three , to win the franchise 's 16th NBA championship . The 64th edition of the championship series was played between June 3 and June 17 , was broadcast on ABC , and was watched by an average of 18.1 million people . The Celtics earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the Atlantic Division . The Lakers won the Pacific Division to earn their berth . The Celtics reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Miami Heat in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference First Round , the Cleveland Cavaliers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals , and defending Eastern conference champion Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals . The Lakers reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round , the Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals , and the Phoenix Suns in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals . The NBA Finals were scheduled in the Major League Baseball World Series 2-3-2 seven game format , with the Lakers possessing home-court advantage as a reward for finishing with better regular season record than the Celtics . Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant , Pau Gasol , and Ron Artest brought the Lakers close to victory in Game 1 . A record breaking performance from Ray Allen 's eight three-point baskets ensured the Celtics a Game 2 win . Derek Fishers 11 points in the fourth quarter helped the Lakers win Game 3 .
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 1950 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the inaugural National Basketball Association 1949-50 season . The Central Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in a best-of-seven series with Syracuse having home-court advantage . The NBA recognizes three preceding Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) seasons as part of its own history , and thus presents the 1950 Finals as its fourth championship series . Minneapolis had won the 1949 BAA Finals and its 1950 win over Syracuse is officially the Lakers second of five titles in Minneapolis . In the event , six games were played in sixteen days , beginning Saturday and Sunday , April 8 and 9 , in Syracuse and incorporating two subsequent Sunday games in Minneapolis . Counting a Central Division tiebreaker played on Monday , March 20 , the entire postseason tournament spanned five full weeks to Sunday , April 23 . The NBA was arranged in three divisions ( for its first season only ) and the first two rounds of the 1950 NBA Playoffs generated three Division champions . With the league 's best regular season record , Syracuse had earned a place in the Finals by winning the Eastern Division title on the preceding Sunday , and had been five days idle while the Central and Western champions had played a best-of-three series mid-week . In Game 1 , The Lakers won on a buzzer beating shot by sub Bob Tiger Harrison , the first known case of a buzzer beater in the Finals . 6 ' 8 Dolph Schayes of Syracuse led his team out to the finals after a 16.8 ppg average during the regular season . George Mikan , however , averaged 27.4 ppg and led the league . Mikan would lead the Lakers past Syracuse in six games .
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 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 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 1972 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round played at the conclusion of the 1971-72 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks in five games . The Lakers got their first NBA championship since the franchise moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis , Minnesota . It was a rematch of the 1970 NBA Finals that the Knicks had won in a full seven-game series . This season 's team won a then NBA-record 69 regular season games , including 33 wins in a row -- a record which still stands . The 69 wins would remain a record for the most wins in a season until the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls ( who were coached by former Knicks player Phil Jackson ) broke it en route to a 72-win season that also resulted in a championship of their own . They were led by Wilt Chamberlain , the NBA 's top rebounder that season . Guards Gail Goodrich and Jerry West were each among the NBA 's top ten scorers that season , spearheading the NBA 's top offense at 121 points per game . West also led the NBA in assists . The Lakers as a team led all NBA teams in rebounds and assists that season . Los Angeles had swept a solid 57-win Chicago Bulls team in the playoffs ' opening round , then defeated the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks ( record of 63-19 ) in six games to win the Western Conference . That historic series had matched Chamberlain against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , and West against Oscar Robertson .
The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1979-80 season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league 's MVP , but midway through Game 5 , the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle . He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series . But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6 . Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of Game 6 , although 76ers coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying I wo n't believe he 's not playing until their plane lands and he 's not on it . As it turned out , Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed . In Game 6 , Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career . Playing on the road , Johnson ( a 6 ' 9 rookie point guard ) started the game at center and eventually played all five positions in a dominating performance . Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds - and handing out seven assists - Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown . The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds , and Norm Nixon . Jim Chones played strong defense on 76ers center Darryl Dawkins , while Mark Landsberger provided rebounding off the bench , and little used Brad Holland chipped in eight key points .
The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1981-82 season , the top level of competition in men 's professional basketball in North America . The series saw the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers face the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers . It was a rematch of the 1980 NBA Finals . The Lakers won 4 games to 2 . The 1982 NBA Finals documentary Something To Prove recaps all the action of this series . It was the last NBA video documentary to exclusively use film in all on-court action . Dick Stockton narrated the documentary , with the condensed USA Network version narrated by Al Albert . The series ended June 8 , later than any previous NBA Finals . The previous record was June 7 , 1978 . This record was eclipsed two years later when the finals ended on June 12 , 1984 .
The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1987-88 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons 4 games to 3 . One of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley 's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers ' 1986-87 championship parade in downtown Los Angeles . With every team in the league now gunning for them , the Los Angeles Lakers still found a way to win , taking their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title . While the 1988 Lakers did not produce as many wins in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers , they were just as successful in the playoffs , becoming the first team in 19 years to repeat as champions . The Lakers met the physical Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals . One of Pistons guard Isiah Thomas 's career-defining performances came in Game 6 . Despite badly twisting his ankle midway through the period , Thomas scored an NBA Finals record 25 third-quarter points , as Detroit fell valiantly , 103-102 , to the Lakers at the Forum . Thomas still managed to score 10 first-half points in Game 7 , as Detroit built a 5-point lead . In the 3rd quarter , the Lakers , inspired by Finals MVP James Worthy and Byron Scott ( 14 3rd-quarter points ) , exploded as they built a 10-point lead entering the final period . The lead swelled to 15 before Detroit mounted a furious 4th-quarter rally , trimming the lead to two points on several occasions .
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1999-2000 season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 . Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) of the series , his first of three consecutive honors . The series was played under a best-of-seven format , with the Lakers holding home court advantage . Until 2008 , this was the most recent NBA Finals where both number one seeds from both conferences faced off in the finals .
