Most NBA Finals Appearances
| Team |
Finals |
Last |
Titles |
| Lakers | 32 | 2020 | 16 |
| Celtics | 23 | 2023 | 18 |
| Warriors | 11 | 2021 | 7 |
| 76ers | 9 | 2001 | 3 |
| Knicks | 9 | 2026 | 3 |
| Pistons | 7 | 2005 | 3 |
| Spurs | 7 | 2026 | 5 |
| Bulls | 6 | 1998 | 6 |
| Heat | 6 | 2023 | 3 |
| Cavs | 5 | 2018 | 1 |
| Rockets | 4 | 1995 | 2 |
| Hawks | 4 | 1961 | 1 |
| Wizards | 4 | 1979 | 1 |
| Bucks | 3 | 2021 | 2 |
| Blazers | 3 | 1992 | 1 |
| Sonics | 3 | 1996 | 1 |
| Suns | 3 | 2021 | 0 |
| Mavs | 3 | 2024 | 1 |
| Thunder | 2 | 2025 | 1 |
| Magic | 2 | 2009 | 0 |
| Nets | 2 | 2003 | 0 |
| Jazz | 2 | 1998 | 0 |
| Pacers | 2 | 2026 | 0 |
| Raptors | 1 | 2019 | 1 |
| Kings | 1 | 1951 | 1 |
| Nuggets | 1 | 2023 | 1 |
| Bullets | 1 | 1948 | 1 |
| Capitols | 1 | 1949 | 0 |
| Stags | 1 | 1947 | 0 |
NBA Champions
Teams That Have Never Been to the Finals
Bobcats
Clippers
Grizzlies
Timberwolves
Hornets
NBA Finals Team Facts
Most Finals Games Won
| Team |
Wins |
| Lakers | 93 |
| Celtics | 83 |
| Warriors | 33 |
| 76ers | 24 |
| Bulls | 24 |
| Pistons | 22 |
| Knicks | 20 |
| Heat | 18 |
| Spurs | 16 |
Most Points in a Finals Game
148 — Boston Celtics
Fewest Points in a Finals Game
54 — Utah Jazz
NBA Dynasties
| Team |
Years |
| Lakers | 1949-1954 |
| Celtics | 1957-1969 |
| Lakers | 1980-1991 |
| Celtics | 1881-1986 |
| Bulls | 1991-1998 |
| Lakers | 2000-2003 |
| Lakers | 2009-2010 |
| Heat | 2012-2013 |
| Warriors | 2015-2023 |
Great NBA Championship Teams
1954 Lakers
1958 Hawks
1962 Celtics
1965 Celtics
1967 76ers
1970 Knicks
1971 Bucks
1972 Lakers
1978 Bullets
1983 76ers
1985 Lakers
1986 Celtics
1987 Lakers
1990 Pistons
1992 Bulls
1996 Bulls
1997 Bulls
1998 Bulls
2000 Lakers
2001 Lakers
2003 Spurs
2008 Celtics
2015 Warriors
2016 Cavaliers
2017 Warriors
2018 Warriors
2025 Thunder
2026 Knicks
NBA Finals Trivia
The Lakers have been swept out of the Finals more times than half the teams
in the NBA have even made the Finals.
The 1999 Knicks were the first eighth seed to reach the Finals. The 2023
Heat became the second.
The 1995 Rockets were the lowest seed to win the NBA championship, doing
so as the sixth seed.
The Lakers and Celtics have played each other in the NBA Finals 12 times
and have combined for 35 NBA championships.
The Lakers and/or Celtics have played in 44 of the 80 NBA Finals series
ever played.
Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Suns is considered
one of the greatest games ever played. Boston won 128-126 in triple
overtime and went on to win the championship.
The Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets,
Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks are the only Western Conference
teams listed here to have won an NBA title that do not reside in California
or Texas. The Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals and St. Louis Hawks won
NBA titles as members of the Western Division.
