The NBA Finals: A Look Back at the Champions
From the BAA to the NBA: A History of the Championship Series
The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA), held at the conclusion of its postseason. The series is contested between the Eastern and Western Conference champions, with the team with the better record having home-court advantage. The Finals are played in a 2-3-2 format, with the first two games and Game 5 (if necessary) played at the home court of the team with the better record, and Games 3, 4, and 6 (if necessary) played at the home court of the team with the worse record.
The NBA Finals was first played in 1947, when the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags in five games. The series has since been played every year, with the Boston Celtics holding the record for the most championships, with 17. The Los Angeles Lakers are second with 16 championships, followed by the Chicago Bulls with six.
The Larry O'Brien Trophy: The Symbol of NBA Supremacy
The Larry O'Brien Trophy is awarded to the winner of the NBA Finals. The trophy was first awarded in 1977, and is named after Larry O'Brien, who was the NBA commissioner from 1975 to 1983. The trophy is made of vermeil, and features a basketball in the center of a gold-plated base. The trophy is 24 inches tall and weighs 14 pounds.
Recent NBA Finals Champions
The most recent NBA Finals champions are the Denver Nuggets, who defeated the Miami Heat in four games in 2023. The Nuggets won their first NBA championship in franchise history, and Nikola Jokic was named the NBA Finals MVP.
Other recent NBA Finals champions include the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), the Toronto Raptors (2019), the Golden State Warriors (2017 and 2018), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016).
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