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2000-01 season . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers took on the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers for the championship , with the Lakers holding home-court advantage in a best-of-seven format . The Lakers won the series 4 games to 1 . Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the Most Valuable Player of the series . Allen Iverson scored 48 points in his only NBA Finals victory , as the 76ers took Game 1 107-101 in overtime , handing the Lakers their only loss of the playoffs . However , the Lakers went on to win the next four games , despite being out-shot and out-rebounded in the series . Los Angeles punished Philadelphia with their three-point shooting , which was the key to this series . In Game 3 Robert Horry hit a three-point shot in the last minute , and in the next two games the Lakers used hot 3-point shooting to build big leads and hold off late 76ers comeback attempts in games 4 and 5 , pulling away for double-digit wins to win the title .
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's championship series for the 2001-02 season . The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers ( who were also two-time defending NBA champions ) , and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets . The Lakers swept the Nets , four games to none , to win the franchise 's 14th NBA championship and third consecutive NBA championship . The 56th edition of the championship series was played between June 5 and June 12 and was broadcast on NBC - the last NBA games broadcast on the network to date . Shaquille O'Neal , who averaged 36 points and 12 rebounds in the Finals , was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player . Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his ninth ring , tying him with Red Auerbach for most all-time . During the series , he surpassed Pat Riley for most career playoffs wins with 156 .
The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's championship series for the 2008-09 season . The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers ( who were also the defending Western Conference champions ) , and the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic . The Lakers defeated the Magic , four games to one , to win the franchise 's 15th NBA championship . The 63rd edition of the championship series was played between June 4 and June 14 and was broadcast on U.S. television on ABC . The Lakers earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the Pacific Division . The Magic won the Southeast Division to earn their berth . The Lakers reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round , the Houston Rockets in the best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals , and the Denver Nuggets in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals . The Magic reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference First Round , the defending champion Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals , and the league best Cleveland Cavaliers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals . The NBA Finals were staged under a 2-3-2 rotation , with the Lakers holding home-court advantage as they had a better regular season record than the Magic . Kobe Bryant led the team to a Game 1 win with 40 points , eight rebounds , and eight assists . Game 2 was a high-scoring affair that the Lakers ultimately won on both strong defensive play and last minute heroics by Bryant , Derek Fisher , and Pau Gasol during the overtime . A record-breaking performance from the Magic 's 65% team shooting ensured the team a Game 3 win and the first Finals victory in franchise history .
The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1970 NBA Playoffs , which concluded the 1969-70 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series 4 games to 3 for their first NBA title . The Knicks appeared to have a see-saw Game 3 won when Dave DeBusschere made a shot with three seconds left to give New York a 102-100 edge , and the Lakers were stuck with no time outs . L.A. inbounded to Mr . Clutch , Jerry West , who launched and made a miracle shot from beyond midcourt . It counted only for two points , as only the ABA had a three-point shot at the time , so the game went to overtime , and the Knicks were able to win , 111-108 . The final game of the series was named by ESPN in 2010 as the greatest Game 7 in finals history , featuring a return from injury for Willis Reed . Reed 's most famous performance took place on May 8 , 1970 in Game 7 played at Madison Square Garden . Due to a severe thigh injury suffered in Game 5 , a torn muscle that kept him out of Game 6 , he was considered unlikely to play in Game 7 . Yet Reed surprised the fans by walking onto the court during warmups , prompting widespread applause . Starting the game , he scored the Knicks ' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts , his only points of the game . He then played defense on Wilt Chamberlain , limiting him to two shots made in nine attempts .
The 1973 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1972-73 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and the culmination of that season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 . The series was an exact reversal of the prior year , with the Lakers winning Game 1 and the Knicks taking the next four games . Knicks center Willis Reed was named as the NBA Finals MVP .
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series , also known as Showdown '83 , was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1982-83 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It was the last NBA Championship Series completed before June 1 . The Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 . 76ers center Moses Malone was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) .
The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988-89 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and the conclusion of the 1989 NBA Playoffs . The series was a rematch of the previous year 's championship round between the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons and the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers . During the season , the Lakers had won their division , with Magic Johnson collecting his second MVP award . The team swept the first three playoff series ( Pacific Division foes : Portland , Seattle , and Phoenix ) , resulting in a rematch with the Detroit Pistons in the Finals . However , starting off guard Byron Scott suffered a hamstring injury in practice before Game 1 and was ruled out of the series . Then with the Lakers leading early in game 2 , Magic Johnson pulled his hamstring and would also be out of the series . The Lakers had won two straight NBA championships in 1987 and 1988 but without their starting backcourt , their chances were doomed for a 3-peat . The Pistons had dominated the Eastern Conference , winning 63 games during the regular season . After sweeping the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks , the Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls in six games , earning a second straight trip to the NBA Finals . In the season before , the Lakers had beaten them in a tough , seven-game series . The Pistons won the series in a four-game sweep , marking the first time a team ( Lakers ) had swept the first three rounds of the playoffs , only to be swept in the finals . As of today , the Pistons are the most recent Eastern Conference team to sweep an NBA finals .
The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1990-91 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS . The Eastern Conference playoff champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers for the title , with Chicago having home court advantage . It was Michael Jordan 's first NBA Finals appearance , Magic Johnson 's last , and the last NBA Finals for the Lakers until 2000 . The Bulls would win the series , 4-1 . Jordan averaged 31.2 points on 56% shooting , 11.4 assists , 6.6 rebounds , 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks en route to his first NBA Finals MVP Award . The series was not the first time that the Bulls and Lakers faced off in the playoffs . Prior to 1991 , they met for four postseason series ( 1968 , 1971 , 1972 and 1973 ) , all Lakers victories . Chicago was a member of the Western Conference at the time and moved into the East in 1981 . The 1991 Finals marked the first time the Bulls defeated the Lakers in a playoff series . This series would mark the end of the Lakers Showtime era and the beginning of the Bulls ' dynasty . After winning five championships in eight finals appearances in the 1980s , the Lakers would struggle for the rest of the 1990s before winning five championships between the 2000-2002 and 2009-2010 seasons .
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003-04 National Basketball Association season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . This season 's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons . The Lakers held home court advantage , and the series was played under a best-of-seven format . Although the Lakers , headed by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal , were considered the heavy favorites , the Pistons handily won the series in five games . This win marked the Pistons ' fifth win overall as a franchise as well as its first title since the 1989-90 NBA season ; nearly fifteen years . The series ultimately featured the perceived underdog Pistons , dominating a Lakers team composed of four future Hall of Famers . Pistons ' owner William Davidson became the first owner in American sports history to win two championships in one calendar year ; eight days earlier , the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League had won the Stanley Cup Finals in seven games over the Calgary Flames .
