NBA Championship Teams By Tiers: Lakers And Celtics Lead With 17 Titles Each

At the beginning of every NBA season, 30 teams set out to chase the same ultimate goal, winning an NBA championship. Winning an NBA championship is a feeling I could never even think to describe to you. I can only imagine it is the best feeling on Earth to win a title with teammates who are more like brothers and for fans who showtimes love teams more than the ones closest to them. Many NBA teams have set out on this journey in the 76 years of the NBA, and very few have had the success it takes to win 1 NBA championship, let alone multiple.

Today, we will celebrate the teams who have won numerous NBA championships while also giving recognition to the ones who are still seeking their first. The NBA championship is one of the most meaningful championships in all of sports and is a sense of pride for everyone who has ever won one. It is the topic of so many great debates, sometimes used as the deciding factor in the largest of verbal scuffles. The NBA championship is just 1 measurement of success, but it can be the difference between being recognized as one of the most accomplished players/teams in NBA history or lost in the black hole of title-less players/teams that seem to be forgotten over the years.

These are the teams that have won NBA championships ranked by tiers.

17 Championships – Los Angeles Lakers (32 NBA Finals), Boston Celtics (22 NBA Finals)

The Los Angeles Lakers and their track record of winning championships date back to the beginning of NBA history when George Mikan took the floor for the Minneapolis Lakers. From Showtime to the Shaq and Kobe era, the Lakers have fielded some of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Their last Finals appearance came in 2020 when they went to the NBA Finals in the Bubble at Disney World during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Lakers won their 17th title on the backs of Lebron James and Anthony Davis to pull even with the Celtics for the most tiles in NBA history.

The Celtics have also been winning championships since very early in NBA history. It started in the late 50s with the acquisition of Bill Russell in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Russell would lead the Celtics to 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons as a pro. From there, the slack was picked up by John Havlicek and company during the 70s with 2 more championships and Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale in the 80s with 3 more. They added a 17th NBA title in 2008 behind the Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. In 2022, they appeared in their 22nd NBA Finals, losing to the Warriors in 6 games bringing their total record in the Finals series to 17-5.

7 NBA Championships – Golden State Warriors (12 NBA Finals)

The Golden State Warriors moved into sole possession of 2nd place on this list last season when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have helped the Warriors capture 4 NBA championships over the past 8 seasons. Kevin Durant also helped deliver 2 titles during this time with 2 Finals MVP awards as well. Rick Barry led them to an NBA championship in 1965, and Paul Arizin helped lead them to a championship in 1956. They won their first championship in 1947, with Joe Fulks leading the charge with 26.2 PPG.

6 NBA Championships – Chicago Bulls (6 NBA Finals)

The Chicago Bulls ran the NBA during the Golden Era of basketball. The greatest player to ever live, Michael Jordan, led the Bulls to 6 championships in 6 opportunities to the tune of 2 different 3-peats. The Bulls never reached the NBA Finals before Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and many others got to town. The Bulls won 3 straight NBA titles from 1991 through 1993 with wins against the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Suns. They won 3 straight titles again from 1996 through 1998 against the SuperSonics and the Jazz twice.

5 NBA Championships – San Antonio Spurs (6 NBA Finals)

The San Antonio Spurs have only joined the championship party over the last 24 years. With stars like George Gervin and Cliff Jones missing out on championships in their years, the modern-day Spurs made up for it. Led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the Spurs won their first NBA title in 199 over the Knicks. They would win 3 NBA titles over the next 7 seasons to bring their total to 4 led by the core of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. They won their 5th and last NBA title in 2014 when a young Kawhi Leonard led them to victory over the Miami Heat and their core of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. They suffered their only loss in the Finals in 2013 at the hand of that same Heat team.

3 NBA Championships – Philadelphia 76ers (9 NBA Finals), Detroit Pistons (7 NBA Finals), Miami Heat (6 NBA Finals)

Many teams are still chasing their first ring, so to have three is a major accomplishment for these 3 teams. The Philadelphia 76ers titles were spread out between 1955 and 1983. They won their first NBA title in 1955 when they were still known as the Syracuse Nationals. Dolph Schayes led them to victory over the Pistons with 19.0 PPG and 11.9 RPG. They won their third NBA title in 1983, led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The Sixers swept the Magic and Kareem-led Lakers in the Finals for an overwhelming victory.

The Miami Heat have only existed since the beginning of the 1988-89 season, and the fact they already have 3 NBA titles is astonishing. In 2006, they won their first NBA championship when Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal led them to a comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. In 2011, they added Chris Bosh and LeBron James to the roster in a move that paid off handsomely. They would advance to 4 straight NBA Finals from 2011 through 2014, winning 2 titles and losing 2 series. The Heat would advance to the 2020 Finals as well but lose to the Lakers in 6 games.

