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The NBA has seen 18 different teams lift the championship in 75 years. Currently in its 76th season, the league could see a new champion crowned this season if the Denver Nuggets topple the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are up 1-0, and the heavy odds-on favorites to win the title. Looking at how the roster is constructed and the long-term deals their core players have locked into, we could be seeing another dynasty starting.
Every decade has had only one or two teams winning multiple championships in the last 50 years. We explore the list of NBA champions since then.
NBA Championship winners in 1960s and 1970s
The NBA was dominated by the Boston Celtics in the 1960s. They won nine championships in 10 years during that stretch. Bill Russell led their charge as a player seven times while he was the player-coach in 1968 and 1969 after Red Aubercach stepped down.
The Philadelphia 76ers broke the C's juggernaut in 1967, winning their first chip in franchise history under Wilt Chamberlain's leadership. The 1970s was one of the few decades in league history with multiple winners. Here's the list of winners:
- New York Knicks, 1970
- Milwaukee Bucks, 1971
- LA Lakers, 1972
- New York Knicks, 1973
- Boston Celtics, 1974
- Golden State Warriors, 1975
- Boston Celtics, 1976
- Portland Trail Blazers, 1977
- Washington Bullets, 1978
- Seattle Supersonics, 1979
LA Lakers "Showtime Era" dominates the 1980s
The LA Lakers found a new owner in Dr. Jerry Buss and the No.1 pick in the 1980 draft, who turned out to be Magic Johnson. With Buss going all-in on the Lakers and Magic repaying the faith, the Lakers set out to form a dynasty in the 1980s.
The Lakers won five championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. The Boston Celtics were the second most dominant team in that era. They won three championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986, with Magic's college rival and draft mate Larry Bird leading their charge. The Philadelphia 76ers (1983) and Detroit Pistons (1989) were the other two teams to win the chip that decade.
Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls' legendary run takes over the 1990s
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls hit their ceiling in the 1990s. They recorded two three-peats, winning six out of 10 times. They could've won more if not for Jordan's abrupt retirement in 1993. He missed the 1994 playoffs and had just returned ahead of the 1995 playoffs, where he couldn't play to his potential after missing significant time.
The 90s' started with the Detroit Pistons winning the title in 1990, followed by the Bulls' first three-peat, Houston Rockets going back-to-back in 1994 and 1995, the Bulls winning their second three-peat and San Antonio Spurs winning the 1999 championship.
LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs run the show in 2000s
The LA Lakers returned to the top of the NBA in the 2000s. The Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal era finally reached its potential as they recorded a three-peat to start the 21st century.
The San Antonio Spurs kept chipping in with three championship wins amid the Lakers' dominance that decade in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Detroit Pistons recorded a surprise win in 2004 against the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, while the Boston Celtics claimed their record 17th title in 2008.
The Lakers closed the decade the same way they started it by recording a title win in 2009.
Golden State Warriors form the newest dynasty in the NBA in the 2010s
The 2010s was the only other decade in which the NBA saw at least five different teams lift the Larry O'Brien trophy. The LA Lakers took home their 16th title in 2010, followed by the Dallas Mavericks' shocking championship run in 2011.
The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, won twice in 2012 and 2013, followed by the San Antonio Spurs winning the final championship of their dynasty led by Tim Duncan in 2014. From that point on, it was the Golden State Warriors' rise to prominence as Steph Curry and Co. won three championships between 2015 and 2018.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their lone championship in the middle of that Warriors run by depriving them of a historic finish to a historic season as they erased a 3-1 deficit to win the chip in 2016.
The Toronto Raptors were the other team to record a championship win during that Warriors run in 2019.
The 2020s has been unpredictable so far
We are four seasons into the 2020s, and there will be four different winners to start the decade. The LA Lakers tied the Boston Celtics' record of 17 championships in 2020, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks winning their first championship in 50 years and second in franchise history in 2021. The Golden State Warriors won their first chip in four years the following year.
The Denver Nuggets could become the 19th team to win the NBA championship, while the Miami Heat will record their first title win in 10 years if they prevail this year.
Guess the Lakers players!