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 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 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 1975 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1974-75 NBA season of the National Basketball Association . The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors ( 48-34 ) played against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets ( 60-22 ) for the championship . The series was played under a best-of-seven format . The underdog Warriors won in four games , sweeping the heavily-favored Bullets to take the title . Warriors small forward Rick Barry was named as the series MVP . The Warriors ' home games were played at the Cow Palace in Daly City ( near San Francisco ) due to scheduling conflicts at their normal home court of Oakland Arena during the week of May 19-26 . In addition , an odd scheduling format had to be used because Golden State could not secure the Cow Palace for Memorial Day Weekend ( May 24-26 ) . A Sports Illustrated article about the series reported that Washington , which held home court advantage , was given the option of a 1-2-2-1-1 scheduling format due to Golden State 's problems or , if they wished , opening on the road and then having Games 2 , 3 , and 4 at home . Washington opted for the 1-2-2-1-1 format not out of a sense of fairness , but because they wanted to open the series at home . The series is notable as it was the first championship game or series in any of the four North American major professional sports leagues to feature two African American head coaches or managers , as Al Attles coached the Warriors and K. C. Jones coached the Bullets . On a lesser note , it was the first time that the NBA ever scheduled a game to be played in the month of June ( Game 7 would have been played on the night of June 2 , had the series gone to seven games ) . The first June game to actually be played was Game 4 of the following year 's finals .
The 2015 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2014-15 season of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers in six games ( 4-2 ) for the Warriors ' first title in 40 years and their fourth in franchise history , becoming the first team since the 1990-91 Chicago Bulls to win a championship without any prior Finals experience from any player on their roster . Golden State 's Andre Iguodala was named the Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) . The Warriors were led by 2014-15 NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Stephen Curry , while the Cavaliers featured four-time league MVP LeBron James . Both teams entered the series with title droughts of four decades , with the Cavaliers having never won a title since their 1970-71 inception and the Warriors ' last title having been in 1975 . This was also the first time that both participating teams had first-year head coaches since the inaugural league finals in 1947 , when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) . It was the fifth consecutive finals appearance for James who played for the Miami Heat the previous four seasons , making him the first NBA player since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s to achieve this accomplishment . James also became the first player in NBA Finals history to lead both teams in points , assists , and rebounds for the entire series . He averaged 35.8 points , 13.3 rebounds , and 8.8 assists for the series , although he shot 39.8% throughout the series . Kevin Love missed the entire series due to an injury , and Kyrie Irving missed the final five games of the series due to an injury in Game 1 . For the second straight year , the Finals was played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format ( Games 1 , 2 , and 5 were at Golden State , games 3 , 4 , and 6 were at Cleveland . Had it been necessary , Game 7 would have been held at Golden State ) .
The 2017 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2016-17 season and conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers four games to one . This Finals was the first time in NBA history the same two teams had met for a third consecutive year . The Cavaliers sought to repeat as champions after winning the championship in 2016 , while the Warriors won the first meeting in 2015 . Golden State earned home court advantage with a 2016-17 regular season record of 67-15 , while Cleveland finished the regular season with a 51-31 record . The Warriors entered the 2017 Finals after becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to start 12-0 , while the Cavaliers entered the 2017 Finals with a 12-1 record during the first three rounds of the postseason . The Warriors ' 15-0 start in the playoffs is the most consecutive postseason wins in NBA history and their 16-1 record is the best winning percentage ( .941 ) in NBA Playoff history .
The 2018 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2017-18 season and conclusion of the season 's playoffs . In this best-of-seven playoff , the defending NBA champions and Western Conference champions Golden State Warriors swept the defending Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers four games to zero . This year 's Finals was the first time in any of North America 's four major professional sports leagues that the same two teams met for the championship four years in a row . This was also the first time that a team was swept in the NBA Finals since 2007 , in which the Cavaliers were also the losing team . LeBron James , in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals appearance and ninth appearance overall , suffered the second Finals sweep of his career , having also played in the 2007 Finals . Warriors small forward Kevin Durant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year . The Warriors entered the series having home-court advantage with a regular season record of 58-24 , compared to the Cavaliers ' regular season record of 50-32 . Entering the matchup , the Warriors were also noted by various sports media outlets as one of the biggest NBA Finals favorites in recent history , drawing some comparisons to the 2001 Finals , where the Los Angeles Lakers , led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal , were heavily favored over the Philadelphia 76ers , led by Allen Iverson . The Lakers would go on to win the Finals four games to one . This was the first time since 2012 that the Finals did not feature either of the top seeds in each conference . The 2018 Finals began on May 31 and ended on June 8 . The series broke the record set by the 2014 NBA Finals for highest average scoring differential per game ( 15.0 ) for an NBA Finals series .
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 1967 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1966-67 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers . This was the first championship series in 11 years without the Boston Celtics , who were defeated in the Division Finals by Philadelphia . Despite dominating the regular season with a 68-13 record ( the most regular season wins in NBA history at the time ) the 76ers did not have an easy time of it against the Warriors . Ultimately , the 76ers won the series over the Warriors , 4-2 .
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 2015-16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4-3 in a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals . It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history , and the first Finals since 2008 in which the number one seed in each conference met . It was the second straight rematch in back-to-back years , as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014 . Golden State , which earned home-court advantage with setting the NBA regular season wins record ( 73-9 ) , jumped to a 2-0 lead in the series while recording the largest combined margin of victory ( 48 ) through two games in NBA Finals history . Cleveland returned home and responded with a 120-90 win in Game 3 , but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead . The Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully overcome a 3-1 deficit . It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team . For the first time since 2004 , a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals . In previous years , the Finals were played in a Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday scheme . However , the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams , which have to travel from one city to another during the series . This , along with the designated travel day , took place after Games 2 , 4 , 5 , and 6 .
