List of NBA champions
National Basketball Association awards and honors |
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Team awards |
Individual awards |
Honors |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) (or Basketball Association of America (BAA) from 1946–49) Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of the sport's postseason. All Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970), except in 1950 in which the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and Central Division champions. Prior to 1949, the playoffs were instituted a three-stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals.[1][2][3] The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
The home-and-away format in the NBA Finals was in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (that is, the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7) until 1985 (except 1949 and 1953–1955, in a 2–3–2 format;[4][5][6][7] 1956 and 1971, in 1–1–1–1–1–1–1 format;[8][9] 1975 and 1978, in a 1–2–2–1–1 format).[10][11] After 1985, the games were changed to a 2–3–2 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 6 and 7).[12]
The Eastern Conference/Division leads the Western Conference/Division in series won (35–27). The defunct Central Division won one championship. The Boston Celtics and the Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers alone own half of the titles, having won a combined 33 of 66 championships.
Trophies
Walter A. Brown Trophy
The Walter A. Brown Trophy was a trophy awarded to the BAA/NBA champions from 1949 to 1977. The trophy was kept by the winning team for one year and given to the winning team of the following year's finals, unless the previous team won again, much like the NHL's Stanley Cup, which continues that tradition to this day.
The trophy was originally referred to as the NBA Finals trophy,[13] but was renamed in 1964 after Walter A. Brown, the original owner of the Boston Celtics who was instrumental in merging the BAA and the National Basketball League into the NBA in 1949.[14][15]
A new trophy design was created for the 1977 NBA Finals, although it retained the Walter A. Brown title. Unlike the original championship trophy, the new trophy was given permanently to the winning team and a new one was made every year. It was renamed the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 1984 to honor former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien.[16][17][18]
The inaugural winner of the trophy was the Philadelphia Warriors, who defeated the Chicago Stags.[19] The Boston Celtics won the trophy 14 times, the most in league history. From 1957 to 1969, they won the NBA Finals 11 out of 13 times, including eight consecutive wins. The final recipient of the trophy was the Philadelphia 76ers, who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals.
Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
As mentioned above, the trophy was renamed to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 1984 in honor of Larry O'Brien, who served as the NBA commissioner from 1975 to 1983.[16] The trophy is made out of 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay, and stands two feet tall. It is designed to look like a basketball about to enter a net. The year and team names are engraved on the trophies, and are often prominently displayed in the team's arena.[17][18][20]
The Boston Celtics were the inaugural winner of the renamed trophy in 1984 defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games (4–3) in the 1984 NBA Finals.[21] The Los Angeles Lakers have won the trophy eight times, and the Chicago Bulls have won it six times.[22] The Dallas Mavericks are the current holders after winning the title in 2011.
Champions
Legend
Bold | Winning team of the NBA Finals |
† | Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season |
BAA champions
Year | Finalist | Result | Finalist | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
1947 | Philadelphia Warriors | 4–1 | Chicago Stags | [23] |
1948 | Baltimore Bullets[a] | 4–2 | Philadelphia Warriors | [24] |
1949 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4–2 | Washington Capitols | [25] |
NBA champions
Results by teams
Notes
- a Not affiliated with the present-day Washington Wizards who were known as the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets from 1963 to 1997.
- b Due to the NBA's realignment into three divisions, the team with the best regular season record after the Divisional Finals advanced automatically to the NBA Finals while the other two teams faced off in the NBA Semifinals to determine the other finalist. Eastern Division champion Syracuse had the best regular season record among the division champions, causing Central Division (no relation to the current Central Division) champion Minneapolis to face Western Division champion Anderson Packers in the NBA Semifinals.[27]
- c The trophy was renamed for Walter A. Brown.
- d The trophy was replaced by a new design.[17][18]
- e The trophy was renamed for Larry O'Brien.
See also
- NBA Playoffs
- NBA Conference Finals
- NBA Finals
- Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
- List of NBA Development League champions
- List of NBA championship head coaches
- List of NBA players with most championships
References
- ^ Rosen, Charley (2008). The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA. Mc-Graw Hill. pp. 211–212. ISBN 0-07-148785-9.
- ^ Anderson, Corrie; Reheuser, Rob (2006). Sporting News Official 2006–2007 NBA Guide. Sporting News Books. ISBN 0-89204-854-9.
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- ^ "1948–49 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1953–54 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1954–55 Syracuse Nationals Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1974–75 Golden State Warriors Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "1977–78 Washington Bullets Schedule and Results Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ Ryan, Bob (June 23, 2005). "Time to turn back clock on format". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
- ^ Shimberg, Jason (June 9, 2005). "NBA Finals Trophy: Can You Name It?". docsports.com. Docsports. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
- ^ "Walter A. Brown". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ "NBA". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
- ^ a b "Lawrence O'Brien". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
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- ^ a b c "The trophies". St. Petersburg Times. Times Publishing Company. April 10, 2003. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ "NBA Finals history". USA Today. June 26, 1999. Retrieved October 31, 2008.
- ^ "NBA Legends Launch 2005 NBA Legends Tour: Destination Finals". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ a b "Celtics Win First Bird-Magic Finals Showdown". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
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External links