Ever since the establishment of the league in June 1946 (known then as the Basketball Association of America or BAA), the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been one of the cornerstones of American sport and has produced some legendary teams throughout the years. Here is a list of some of the top championship teams of the game.
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1. Los Angeles Lakers
The Boston Celtics’ main rivals, the LA Lakers are among the most successful teams in the NBA. They have won 17 NBA championships in total since 1949. Some of the best players ever of the sport have played for the Lakers including Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Wilt Chamberlain. They dominated the sport in the 1980s, winning 5 championships under the direction of head coach Pat Reily, and in the 2000s with another 5 championships, headed by coach Phil Jackson. Their latest championship win was in 2020 where they squared off against Miami Heat.
2. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are currently tied with the LA Lakers, their main rivals, for the most championships, with 17 NBA final wins apiece. One of the greatest players to play the game, Larry Bird was a dominant player in the 80s and early 90s and helped lead the team to success starting in the early 80s, where they beat the LA Lakers in the finals in 1981. They went on to win another 2 times in 1984, against the LA Lakers and 1986, where they beat the Houston Rockets.
The Celts won nearly every Championship final in the 1960s, except for 1967. Bill Russell played a major part in this success as did Sam Jones who was known for his game-winning shots, especially during the NBA playoffs.
3. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls were unstoppable in the 1990s, where they won all 6 of their championships beginning in 1991, where they won against the LA Lakers. Michael Jordan was definitely the star of the team, winning the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and having the highest scoring percentage. Further success followed in the 1992 season where the Bulls beat the Portland Trailblazers, with Jordan once again receiving the MVP award and the team winning an NBA record of 72 games in the regular season. If you were interested in NBA betting in the 1990s, the Bulls would have been the team to back.
One of the main reasons for the Bull’s success in the 1990s is from head coach Phil Jackon’s coaching initiatives. In earlier seasons, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen dominated the court but the style was changed to include more of the team with Jordan and Pippen forming a triangle offence including other players. This significantly helped the team play as a unit and the strategy worked with the Bulls going on to win the Championship a further four times.
4. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have won the Championship a total of 6 times beginning in 1947 where they won against the Chicago Stags. This was when it was still the BAA and the Warriors played under the name the Philadelphia Warriors. Wilt Chamberlain was a major player for the Warriors from 1959 to 1965, with one highlight being that he scored 100 points in a single game in a 1962 match against the New York Knicks. Then future NBA superstar Stephen Curry was drafted to the Warriors in 2009 and since then has led the team to three NBA championships.
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