The 2019 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2018-19 season and conclusion of the season 's playoffs . In the best-of-seven playoff series held from May 30 through June 13 , 2019 , the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeated the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors , 4-2 , earning the franchise its first NBA championship as well as the first win by a team based outside the United States . Acquired by the Raptors via a trade during the off-season , Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) for the second time in his career . This was the first NBA Finals appearance for the Raptors , and the league 's first finals with games played outside of the United States . Home-court advantage was awarded to Toronto , who finished the regular season with one more win ( 58-24 ) than Golden State ( 57-25 ) . This was the first time in five consecutive NBA Finals appearances that the then-two-time defending NBA-champion Warriors did not have home-court advantage . Also for the first time after the past four postseasons , the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers did not meet in the championship round . This was the first finals since 2010 not to include LeBron James , who played in the past eight finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat .
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago . The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division . The team was founded on January 16 , 1966 and played its first game later that year . The Bulls play their home games at the United Center , an arena on Chicago 's west side shared with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they played a major part in popularizing the NBA worldwide . They are known for having one of the NBA 's greatest dynasties , winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats . All six of their championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan , Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson . The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series in their history . The Bulls won 72 games during the 1995-96 NBA season , setting an NBA record that stood until the Golden State Warriors won 73 games during the 2015-16 NBA season . The Bulls were the first team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season , and the only NBA franchise to do so until the 2015-16 Warriors . Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose have both won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Bulls , for a total of six MVP awards . The Bulls share rivalries with the Cleveland Cavaliers , Detroit Pistons , Miami Heat and the New York Knicks .
The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991-92 NBA season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers for the title , with Chicago having home court advantage , as they had the best record in the NBA that season . The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan throughout the season . A month earlier Sports Illustrated had even listed Drexler as Jordan 's No . 1 rival on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs . The media , hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson-Larry Bird type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler , compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype . The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games . Michael Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row , to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring title .
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . It featured the Eastern Conference playoff champion Chicago Bulls , led by Michael Jordan , and the Western Conference playoff champion Phoenix Suns , winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley . The Bulls became the first team since the legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles , clinching the three-peat with John Paxson 's game-winning 3-pointer that gave them a 99-98 victory in Game 6 . Remarkably , the away team won every game except for Chicago 's win at home in Game 4 .
The 1996 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1995-96 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics ( 64-18 ) played the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ( 72-10 ) , with the Bulls holding home court advantage . The teams ' 136 combined regular season wins shattered the previous record of 125 , set in 1985 between the Los Angeles Lakers who won 62 games and the Boston Celtics who won 63 games in the past regular season . The series was played under a best-of-seven format . This was the first championship in the Chicago Bulls second three-peat . Chicago won the series 4 games to 2 . Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP . NBC Sports used Ahmad Rashād ( Bulls sideline ) and Hannah Storm ( SuperSonics sideline ) . Hal Douglas narrated the season-ending documentary Unstoppabulls for NBA Entertainment . This was the 50th NBA Finals played .
The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996-97 NBA season . The Western Conference champion Utah Jazz took on the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls for the title , with the Bulls holding home court advantage . The series were played under a best-of-seven format , with the first 2 games in Chicago , the next 3 games in Salt Lake City , and the last 2 games in Chicago . The Bulls won the series 4 games to 2 . For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances , Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP . The Bulls and Jazz won a combined 133 regular season games , second most in Finals history . Until 2016 , the 1997 NBA Finals was the last to feature teams that won a total of at least 130 regular season games .
The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1998 playoffs of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and the conclusion of the 1997-98 NBA season . The Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls played against the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz , with the Jazz holding home-court advantage for the first 2 games in Salt Lake City . In a repeat of the previous year 's Finals , the Bulls won the series 4 games to 2 for their third consecutive NBA title and their sixth in eight seasons . Michael Jordan was voted the NBA Finals MVP of the series ( he also had won the award the last five times the Bulls won the Finals : 1991 , 1992 , 1993 , 1996 , and 1997 ) . This would be his sixth NBA championship and sixth Finals MVP award in six full basketball seasons . This would be his final season of winning the NBA championship and Finals MVP . The 1998 Finals garnered the highest Nielsen TV ratings in NBA history at 18.7 , and even surpassed the Nielsen ratings for the 1998 World Series , marking the first time the NBA had a higher rating in its championship round than of Major League Baseball 's championship round . Until 2012 , this was the most recent final played entirely outside of either Texas or California . Until 2014 , it was the last consecutive Finals rematch between two teams .
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio . The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the AT & T Center in San Antonio . The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association ( ABA ) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger and are the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship . The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999 , 2003 , 2005 , 2007 , and 2014 . As of May 2015 , the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises . As of May 2017 , the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades . From 1999-2000 to 2016-17 , the Spurs won 50 games each season , setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons . In the 2018-19 season , the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22 . The team 's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich and with the playing careers of Spurs icons David Robinson ( 1989-2003 ) and Tim Duncan ( 1997-2016 ) .
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998-99 NBA season or the 1999 season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title , with the Spurs holding home court advantage . The series was played under a best-of-seven format , with the first team to collect four game victories winning the series . The Spurs defeated the Knicks 4 games to 1 to win the championship . As of 2019 [ update ] , this is the last NBA Finals where neither team scored 100 or more points in any game during the series .
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2002-03 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets for the title , with the Spurs holding home court advantage . The series was played under a best-of-seven format . The Spurs defeated the Nets to win the series 4-2 . Spurs ' forward Tim Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series . The series was broadcast on U.S. television on ABC , with Brad Nessler , Bill Walton , and Tom Tolbert announcing . The 2003 Finals documentary was narrated by Rodd Houston , who later narrated three other NBA Finals series . This was the first NBA Finals since 1995 to use the traditional script font in its logo ; in the intervening years , a more contemporary all-gold logo had been used with the Larry O'Brien Trophy , as well as the year and the series ' name encompassed by an oval on a black background . The series featured controversy about Tim Duncan getting a quadruple double in game 6 . [ citation needed ] On Duncan 's stat sheet , he had 21 points , 20 rebounds , 10 assists , and 8 blocks . However , in the third quarter , there were two instances of Duncan potentially getting a block but they were not called . [ citation needed ] The first instance was of Duncan blocking a shot before the ball traveled out of bounds before another player touched it .