California and Texas have combined for 24 total titles. California has
14 NBA titles and Texas has 8. Only two California teams have won NBA
titles, the Lakers (11) and Warriors (5), but all three Texas teams have
won NBA titles: San Antonio 5, Houston 2 and Dallas 1.
Massachusetts has 17 titles, all from Boston.
The Baltimore Bullets are the only defunct NBA team to ever win an NBA
title. The Bullets won the 1948 NBA title, the league's second year in
existence. This team should not be confused with the Washington Bullets
that won the 1978 NBA title and were once called the Baltimore Bullets.
They are completely different franchises.
Three NBA teams that no longer exist made the NBA Finals, all during the
league's first three years: the Chicago Stags in 1947, the Baltimore
Bullets in 1948 and the Washington Capitols in 1949.
Individual NBA Finals Records
| Record |
Player |
| Most Points |
61 — Elgin Baylor |
| Most Rebounds |
40 — Bill Russel |
| Most Assists |
21 — Magic Johnson |
| Most Steals |
7 — Robert Horry |
| Most Blocks |
8 — Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan |
| Most Free Throws Made |
21 — Dwayne Wade |
NBA Finals Team Records
| Record |
Result |
| Most Consecutive Finals Games Won |
8 — Lakers, 2001-2002 |
| Most Consecutive Home Games Won |
8 — Bulls, 1996-1998 |
| Most Consecutive Road Games Won |
6 — Pistons, 1990-2004 |
| Largest Deficit at Halftime Overcome to Win |
24 — Boston @ Los Angeles, June 12, 2008
21 — Baltimore @ Philadelphia, April 13, 1948
(Trailed 41-20; won 66-63)
|
| Highest Halftime Score |
San Francisco 72 vs. Philadelphia 68, April 14, 1967 |
| Lowest Halftime Score |
New Jersey 30 vs. San Antonio 33, June 8, 2003 |
| Largest Halftime Lead |
30 — Celtics vs. Lakers, May 27, 1985 (Led 79-49; won 148-114) |
| Most Points at Halftime |
79 — Boston Celtics, May 27, 1985 |
| Fewest Points at Halftime |
30 — Houston Rockets, May 9, 1981
Utah Jazz, June 12, 1998
New Jersey Nets, June 8, 2003
|
| Most Points in the First Quarter |
43 — Philadelphia 76ers, April 14, 1967
Philadelphia 76ers, April 24, 1967
|
| Fewest Points in the First Quarter |
13 — Ft. Wayne Pistons, April 2, 1955
Milwaukee Bucks, May 3, 1974
|
| Largest First Quarter Lead |
21 — Lakers vs Celtics, June 12, 2008 (Led 35-14; lost 97-91)
20 — Lakers vs. Knicks, May 6, 1970 (Led 36-16; won 135-113)
|
| Most Consecutive 100+ Point Games |
20 — Lakers, 1959-1965
Lakers, 1983-1987
|
| Most Consecutive Games With Less Than 100 Points |
15 — Bulls, 1996-1998 (Still active) |
| Most Players With 30 or More Points by One Team |
2 — Done multiple times. Most recent: 2017 GSW — Durant, Curry;
Cleveland — James, Irving
|
| Most Players With 40 or More Points by One Team |
2 — Cleveland. James and Irving each had 41 |
| Highest Field Goal Percentage by One Team in One Game |
.617 — Bulls, June 5, 1991 (50/81) |
| Lowest Field Goal Percentage by One Team in One Game |
.275 — Syracuse Nationals, April 7, 1955 (25/91) |
| Most Rebounds in One Game |
93 — Philadelphia 76ers, April 16, 1967 |
| Fewest Rebounds in One Game |
22 — Bulls, June 14, 1998 |
| Most Assists in One Game |
44 — Lakers, May 6, 1970
Lakers, June 4, 1987
|
| Fewest Assists in One Game |
5 — Celtics, April 3, 1960 |
| Most Turnovers |
34 — Blazers, May 22, 1977 |
| Fewest Turnovers |
4 — Pistons, June 16, 2005 |
Related NBA Finals History
