Winning an NBA title used to be a predictable affair. You basically knew that if it wasn't the Lakers, it was the Celtics. If it wasn't them, Michael Jordan was probably busy smoking a cigar after another three-peat. But honestly? That era is dead. We are currently living through the most chaotic, wide-open stretch in professional basketball history.
The nba champions list by year tells a story of shifting dynasties and, more recently, absolute mayhem. Since 2019, we haven’t seen a single team repeat. Not one. From the Toronto Raptors' lone Canadian flag-planting to the Oklahoma City Thunder's recent ascent in 2025, the Larry O'Brien trophy has become a bit of a nomad.
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The Current State of the NBA Champions List by Year
If you look at the last few years, the diversity of winners is staggering. In 2024, the Boston Celtics finally broke through their long drought to hang Banner 18, surpassing the Lakers for the most titles in history. Then, just when we thought Boston might start a new dynasty, 2025 happened.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took down the Indiana Pacers in a grueling seven-game series in June 2025. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't just win the regular season MVP; he grabbed the Finals MVP too. It was the first Game 7 in the Finals since 2016. That win marked the seventh unique champion in seven years. That is a level of parity the league hasn't seen since the late 1970s.
The Recent Winners (2020-2025)
- 2025: Oklahoma City Thunder (Defeated Indiana Pacers 4-3). SGA was the hero here, finishing off a 68-win season with the franchise's first title since moving from Seattle.
- 2024: Boston Celtics (Defeated Dallas Mavericks 4-1). Jaylen Brown took home the MVP honors, proving that the Tatum-Brown duo actually worked.
- 2023: Denver Nuggets (Defeated Miami Heat 4-1). Nikola Jokić played "horse" with the entire league and won easily.
- 2022: Golden State Warriors (Defeated Boston Celtics 4-2). The last stand of the original Splash Bros dynasty.
- 2021: Milwaukee Bucks (Defeated Phoenix Suns 4-2). Giannis dropped 50 in the clincher. Legend status.
- 2020: Los Angeles Lakers (Defeated Miami Heat 4-2). The "Bubble" championship that people still debate at bars to this day.
The Era of the Super-Teams and Their Collapse
Before this current "anyone can win" era, the nba champions list by year was dominated by the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Between 2015 and 2018, it felt like the regular season was just a 82-game preseason for LeBron James and Steph Curry.
But look at what happened. Kevin Durant left. Klay Thompson got hurt. LeBron went West. The league implemented a much harsher "second apron" luxury tax in the collective bargaining agreement. Basically, the NBA made it financially painful to keep three or four superstars together.
Now, teams like the 2025 Thunder or the 2024 Celtics win because they have incredible depth and "fit" rather than just collecting Hall of Fame names. The Pacers making the 2025 Finals as a 50-win team proved that if you have a hot shooter like Tyrese Haliburton and a cohesive system, you can beat anyone.
Every NBA Champion Since the Beginning
To understand where we are, you sort of have to look at the "Stone Age" of the league. The Minneapolis Lakers (before they moved to LA) and the Syracuse Nationals (now the 76ers) were the early titans.
The 1950s and 60s: The Celtic Monopoly
1957: Boston Celtics
1958: St. Louis Hawks
1959-1966: Boston Celtics (Eight in a row. Imagine that today. You can't.)
1967: Philadelphia 76ers
1968-1969: Boston Celtics
The 1970s: Pure Parity
This decade looks a lot like our current one.
1970: New York Knicks
1971: Milwaukee Bucks
1972: Los Angeles Lakers
1973: New York Knicks
1974: Boston Celtics
1975: Golden State Warriors
1976: Boston Celtics
1977: Portland Trail Blazers
1978: Washington Bullets
1979: Seattle SuperSonics (The franchise that eventually became the 2025 champion Thunder)
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The 1980s: Magic vs. Bird
1980: Los Angeles Lakers
1981: Boston Celtics
1982: Los Angeles Lakers
1983: Philadelphia 76ers
1984: Boston Celtics
1985: Los Angeles Lakers
1986: Boston Celtics
1987-1988: Los Angeles Lakers
1989-1990: Detroit Pistons (The "Bad Boys" era)
The 1990s: The Jordan Tax
If Michael Jordan didn't retire to play baseball, the Chicago Bulls might have won eight straight.
1991-1993: Chicago Bulls
1994-1995: Houston Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon capitalized on the MJ-sized vacuum)
1996-1998: Chicago Bulls
The 2000s: Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan
2000-2002: Los Angeles Lakers (The last three-peat we've seen)
2003: San Antonio Spurs
2004: Detroit Pistons
2005: San Antonio Spurs
2006: Miami Heat
2007: San Antonio Spurs
2008: Boston Celtics
2009: Los Angeles Lakers
The 2010s: The Heatles and the Splash Bros
2010: Los Angeles Lakers
2011: Dallas Mavericks (Dirk's legendary underdog run)
2012-2013: Miami Heat
2014: San Antonio Spurs
2015: Golden State Warriors
2016: Cleveland Cavaliers (The 3-1 comeback)
2017-2018: Golden State Warriors
2019: Toronto Raptors
Why We Won't See Another Three-Peat Soon
You've probably noticed that as the years go by, the "repeats" are disappearing. The Lakers did it in '09-'10. The Heat did it in '12-'13. The Warriors did it in '17-'18. Since then? Nothing.
The NBA's salary cap rules are designed to break teams apart. When a team wins a title, their players become more valuable. Other teams offer them massive contracts that the championship team can't match because they're already paying their stars.
Look at the 2024-25 season. The Celtics were heavy favorites, but the rise of young teams like the Thunder and the gritty Indiana Pacers made the path nearly impossible. The 2025 Thunder won because they had a surplus of draft picks and young talent on cheap deals—a luxury that disappears once you have to pay everyone.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rings
Fans love to argue about "Mickey Mouse rings" or "easy paths."
Honestly, there is no such thing as an easy path in the modern NBA. In 2024, people said the Celtics had it easy because of injuries to their opponents. But you still have to go out and win 16 games in the playoffs. In 2025, the Indiana Pacers proved that "star power" isn't everything by knocking off the star-studded Knicks and taking the Thunder to seven games.
The nba champions list by year isn't just a list of the best players; it's a list of the healthiest and most resilient rosters.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re tracking the history of these winners to predict the next one, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the "Second Apron": Teams like the Suns or Bucks who are deep into the luxury tax find it almost impossible to improve their rosters. The next champions will likely be teams with flexibility, like the Rockets or Spurs (with Wembanyama).
- Home Court Matters (Until it Doesn't): The Thunder had the best record in 2025 and utilized home court for Game 7. However, the Pacers won Game 1 in OKC. Momentum is often more valuable than seeding.
- The "Unique Champion" Streak: We are at seven years and seven different winners. Betting on a repeat is statistically a bad move right now.
To stay ahead of the next cycle, keep an eye on the defensive ratings. Every champion on the list since 2000 (except maybe the 2001 Lakers) had a top-tier defense. The 2025 Thunder followed this trend perfectly, finishing as the league's #1 defense. If you want to know who is next on the list, look at who is stopping the ball, not just who is scoring it.