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2004-05 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons for the title , with the Spurs holding home court advantage and the Pistons as defending champions . The series was played under a best-of-seven format . ( Unlike the previous three rounds , the team with home court advantage hosted games one , two , six , and seven if all were necessary ) . It also marked the Pistons ' first NBA Finals loss since 1988 . The Spurs won the series four games to three in the first NBA Finals to go to a Game 7 since 1994 . The games were broadcast on ABC , with Al Michaels and Hubie Brown commentating . National radio coverage was provided by ESPN Radio through announcers Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay .
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 2006-07 season , and was the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers . This was Cleveland 's first trip to the NBA Finals in their franchise history and San Antonio 's fourth . The Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4 games to 0 . Tony Parker was named the series ' MVP . The series was televised on ABC under the ESPN on ABC branding , and produced low television ratings comparing to the 2002 NBA Finals , when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets . This series was the last sweep in the NBA Finals until 2018 . This also was the last finals until 2019 in which a team was making its first trip to the NBA Finals in its franchise history .
The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2013-14 season of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games ( 4-1 ) for the Spurs ' fifth NBA championship in franchise history . The Spurs outscored the Heat in the series by the largest average point differential ( 14.0 ) in Finals history , and ended their chances of a three-peat , the first that would have occurred since the 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers , led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal . San Antonio 's Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) . This was a Finals rematch from the previous NBA season , which Miami had won in seven games , handing the Spurs the franchise 's first-ever Finals defeat in 2013 . This marked the 12th Finals rematch , but only the fifth since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 . The Spurs had home-court advantage , since the team finished the regular season with a better record ( 62-20 ) than the Heat ( 54-28 ) . For the first time since 1984 , the Finals were played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format ( Games 1 and 2 at home for the higher seeded team , Games 3 and 4 at home for the lower seeded team , Game 5 at the higher , Game 6 at the lower , and Game 7 at the higher ) . The series began on June 5 , 2014 , and ended on June 15 , 2014 .
The 2013 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2012-13 NBA season and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs to win their second straight title . The Finals began with Game 1 on June 6 , and ended with Game 7 on June 20 . Miami became the sixth team to win consecutive NBA championships , joining the Boston Celtics ( 1959-1966 , 1968-1969 ) , the Los Angeles Lakers ( 1949-1950 , 1952-1954 , 1987-1988 , 2000-2002 , 2009-2010 ) , the Detroit Pistons ( 1989-1990 ) , the Chicago Bulls ( 1991-1993 , 1996-1998 ) , and the Houston Rockets ( 1994-1995 ) . This series marked the fifth time the Spurs have made the NBA Finals since 1999 , second-most for any franchise in that span behind the Los Angeles Lakers . The Spurs had won all of their previous four finals appearances , putting them only behind the six-time champion Chicago Bulls for most titles without ever losing a Finals , making this series the first Finals loss in Spurs history . This series was also the first time San Antonio had played in the NBA Finals without home court advantage , as Miami had home-court advantage based on their league-best regular season record . It was the Heat 's third consecutive NBA Finals appearance , the first Eastern Conference team to achieve that since the Chicago Bulls ( 1996-1998 ) . This marked the first time a team made three consecutive Finals appearances since the Los Angeles Lakers did so in 2008-2010 . Four former NBA Finals MVPs played in the series ( the Spurs ' Tim Duncan and Tony Parker , and the Heat 's Dwyane Wade and LeBron James ) , the most since 1987 . The 2013 Finals also set a record for most international players on either Finals roster ( 10 ) . Tim Duncan became the fourth player in NBA history to make a Finals appearance in three different decades .
The Philadelphia 76ers ( also commonly known as the Sixers ) are an American professional basketball team based in Philadelphia . The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division and play at Wells Fargo Center . Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals , they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA , and one of only eight ( out of 23 ) to survive the league 's first decade . The 76ers have had a prominent history , with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization , including Wilt Chamberlain , Hal Greer , Billy Cunningham , Julius Erving , Andrew Toney , Moses Malone , Charles Barkley , and Allen Iverson . They have won three NBA championships , with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955 . The second title came in 1967 , a team which was led by Chamberlain . The third title came in 1983 , won by a team led by Erving and Malone . The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then : in 2001 , where they were led by Iverson and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games .
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 1977 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1976-77 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers played against the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers , with the 76ers holding home-court advantage . Their four regular season meetings had been split evenly , 2-2 , with neither side winning away from home . The series was played under a best-of-seven format . The 1976-77 NBA season started with the ABA-NBA merger . Portland had benefited from the resulting ABA dispersal draft as they acquired Spirits of St. Louis power forward Maurice Lucas to partner with Bill Walton , and Philadelphia had signed ABA All-Star and 3-time ABA MVP Julius Dr. J Erving , who had taken the New York Nets to the ABA title the previous year . In the 1977 NBA Finals , five of the ten starting players were former ABA players ( Julius Erving , Caldwell Jones , George McGinnis , Dave Twardzik , and Maurice Lucas. ) . While it was no surprise that Philadelphia had made it to the championship series , having posted the best record in the east ( 50-32 , # 1 ) , Portland 's appearance in the finals was a mild surprise . Portland , a team that was founded only seven years earlier , was making its playoff debut with its first winning season ( 49-33 , # 3 ) . It was also making its finals debut after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in four close games in the Western Conference Finals . The series started 2-0 in favor of Philadelphia , but over the next four games , Portland mounted a comeback that has rarely been seen in professional sports .
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 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The series pitted the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons ( the previous year 's champions ) against the Western Conference playoff champion Portland Trail Blazers . This was the first NBA Finals since 1979 not to involve either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics . The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win back-to-back championships , joining the Lakers and Celtics .
