Basketball fans love a good argument. Honestly, if you put ten NBA junkies in a room and ask who the greatest team ever was, you’re getting twelve different answers. But the one thing that doesn't lie is the history books. When you look at nba championship titles by year, you aren't just seeing a list of names; you’re seeing the rise and fall of empires. It’s a story of George Mikan’s goggles, Bill Russell’s eleven rings, Jordan’s shrug, and the modern-day parity that has everyone guessing who’s next.
Lately, things have been wild. We just watched the Oklahoma City Thunder grab their first title since moving from Seattle, taking down the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game dogfight in 2025. It’s the kind of shift that reminds you how much the league has changed since the days of short shorts and set shots.
The Early Years and the First True Dynasty
Before the NBA was the global juggernaut it is today, it was a scrappy operation trying to find its footing. People often forget that the league actually started as the BAA. The very first title in 1947 went to the Philadelphia Warriors. They beat the Chicago Stags, a team that doesn't even exist anymore.
Then came the Minneapolis Lakers. This was the league's first "villain" team, mostly because George Mikan was essentially a cheat code in 1949. They rattled off titles in '49, '50, '52, '53, and '54. Basically, if you weren't the Lakers, you were playing for second place. It’s funny how some things never change, even when the team moves halfway across the country.
When the Celtics Owned the Calendar
If you look at the nba championship titles by year during the 1960s, it’s honestly kind of boring if you weren't a Boston fan. Between 1957 and 1969, the Boston Celtics won 11 championships. That is not a typo.
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They won eight in a row from 1959 to 1966. Think about that. An entire generation of kids grew up never seeing another team lift the trophy. Bill Russell was the heart of it, but Red Auerbach was the mastermind lighting cigars on the sidelines before the game was even over. The only team to really break that stranglehold was the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, which remains one of the greatest single-season teams ever assembled.
The 1970s: The Decade of Pure Chaos
After Russell retired, the league went through what historians call "The Parity Era," but most fans just remember it as "anyone can win." You had the Knicks winning in '70 and '73 with Willis Reed hobbling out of the tunnel. You had the Bucks winning in '71 with a young Lew Alcindor (who we now know as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
The late 70s were particularly strange. Look at these winners:
- 1975: Golden State Warriors (a massive sweep)
- 1977: Portland Trail Blazers (the Bill Walton era)
- 1978: Washington Bullets
- 1979: Seattle SuperSonics
It was a time when the "underdog" wasn't really an underdog because there was no top dog.
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Magic, Larry, and the Bad Boys
The 80s saved the NBA. That’s not an exaggeration. The rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics brought the league back from the brink of irrelevance.
From 1980 to 1988, the Lakers won five titles. The Celtics took three in the same span. It was personal. Then, right as those two were fading, the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons showed up to punch everyone in the mouth—literally. They won back-to-back in '89 and '90, proving that you didn't need to be flashy if you were willing to play defense until the other team quit.
The Jordan Era and the 90s
We have to talk about Michael Jordan. The 90s are basically just two three-peats separated by two years of Hakeem Olajuwon being the best center on the planet.
- 1991-1993: The Bulls finally get past Detroit and dominate.
- 1994-1995: Jordan tries baseball; the Houston Rockets win back-to-back titles.
- 1996-1998: Jordan returns, wins 72 games in a season, and finishes another three-peat.
If you were a star in the 90s—Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone—you probably don't have a ring because Michael Jordan simply wouldn't let you have one.
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The 2000s and Beyond: Lakers, Spurs, and the Warriors
The turn of the century brought back the dominance of the Purple and Gold. Shaq and Kobe were an unstoppable force from 2000 to 2002. Then, the San Antonio Spurs became the model of consistency. They didn't win back-to-back until much later, but they were always there, winning in '03, '05, '07, and '14.
Then we hit the Warriors era. Stephen Curry changed how the game is played. From 2015 to 2022, the Warriors won four titles. They were the team that everyone loved to hate because they made shooting from 30 feet look like a layup.
The Current State of the NBA (2023-2025)
We are back in a period of high parity, much like the 70s but with way more talent.
In 2023, the Denver Nuggets finally broke through with Nikola Jokic. In 2024, the Boston Celtics reclaimed the throne to become the winningest franchise in history with 18 titles. And just recently, in 2025, the Oklahoma City Thunder solidified their place in history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams led a young squad to a 4-3 series win over the Pacers. It was a Game 7 for the ages.
What to Keep in Mind Moving Forward
If you're trying to keep track of nba championship titles by year, remember that momentum is everything in this league. One trade or one draft pick can change the trajectory of a decade.
- Watch the Draft: Teams like the Spurs and Thunder built their championship cores through smart drafting, not just big free-agent signings.
- Health is a Skill: Look at the 2019 Raptors or the 2021 Bucks; they were great teams, but they also stayed healthy when their opponents didn't.
- The Three-Point Line: If a team can't shoot 37% or better from deep as a unit, their chances of appearing on this list are slim in the modern era.
For anyone looking to dive deeper into the stats, the best move is to look at the "advanced" side of things—Net Rating and True Shooting Percentage tell a much better story of why a team won than just the final score. You can track these historical trends on sites like Basketball-Reference or the official NBA stats portal to see which current teams are trending toward a 2026 or 2027 title run.