A Complete List of NBA Finals All Years Champions and MVPs

Looking back at my years covering the NBA, I’ve always been fascinated by how championship stories unfold—especially those moments when greatness is forged in defeat before it’s crowned in victory. I remember watching Giannis Antetokounmpo’s emotional post-game interview after the Bucks won in 2021, where he spoke about his journey, his family’s sacrifices, and how losing in the past shaped his resilience. It reminded me that every champion, and every Finals MVP, carries not just a trophy, but a story of struggle. That Nigerian powerhouse you might have heard about—the one who ended his junior career as a runner-up two seasons straight—well, that narrative isn’t so different from some of the NBA’s most iconic figures. Michael Jordan, for instance, faced repeated playoff exits before winning his first title in 1991. That kind of persistence, that ability to come back stronger, is what separates the greats from the merely good.

When I think about the history of the NBA Finals, it’s impossible not to start with the Boston Celtics of the 1960s. They won 11 championships in 13 seasons, an absurd level of dominance that I doubt we’ll ever see again. Bill Russell, the heart of those teams, claimed five Finals MVP awards, though interestingly, the award itself wasn’t introduced until 1969—Russell’s final season. I’ve always felt that stat undersells his impact; if the award existed earlier, he might have seven or eight. Then there’s Jerry West, the only player to ever win Finals MVP on a losing team. That 1969 series was brutal—the Lakers fell to the Celtics in seven games, but West averaged nearly 38 points per game. It’s one of those pieces of trivia that stays with you, a reminder that individual brilliance doesn’t always align with team success.

The 1980s gave us the Lakers-Celtics rivalry that defined my childhood. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, those two just elevated each other. Magic won three Finals MVPs, Bird picked up two, and the back-and-forth battles were pure theater. I’ll never forget Magic’s 1980 performance as a rookie—42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists—while playing center in place of an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was 20 years old! That kind of fearless play is why I consider him the greatest winner in the modern era. Then Michael Jordan arrived in the 1990s and basically rewrote the record books. Six titles, six Finals MVPs, and a perfect 6-0 in the Finals. As much as I respect LeBron James, Jordan’s flawless record in the championship round is something I don’t think anyone will ever match.

Moving into the 2000s, the landscape shifted with the Lakers’ three-peat led by Shaquille O’Neal, who took home three consecutive Finals MVP awards from 2000 to 2002. Shaq was just unstoppable—averaging 36 points and 12 rebounds in the 2000 Finals. I still argue he’s the most dominant force I’ve ever seen in the paint. Then Tim Duncan and the Spurs provided a counterbalance, winning five titles across three decades with a quiet consistency that never got the flashy headlines but built a legacy that’s arguably the gold standard for organizational success. The 2010s introduced us to the superteam era, with LeBron James making eight straight Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018. His 2016 comeback against the 73-win Warriors is, in my view, the greatest Finals performance in history. Down 3-1, facing a team that broke the regular-season wins record, LeBron averaged a triple-double—29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists—and delivered Cleveland its first championship. I get chills thinking about that block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7.

In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of international stars like Giannis and Nikola Jokić, who won Finals MVP in 2023 by leading the Denver Nuggets to their first title. It’s a testament to the global growth of the game, and it makes me wonder how many more talents like that “Nigerian powerhouse” from the juniors circuit are waiting for their moment. Stephen Curry, finally grabbing his first Finals MVP in 2022 after three previous titles, showed that persistence pays off—much like that runner-up who kept coming back until he broke through. The data here isn’t just numbers; it’s a tapestry of human effort. For instance, the Lakers and Celtics are tied for the most championships with 17 each, though I’d give the edge to Boston because of their 9-1 head-to-head Finals record against L.A. It’s a fun debate I have with my West Coast friends.

Wrapping this up, the list of NBA Finals champions and MVPs is more than a timeline—it’s a collection of defining moments, of heartbreaks and triumphs. From Russell’s 11 rings to Jordan’s perfection, from Magic’s smile to LeBron’s grit, each era has given us something unforgettable. And as a fan who’s spent decades watching these stories unfold, I believe the thread connecting them all is resilience. Whether it’s a young prospect falling short twice in a row or a veteran finally lifting the trophy, the journey is what makes the destination meaningful. The next chapter is already being written, and I can’t wait to see who adds their name to this legendary roster.