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami . The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Southeast Division . The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena , and have won three NBA championships . The franchise began play in the 1988-89 NBA season as an expansion team . After a period of mediocrity , the Heat would gain relevance during the 1990s following the appointment of former head coach Pat Riley in the role of team president . Riley would construct the high-profile trades of Alonzo Mourning in 1995 , and of Tim Hardaway in 1996 , which immediately propelled the team into playoff contention . Mourning and Hardaway would eventually lead the Heat to four division titles , prior to their departures in 2001 and 2002 , respectively . As a result , the team struggled , and entered into a rebuild in time for the 2002-03 season . Led by Dwyane Wade , and following a trade for former NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Shaquille O'Neal , Miami advanced to play in the NBA Finals in 2006 , where they clinched their first championship , led by Riley as head coach . After the departure of O'Neal two years later , the team entered into another period of decline for the remainder of the 2000s . This saw the resignation of Riley as head coach , who returned to his position as team president , and was replaced by Erik Spoelstra . In 2010 , after creating significant cap space , the Heat partnered Wade with former league MVP LeBron James , and perennial NBA All-Star Chris Bosh , creating the Big Three .
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005-06 National Basketball Association season . The Miami Heat won the title in six games over the Dallas Mavericks , becoming the third team - after the 1969 Celtics and the 1977 Trail Blazers - to win a championship after trailing 0-2 in the series . Dwyane Wade of the Heat was named Most Valuable Player of the series . This series marked the first time since 1971 that the Finals featured two teams playing in their first NBA Finals series . It was the first occasion since 1978 that two teams who had never won an NBA Championship contested the NBA Finals . The two teams met again five years later in 2011 , the second Finals appearance for both franchises , with the Mavericks winning the rematch over the Heat . This was the second NBA Finals matchup of teams from Florida and Texas , after the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic contested the 1995 NBA Finals . Until the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals , it was the last Finals loss by a team from Texas ( the Rockets lost in 1981 and 1986 ) against eight championships ( five by the Spurs , two by the Rockets , and one by the Mavericks , who won a rematch of this Finals in 2011 ) .
The 2012 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011-12 season of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , and the conclusion of the season 's playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder four games to one to win their second NBA title . Heat small forward LeBron James was named the Finals MVP . This marked the fourth time in franchise history that the Oklahoma City Thunder appeared in the NBA Finals , and their first Finals appearance as the Thunder , since relocating from Seattle , Washington , previously as the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008 . The franchise had previously appeared as the SuperSonics in 1996 , where they lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls , who won a then NBA record 72 games during that season . The Thunder came into the series as the youngest finalists in NBA history . It also marked the Miami Heat 's second consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals and third appearance overall . The Heat previously appeared in 2006 and 2011 , both times against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks , only to be defeated the previous season . It was the first NBA Finals since 1998 that was not held in California or Texas ; the 3 teams that won the previous 13 Western Conference titles the Dallas Mavericks , the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated by Oklahoma City in that order . The series began on June 12 , five days later than its originally planned June 7 start . This delay was due to the lockout that pushed the start of the season to late December and shortened the regular season to 66 games . The series then ended on June 21 .
The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010-11 season of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) in which the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in six games to win their first NBA championship . The series was held from May 31 to June 12 , 2011 . Mavericks forward and German player Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP , becoming the second European to win the award after Tony Parker ( 2007 ) and the first German player to do so . The series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals , which the Heat had won in six games to win their first NBA championship . Going into the series , the Heat were heavy favorites with their newly acquired superstars LeBron James and Chris Bosh along with returning superstar Dwyane Wade . The Dallas Mavericks became the first team in NBA history since the institution of the 2-3-2 format to enter Game 3 tied at one , lose Game 3 and still win the Finals . The previous 11 times this occurred , the Game 3 winner went on to win the series . The Mavericks also became just the 7th team , and the first since 1988 , to come back and win the Finals after being down in the series two or more separate times ( one game to none , and later two games to one ) . The previous six times this happened , the Finals ended in seven games ; Dallas became the first team in NBA history to do it in six games . ABC averaged a 10.1 rating , 11.7 million households and nearly 17.3 million viewers with the 2011 Finals , according to Nielsen .
The New York Knickerbockers , more commonly referred to as the Knicks , are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan . The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden , an arena they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City ; the other team is the Brooklyn Nets . Alongside the Boston Celtics , the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city . The team , established by Ned Irish in 1946 , was one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) , which became the NBA after merging with the rival National Basketball League ( NBL ) in 1949 . The Knicks were successful during their early years and were constant playoff contenders under the franchise 's first head coach Joe Lapchick . Beginning in 1950 , the Knicks made three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals , all of which were losing efforts . Lapchick resigned in 1956 and the team subsequently began to falter . It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became the head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance . Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships , in 1970 and 1973 . The Knicks of the 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances ; however , they failed to participate in the NBA Finals .
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 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1993-94 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the championship , with the Rockets holding home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series . The Rockets defeated the Knicks 4 games to 3 to win the team 's first NBA championship . This matchup was Hakeem Olajuwon 's second NBA Finals appearance , his other being in 1986 , where Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets four games to two . The series was Patrick Ewing 's first NBA Finals appearance . The Rockets came in with strong determination to win not only the franchise 's first NBA championship , but the city 's first championship in a league that still existed , while the Knicks were looking to add a third NBA championship trophy , as the Knicks ' last trophy came from the 1973 NBA Finals . The Knicks also hoped to impress their new owners Viacom , who had just bought Paramount Communications ( formerly Gulf+Western ) , their longtime owners ( after the series however , Viacom sold the Knicks and the rest of the Madison Square Garden properties ) . The series was hailed as a meeting of the two great centers who had previously played for a championship in college . In 1984 while Olajuwon was with the University of Houston and Ewing was with Georgetown University , Georgetown had beaten Houston 84-75 in the 1984 NCAA Championship game . In this series , however , Olajuwon outperformed Ewing , outscoring him in every game of the series and posting numbers of 26.9 ppg on 50.0% shooting compared to Ewing 's 18.9 ppg on 36.3% shooting . However , Ewing set an NBA finals record in the series with a total of 30 blocks , and he tied the single-game record of 8 blocks in Game 5 . Tim Duncan would later set the record for most blocks in a Finals series ( 2003 ) with 32 blocks in six games while Dwight Howard would set the record for most blocked shots in a Finals game with 9 blocked shots in Game 4 of the 2009 Finals while with the Orlando Magic .