The Detroit Pistons are known as a rough and tough group throughout NBA history. Led by Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer, the Pistons advanced to 3 straight Finals from 1988 through 1990. Although they would drop the 1988 series to the Lakers, the Pistons would win back-to-back Finals in 1989 and 1990, with Thomas and Dumars each grabbing a Finals MVP. In 2004, the Pistons won their 3rd NBA championship when Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace led them to one of the biggest Finals upsets in history. Billups grabbed the Finals MVP as they defeated the Lakers, who had a superteam of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone.

2 NBA Championships – Houston Rockets (8 NBA Finals), New York Knicks (4 NBA Finals), Milwaukee Bucks (3 NBA Finals)

The Houston Rockets are 1 of 3 teams to win 2 NBA championships in NBA history. The Rockets were led by one of the greatest players of all time, Hakeem Olajuwon, to both their titles in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, Olajuwon led the Rockets to a 7-game Finals win over the Knicks with Hakeem grabbing Finals MVP for the series. The path to the 1995 title was much more difficult as the Rockets struggled during the regular season until the acquisition of Clyde Drexler went through. As a 6 seed in the playoffs, the Rockets shocked the world and won their 2nd straight title in a 4-game sweep of the Orlando Magic.

The New York Knicks are also one of the 3 teams to win exactly 2 NBA titles during their history. As one of the most recognizable franchises in the history of sports, the Knicks have been on a 50-year drought when it comes to NBA championships. They won their first championship over Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor of the Lakers in 1970. In 1973, the Knicks defeated the Lakers once more in the NBA finals, this time in a much more dominant fashion. Willis Reed was named Finals MVP for both series and is considered to be the GOAT of the Knicks franchise.

The final team to earn 2 NBA championships in its history is the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks won their first championship in 1971 with the duo of Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the way. Kareem would be named Finals MVP, but Oscar was the catalyst for victory, as Kareem stated himself. Exactly 50 years later, another dominant big man named Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their 2nd NBA championship. He led the Bucks to victory in one of the best Finals performances ever over the Phoenix Suns in 2021.

1 NBA Championship – Cleveland Cavaliers (5 NBA Finals), Atlanta Hawks (4 NBA Finals), Washington Wizards (4 NBA Finals), Oklahoma City Thunder (4 NBA Finals), Portland Trail Blazers (3 NBA Finals), Dallas Mavericks (2 NBA Finals), Sacramento Kings (1 NBA Finals), Toronto Raptors (1 NBA Finals)

There have been just 8 teams in NBA history who have won exactly 1 NBA championship in their franchise’s history. The most recent case of a team winning their first title was the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Led by Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry, the Raptors fought their way to the Finals for a date with the 2-time defending champion Warriors. The Raptors would take the series in 6 games. Before that, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first title in 2016, coincidentally enough, against the Warriors as well. After falling down 3-1 in the Finals, LeBron James led the Cavs to the most epic comeback and upset in NBA history.

The Dallas Mavericks won their only championship in 2011, led by Dirk Nowitzki, over the Big 3 of the Miami Heat. Bob Pettit led the Hawks to their only championship in 1958 over Bill Russell’s Celtics. Pettit averaged 29.3 PPG and 17.0 RPG in the series. The thunder won when they were still the SuperSonics in 1979, and the Wizards won when they were still the Bullets in 1978. The Kings were crowned champions in 1951, with Arnie Risen delivering 21.7 PPG and 14.3 RPG. The final team with one championship is the Portland Trail Blazers, who won their only NBA championship in 1977. Bill Walton won Finals MVP honors with 18.5 PPG, 19.0 RPG, and 5.2 APG.

0 NBA Championships – Phoenix Suns (3 NBA Finals), Utah Jazz (2 NBA Finals), Brooklyn Nets (2 NBA Finals), Orlando Magic (2 NBA Finals), Indiana Pacers (1 NBA Finals), Memphis Grizzlies (0 NBA Finals), Denver Nuggets (0 NBA Finals), New Orleans Pelicans (0 NBA Finals), Charlotte Hornets (0 NBA Finals), Los Angeles Clippers (0 NBA Finals), Minnesota Timberwolves (0 NBA Finals)

The 10 remaining teams we have left to speak about have never won an NBA championship. Only 4 of these teams have had more than one chance to deliver a title to their city while only 1 team has had 1 chance at it. The remaining 5 teams have never even reached an NBA Finals series, and those are the Hornets, Pelicans, Clippers, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies. Of these 10 teams to never win a championship, only a few have a chance to change their franchise’s fortune.

The Brooklyn Nets have a decent shot at breaking the titleless streak in the near future, with the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin durant finally meshing well together in 2022-23. The Nuggets are another team to watch for as they continue to battle at the top of the standings led by back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic. Believe it or not, the Pelicans have one of the best records in the NBA in 2022-23, making a chance to reach their first Finals series all the more likely. With their young core locked in for a few seasons, they shouldn’t be far off from that goal. The Pacers, Hornets, and Timberwolves all look like they are another few years away, while the Clippers can do it as well but never seem to remain healthy enough to compete.

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