Most Consecutive NBA Finals Appearances

A complete look at the longest streaks of consecutive NBA Finals appearances, how many championships each team won during those runs, and the Finals matchups that occurred in consecutive seasons.

Longest Consecutive NBA Finals Streaks

Rank	Consecutive Finals	Years	Team	Championships Won
1	10	1957-1966	Boston Celtics	9
2	5	2015-2018	Golden State Warriors	3
T-3	4	2015-2018	Cleveland Cavaliers	1
T-3	4	2011-2014	Miami Heat	2
T-3	4	1984-1987	Boston Celtics	2
T-3	4	1982-1985	Los Angeles Lakers	2
T-7	3	2008-2010	Los Angeles Lakers	2
T-7	3	2000-2002	Los Angeles Lakers	3
T-7	3	1996-1998	Chicago Bulls	3
T-7	3	1991-1993	Chicago Bulls	3
T-7	3	1988-1990	Detroit Pistons	2
T-7	3	1987-1989	Los Angeles Lakers	2
T-7	3	1968-1970	Los Angeles Lakers	0
T-7	3	1952-1954	Minneapolis Lakers	3
T-7	3	1951-1953	New York Knicks	0
T-16	2	2013-2014	San Antonio Spurs	1
T-16	2	2002-2003	New Jersey Nets	0
T-16	2	1997-1998	Utah Jazz	0
T-16	2	1994-1995	Houston Rockets	2
T-16	2	1982-1983	Philadelphia 76ers	1
T-16	2	1978-1979	Washington Bullets	1
T-16	2	1978-1979	Seattle SuperSonics	1
T-16	2	1971-1972	New York Knicks	1
T-16	2	1971-1972	Los Angeles Lakers	1
T-16	2	1968-1969	Boston Celtics	2
T-16	2	1965-1966	Los Angeles Lakers	0
T-16	2	1962-1963	Los Angeles Lakers	0
T-16	2	1960-1961	St. Louis Hawks	0
T-16	2	1957-1958	St. Louis Hawks	1
T-16	2	1955-1956	Fort Wayne Pistons	0
T-16	2	1954-1955	Syracuse Nationals	1
T-16	2	1949-1950	Minneapolis Lakers	2
T-16	2	1947-1948	Philadelphia Warriors	1

NBA Finals Streak Records

Most Consecutive NBA Finals: Boston Celtics — 10 Boston reached 10 consecutive NBA Finals from 1957 through 1966 and won nine championships during the run.

Longest Modern Finals Streak: Golden State Warriors — 5 Golden State reached five consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018 as listed in the original table, winning three championships during the run.

Most Championships in a Three-Year Finals Run The Minneapolis Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls each have three-year Finals streaks on this list in which they won all three championships.

Longest Finals Streak Without a Championship The Los Angeles Lakers reached three consecutive NBA Finals from 1968 through 1970 without winning a championship during the streak. The New York Knicks also reached three straight Finals from 1951 through 1953 without winning a title.

Consecutive NBA Finals Rematches

Several NBA Finals matchups have occurred in consecutive seasons. Some became short two-year rivalries, while others became recurring championship matchups that helped define entire eras of NBA history.

Years	Teams	Series Results
1952-1953	Minneapolis Lakers and New York Knicks	Lakers 2-0
1957-1958	Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks	Tied 1-1
1960-1961	Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks	Celtics 2-0
1962-1963	Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers	Celtics 2-0
1965-1966	Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers	Celtics 2-0
1968-1969	Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers	Celtics 2-0
1972-1973	New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers	Tied 1-1
1978-1979	Washington Bullets and Seattle SuperSonics	Tied 1-1
1982-1983	Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers	Tied 1-1
1984-1985	Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers	Tied 1-1
1988-1989	Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons	Tied 1-1
1997-1998	Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz	Bulls 2-0
2013-2014	Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs	Tied 1-1
2015-2018	Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers	Warriors 3-1

The Celtics' Historic Finals Run

No NBA franchise has matched the championship-round consistency of the Boston Celtics during their historic run beginning in 1957. Boston reached 10 consecutive NBA Finals and won nine championships during that span.

The Celtics' dominance also produced several repeat Finals matchups. Boston faced the St. Louis Hawks in consecutive Finals and repeatedly met the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1960s. Those matchups helped establish some of the earliest major rivalries in NBA Finals history.

The Lakers and Repeated Finals Runs

No franchise appears on this list in more different eras than the Lakers. The Minneapolis Lakers reached consecutive Finals during the NBA's early years, while the Los Angeles franchise produced additional streaks during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 2000s.

The Lakers' results also show how different consecutive Finals runs can be. Some resulted in multiple championships, while the 1968-1970 Lakers reached three straight Finals without winning the title.

Modern NBA Finals Runs

The modern era has produced several notable consecutive Finals streaks. Miami reached four straight Finals from 2011 through 2014, while Cleveland reached four consecutive Finals from 2015 through 2018.

Golden State's run overlapped completely with Cleveland's four-year streak, creating one of the most unusual Finals rivalries in NBA history. The Warriors and Cavaliers met in four consecutive NBA Finals, with Golden State winning three of the four championship series.

Frequently Asked Questions

What team has reached the most consecutive NBA Finals?
The Boston Celtics lead this list with 10 consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 1957 through 1966.

How many championships did Boston win during its 10 straight Finals?
The Celtics won nine championships during the streak.

What teams have met in the most consecutive NBA Finals?
Golden State and Cleveland met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018. Golden State won three of the four series.

Which teams reached three consecutive Finals and won all three?
The Minneapolis Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls each have three-year Finals streaks listed on this page in which they won all three championships.

Which team reached three straight Finals without winning one?
The Los Angeles Lakers from 1968-1970 and New York Knicks from 1951-1953 both reached three consecutive Finals without winning a championship during those respective runs.

Related NBA Finals History