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston . They compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member team of the league 's Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center , located in Downtown Houston . The Rockets have won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles . The team was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets , an expansion team originally based in San Diego . In 1971 , the Rockets moved to Houston . The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967 . In the 1968 NBA draft , the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick and selected power forward Elvin Hayes , who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season . The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record for almost a decade until the 1976-77 season , when they traded for All-Star center Moses Malone . Malone went on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) award twice while playing with the Rockets and led Houston to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year with the team . During the 1980-81 season , the Rockets finished the regular season with a 40-42 record . Despite their losing record , they qualified for the playoffs .
The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994-95 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The series pitted the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic against the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Houston Rockets . The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered on the meeting of the two centers opposing each other : Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets . Going into the series the matchup was compared to the Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain matchup of the 1960s . The Rockets became the first team in NBA history to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason en route to the championship . The Rockets would win a playoff-record nine road games in the 1995 playoffs . It was the second NBA Finals sweep in the 2-3-2 Finals format ( after the Detroit Pistons did so against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989 ) . The Rockets also became the first repeat NBA Champion in history to keep the title with a sweep . In addition , the Rockets became the first team in NBA history to win the title without having home-court advantage in any of the four playoff rounds since the playoffs was expanded to a 16 team format in 1984 . Coincidentally , this feat would also be achieved by the New Jersey Devils that same year , when they won the Stanley Cup over the Detroit Red Wings . The Orlando Magic ( making their first ever NBA Finals appearance ) began the 1995 NBA Finals at home , hosting the defending champion Houston Rockets . With the Magic up 110-107 late in Game 1 , Nick Anderson missed four consecutive free throws in the closing seconds of the game , and Kenny Smith hit a three-pointer , tying the game and sending it to overtime as well as setting a new record with the most three-pointers in an NBA Finals game with seven .
The Cleveland Cavaliers , often referred to as the Cavs , are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland . The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division . The team began play as an expansion team in 1970 , along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves . Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974 , followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994 . Since 1994 , the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland , which is shared with the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League . Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005 . The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years , placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five seasons . The team won their first Central Division title in 1976 , which also marked the first winning season and playoff appearance in franchise history , where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals . The franchise was purchased by Ted Stepien in 1980 . Stepien 's tenure as owner was marked by six coaching changes , questionable trades and draft decisions , and poor attendance , leading to $ 15 million in financial losses . The Cavs went 66-180 in that time and endured a 24-game losing streak spanning the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons . George and Gordon Gund purchased the franchise in 1983 .
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 Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington , D.C . The Wizards 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 the Capital One Arena , in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington , D.C . The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers based in Chicago , Illinois , and were renamed to Chicago Zephyrs the following season . In 1963 , they relocated to Baltimore , Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name . In 1973 , the team changed its name to the Capital Bullets to reflect their move to the Washington metropolitan area , and then to Washington Bullets in the following season . In 1997 , they rebranded themselves as the Wizards . The Wizards have appeared in four NBA Finals , and won in 1978 . They have had a total of 28 playoff appearances , won four conference titles ( 1971 , 1975 , 1978 , 1979 ) , and seven division titles ( 1971 , 1972 , 1973 , 1974 , 1975 , 1979 , 2017 ) . Their best season came in 1975 with a record of 60-22 . Wes Unseld is the only player in franchise history to become the MVP ( 1969 ) , and win the Finals MVP award ( 1978 ) . Four players ( Walt Bellamy , Terry Dischinger , Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld ) have won the Rookie of the Year award .
The 1978 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1977-78 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . The series featured the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets . The Bullets defeated the SuperSonics in seven games to win the NBA championship . Bullets power forward/center Wes Unseld was named MVP of the series . Before the Cleveland Cavaliers ' Game 7 win at Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals , this was the last time a road team had won Game 7 in the NBA Finals . The 1978 World Championship Series was the first NBA Finals series since the 1958 World Championship Series in which both teams had under 50 wins , and is the only NBA Finals to feature two teams with under 50 wins in an 82-game season .
The 1971 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 25th anniversary season of 1970-71 . The Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks , who were founded as an expansion team three years earlier , swept the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets in four games . Baltimore had dethroned the 1969-70 NBA champion New York Knicks . The Bucks were the first Western Conference champions to win the league 's championship since the St. Louis Hawks did so in 1958 . This was the first NBA Finals not played in the state of California in 10 years . It would also be the last time that both participants were playing in their first NBA Finals until the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat got together in the 2006 NBA Finals . The Bullets were forced to play Game 1 on a Wednesday night , just 48 hours after having defeated New York in Game 7 of the 1971 Eastern Conference Finals , then had to wait four days before playing Game 2 . The series was the second ( and last ) time in NBA history that the teams alternated home games , the other being in 1956 . Most other series were held in the 2-2-1-1-1 or 2-3-2 format . It was also the last NBA Championship Series completed before May 1 . The series was broadcast by ABC with Chris Schenkel and Jack Twyman providing the commentary . As both the Bucks and Washington Wizards ( the Bullets ' successors ) now play in the Eastern Conference , a rematch of this Finals is not currently possible .
The 1979 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1978-79 season . The Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics played the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets , with the Bullets holding home-court advantage , due to a better regular season record . The SuperSonics defeated the Bullets 4 games to 1 . The series was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals , which the Washington Bullets had won 4-3 . Dennis Johnson of the SuperSonics was named as the NBA Finals MVP , while Gus Williams of the SuperSonics was the top scorer , averaging 28.6 points per game . This was Seattle 's second men 's professional sports championship , following the Seattle Metropolitans ' Stanley Cup victory in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals . Coincidentally , this series ( along with the 1978 NBA Finals ) was informally known as the George Washington series , because both teams were playing in places named after the first President of the United States ( the SuperSonics represented Seattle , the most populous city in the state of Washington , and the Bullets represented Washington , D.C. , albeit playing in nearby Landover , Maryland ) . This is the most recent time that a Western Conference team based outside of Texas or California has won an NBA title , and the last of only two occasions alongside the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers when a team from the present-day Northwest Division has won the league title , which is by 26 years the longest league championship drought for any division of the four major North American sports leagues . [ note 1 ] Since then , the following Western teams have gone on to win an NBA title : the Los Angeles Lakers ( ten times ) , the San Antonio Spurs ( five times ) , the Golden State Warriors ( three times ) , the Houston Rockets ( twice ) , and the Dallas Mavericks ( once ) . The remaining eighteen titles since 1980 have been won by Eastern Conference teams . [ note 2 ]
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City . The Thunder competes in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference Northwest Division . The team plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena . The Thunder 's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue , which it owns . The Thunder is the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma . Oklahoma City previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets ( now the Pelicans ) for two seasons following devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans . The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics , an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967-68 season . The SuperSonics moved in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle , Washington following a lawsuit . In Seattle , the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times , won their division six times , advanced to three NBA Finals , and won the 1979 NBA Championship . In Oklahoma City , the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009-10 season . They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010-11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011-12 season , appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 1996 , when the team was based in Seattle .
