When it comes to the NBA, some teams have managed to navigate the tumults of a grueling regular season much better than others.
Whether that’s due to having a stacked roster, an ultra-talented coach, or a mixture of both, certain franchises have established incredibly high standards and expectations due to their consistent winning.
And while raising a banner is the ultimate goal, there’s little shame in appearing (and losing) in the NBA Finals.
The teams we’re looking at today are the teams with the most NBA Finals appearances in history.
|
Franchise |
NBA Finals Appearances |
NBA Championships |
|---|---|---|
|
Los Angeles Lakers |
32 |
17 |
|
Boston Celtics |
23 |
18 |
|
Golden State Warriors |
12 |
7 |
|
Philadelphia 76ers |
9 |
3 |
|
New York Knicks |
8 |
2 |
|
Detroit Pistons |
7 |
3 |
|
Miami Heat |
7 |
3 |
The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s most-decorated franchise, at least in terms of NBA Finals berths. The Lakers have played for a championship 32 times, with a legacy stretching across two cities and nearly eight decades.
Led by future Hall of Famer George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers won five championships between 1949 and 1954. The Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960, routinely making the Finals, but falling short (often to the Boston Celtics) of winning.
The 1980s ushered in the Showtime Era of Los Angeles basketball, with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the team to the Finals eight times in 10 years (winning five of them). This is often considered the greatest run in the franchise’s history.
But the Lakers weren’t done there. The early 2000s brought another dynasty, this time led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The duo won three-straight championships (2000, 2001 and 2002) and appeared in the 2004 Finals before breaking up. But while O’Neal would leave, Bryant would stay and orchestrate back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Most recently, the Lakers appeared in the 2020 NBA Finals (inside the COVID-19 ‘bubble’ in Orlando). LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way, defeating the Miami Heat in six games to win the franchise’s 17th championship. At the time, this tied the Lakers with the Celtics for most titles in NBA history.
The Boston Celtics have created one of the most impressive legacies in all of American sports, with 23 NBA Finals appearances and 18 championships. Much like the Lakers, the Celtics carved out dynastic runs in multiple decades.
The first came in the 1950s and 60s under head coach Red Auerbach and the legendary Bill Russell. From 1956-69 the Celtics made the Finals 12 times, winning 11 of them. Those teams were known for stifling defense and unselfish offense, with Russell being the heartbeat of the squad.
In the 1980s, the Celtics rose to powerhouse status once again thanks to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Boston appeared in five NBA Finals in the 80s, winning three of them.
After a substantial drought through the 1990s and early 2000s, Boston returned to the Finals in 2008 with a new ‘Big Three’ of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. There were lofty expectations for this group, but injuries derailed the formation of another Celtics dynasty.
Boston returned to the NBA Finals in 2022, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but were dispatched by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Two years later, ‘The Jays’ would lead Boston to another Finals, ultimately beating the Dallas Mavericks to win the franchise’s 18th championship.
The Warriors have made 12 appearances in the NBA Finals, spanning three different cities: Philadelphia, San Francisco and Oakland. Originally the Philadelphia Warriors, the franchise captured the first ever Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947. The team won again in 1956 before relocating to San Francisco in 1962.
In 1975, Rick Barry led the Warriors to one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. Golden State met the Washington Bullets in the Finals and proceeded to sweep them, winning two of the three games on the road.
From 1976 to the 2010s, things were pretty rough for the Warriors. The team finished over .500 just 10 times over a 35-year period. But everything changed in 2014 when the franchise brought in Steve Kerr to be its head coach.
With a trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green leading the way, the Warriors became the best team in basketball. They won 207 games in Kerr’s first three years, making the NBA Finals in each (winning two).
Kevin Durant joined the Warriors the following season, propelling the team to three-straight Finals and two more wins. Overall, the team made five-straight Finals appearances between 2014 and 2019.
By 2022, many were claiming the Golden State dynasty was over. But the reports of the Warriors’ death were greatly exaggerated. The team made the 2022 Finals and defeated the Celtics in six games, with Curry winning his first Finals MVP.
