The NBA has had many great teams throughout its history, but only a few franchises have won multiple championships. The Boston Celtics currently hold the record for the most NBA championships with 18 titles. The Los Angeles Lakers are close behind with 17 championships.
Several other teams have also built strong championship histories. The Golden State Warriors have won seven titles, while the Chicago Bulls have six. The San Antonio Spurs have five championships, followed by several teams with three or two titles.
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Boston Celtics – 18 Championships
The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships in league history. Their first title came in 1957, and they became the dominant team of the 1960s.
The Celtics won 11 championships between 1957 and 1969. Bill Russell was the main star of that era and played a major role in the team’s success.
Boston later won championships in 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986 and 2008. The Celtics won their 18th championship in 2024, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Lakers – 17 Championships
The Los Angeles Lakers have the second-most NBA championships with 17. Their championship history stretches back to the Minneapolis Lakers era.
The franchise won five titles in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles in 1960. The Lakers then built several championship teams around stars such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Their most recent championship came in 2020. The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games during the NBA bubble season.
Golden State Warriors – 7 Championships
The Golden State Warriors have won seven NBA championships. Their first title came in 1947, when the franchise was known as the Philadelphia Warriors.
The Warriors later won championships in 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. Their most successful recent period came with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
The team won four championships between 2015 and 2022.
Chicago Bulls – 6 Championships
The Chicago Bulls have won six NBA championships. All six came during the team’s dominant run in the 1990s.
Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls won three straight championships from 1991 to 1993. They then repeated the achievement from 1996 to 1998.
Jordan won NBA Finals MVP in all six championship series. Scottie Pippen was another key player throughout the team’s successful run.
San Antonio Spurs – 5 Championships
The San Antonio Spurs have won five NBA championships. Their first title came in 1999.
The Spurs also won championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. Tim Duncan was central to four of those championship teams and was named Finals MVP three times.
The 2014 Spurs defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win their most recent championship.
Teams With Three NBA Championships
Four franchises have won three NBA championships: the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.
The Pistons won titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004. The Heat won championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
The 76ers won their championships in 1955, 1967 and 1983. Their first two titles came when the franchise was known as the Syracuse Nationals.
The Knicks have won three championships. Their titles came in 1970, 1973 and 2026.
Teams With Two NBA Championships
Three franchises have won two NBA championships: the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Rockets won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. Hakeem Olajuwon was the team’s leading star during both title runs.
The Bucks won their first championship in 1971 and their second in 2021. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to its second title and won Finals MVP.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first championship in 2026, adding to the franchise’s earlier title from its Seattle SuperSonics era.
Teams With One NBA Championship
Several franchises have won one NBA championship. They include the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards.
The Denver Nuggets won their first championship in 2023. The Toronto Raptors won their first title in 2019, while the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in 2016.
The Dallas Mavericks won their championship in 2011. The Portland Trail Blazers won their only title in 1977.
The Atlanta Hawks won their championship in 1958, when the franchise was based in St. Louis. The Sacramento Kings’ title came in 1951, when the franchise was known as the Rochester Royals.
The Washington Wizards won their only championship in 1978, when they were known as the Washington Bullets.
NBA Teams With the Most NBA Championships
The championship race has been dominated by a small group of franchises. Boston and Los Angeles are the only teams with at least 17 titles, while Golden State and Chicago are the only other teams with at least six.
The list also shows how championship success has been spread across different eras. Some teams built dynasties around one superstar, while others won multiple titles across different generations.
With new teams continuing to compete for the NBA title, the championship list can change over time. For now, the Celtics remain at the top with 18 championships.
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