The Portland Trail Blazers , commonly known as the Blazers , are an American professional basketball team based in Portland , Oregon . The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference Northwest Division . The team played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 ( called the Rose Garden until 2013 ) . The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970 , and has enjoyed a strong following : from 1977 through 1995 , the team sold out 814 consecutive home games , the longest such streak in American major professional sports at the time , and only since surpassed by the Boston Red Sox . The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the bi-national Pacific Northwest , after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001 and the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 . The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times , winning the NBA championship once in 1977 . Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992 . The team has qualified for the playoffs in 34 seasons of their 48-season existence , including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003 , tied for the second longest streak in NBA history . The Trail Blazers ' 34 playoff appearances rank third in the NBA only behind the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs since the team 's inception in 1970 . Six Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers ( Lenny Wilkens , Bill Walton , Clyde Drexler , Dražen Petrović , Arvydas Sabonis , and Scottie Pippen ) . Bill Walton is the franchise 's most decorated player ; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1977 , and the regular season MVP the following year . Four Blazers ' rookies ( Geoff Petrie , Sidney Wicks , Brandon Roy and Damian Lillard ) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award .
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee . The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team , and play at the Fiserv Forum . Former U.S . Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team , but on April 16 , 2014 , a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl , a sale which was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16 . The team is managed by Jon Horst , the team 's former director of basketball operations , who took over for John Hammond in May 2017 . The Bucks have won one league title ( 1971 ) , two conference titles ( 1971 and 1974 ) , and 14 division titles ( 1971-1974 , 1976 , 1980-1986 , 2001 , 2019 ) . They have featured such notable players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Sidney Moncrief , Oscar Robertson , Bob Dandridge , Bob Lanier , Glenn Robinson , Ray Allen , Sam Cassell , Junior Bridgeman , Michael Redd , Terry Cummings , Vin Baker , Jon McGlocklin , Marques Johnson , and Brian Winters . Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA 's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Bucks , for a total of four MVP awards .
The Dallas Mavericks ( often referred to as the Mavs ) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas . They compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center , which it shares with the National Hockey League 's Dallas Stars . Throughout the 1980s , the Mavericks were a perennial playoff team , led by All-Stars Rolando Blackman and Mark Aguirre . The team struggled during the 1990s , entering into a period of rebuilding . In 1998 , the franchise 's fortunes would change drastically with the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki , who would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history , leading the team to its first NBA championship in 2011 . As of the 2017 season , the Mavericks have sold out 707 consecutive games since December 15 , 2002 , the longest currently running sellout streak in North American major league sports . Since their inaugural 1980-81 season , the Mavericks have won three division titles ( 1987 , 2007 , 2010 ) , two conference championships ( 2006 , 2011 ) , and one NBA championship ( 2011 ) .
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 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is a professional men 's basketball league , consisting of thirty teams in North America ( twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada ) . The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6 , 1946 , as the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) . It adopted the name National Basketball Association at the start of the 1949-50 season when it absorbed the National Basketball League ( NBL ) . The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation ( FIBA ) as the National Governing Body ( NGB ) for basketball in the country . The league is considered to be one of the four major professional sports leagues of North America . There have been 15 defunct NBA franchises , of which nine played in only one NBA season . The Anderson Packers , the original Denver Nuggets , the Indianapolis Jets , the Sheboygan Red Skins , and the Waterloo Hawks had played in the NBL before joining the NBA , while the original Baltimore Bullets had played in the American Basketball League before joining the NBA . The Packers , Red Skins , and Hawks left the NBA for the National Professional Basketball League , and are the only defunct teams to have ceased to exist in a league other than the NBA . The original Bullets were the last defunct team to leave the NBA , having left during the 1954-55 season , and are the only defunct team to have won an NBA championship . The Chicago Stags , the Indianapolis Olympians , the Cleveland Rebels , the Packers , and the Red Skins qualified for the playoffs in every year they were active in the league . Among cities that have hosted defunct NBA franchises , Chicago , Cleveland , Denver , Detroit , Indianapolis , Toronto , and Washington , D.C. all currently have an NBA team , while Providence , Rhode Island , Anderson , Indiana and Sheboygan , Wisconsin are all close to an hour away from a market with an NBA franchise . St. Louis and Buffalo would receive replacement franchises that would later relocate .
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 Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto . The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Arena , which they share with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA 's expansion into Canada , along with the Vancouver Grizzlies . Since the 2001-02 season , the Raptors have been the only Canadian-based team in the league , as the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis , Tennessee . As with most expansion teams , the Raptors struggled in their early years ; but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft-day trade in 1998 , the franchise set league-attendance records and made the NBA playoffs in 2000 , 2001 , and 2002 . Carter was instrumental in leading the team to their first playoff series win in 2001 , where they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals . During the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons , they failed to make significant progress , and Carter was traded in 2004 to the New Jersey Nets . After Carter left , Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader . For the 2006-07 season , Bryan Colangelo was appointed as general manager , and through a combination of Bosh , 2006 first overall draft pick Andrea Bargnani , and a revamp of the roster , the Raptors qualified for their first playoff berth in five years , capturing the Atlantic Division title . In the 2007-08 season , they also advanced to the playoffs but failed to reach the post-season in each of the next five seasons . Colangelo overhauled the team 's roster for the 2009-10 season in a bid to persuade pending free agent Bosh to stay , but Bosh departed to sign with the Miami Heat in July 2010 , ushering in yet another era of rebuilding for the Raptors .