The list of teams with the most NBA Championships isn’t particularly long. As a matter of fact, there are still several franchises that haven’t even reached the NBA Finals once, let alone won a title.
List of teams with most NBA Championships
That speaks volumes of how competitive the NBA has always been and how difficult it is to stand out from the rest of the pack. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the list of franchises with the most rings.
Milwaukee Bucks – 2
The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t always been at their best, but they’ve had two of the greatest players in the history of this game. First, it was Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who teamed up with with legendary guard Oscar Robertson to lead the team to its first-ever NBA finals appearance and title in 1971.
Then, exactly fifty years later, Giannis Antetokounmpo fulfilled his promise of leading the team to a championship. They also made it to the NBA Finals in 1974, so it had been quite a long while until they were able to compete at the highest level again.
Houston Rockets – 2
No team made the most of Michael Jordan‘s retirement more than the Houston Rockets. Legendary big man Hakeem Olajuwon established himself as the best player in the Association, leading them to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 while Jordan was away.
Notably, the Rockets had made the NBA Finals in 1981 and 1986 before those titles, and they haven’t been able to reach the ultimate stage ever since. James Harden was quite close to pulling that off, however.
New York Knicks – 2
New York Knicks fans have suffered more than the average sports fan. Despite having one of the strongest fanbases and one of then most valuable teams in all of sports, the Knicks haven’t been actual contenders in a very, very long time.
This franchise has had its fair share of legendary players, and they even managed to win the NBA championship in 1970 and 1973. They were also in the biggest series in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, and 1999, going just 2-5 in the NBA Finals thus far.
Miami Heat – 3
To be one of the youngest franchises in the league and still be among the teams with the most NBA rings speaks volumes of the great job the Miami Heat have done as an organization. More often than not, they’ve been a contending team and an appealing destination for stars.
The Heat owe most of their success to team legend Dwyane Wade, who was a vital part of the team in every single one of their title runs. They were crowned in 2006, 2012, and 2013, but were also on the losing end of this stage in 2011, 2014, and 2020.
Detroit Pistons – 3
Not many people talk about the Detroit Pistons as one of the elite franchises in the NBA, and that’s a mistake. Not only were they the driving force in the NBA in the 1980s, but they also could’ve even won more rings if it wasn’t for Isiah Thomas‘ broken ankle.
The Bad Boys were the team everybody loved to hate in the league, but they still won the title in 1989 and 1990 as the biggest villains in the game. Then, they kept that same hardnosed and physical identity to upset the Los Angeles Lakers’ Fab Four in 2004. They also lost the Finals in 1955, 1956, 1988, and 2005.
Philadelphia 76ers – 3
Just like it happened with the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers have had quite a tough time getting back to their winning ways. They’re one of the most storied teams in the league and have arguably the loudest and most loyal fanbase on Earth, but that hasn’t always translated into success.
Even so, the City of Brotherly Love has been able to celebrate three titles. They won the ring in 1955, 1967, and 1983, and have had several superstars pursuing that fourth ring ever since. Allen Iverson was close in 2001, but the Lakers were too much to handle. They also made the Finals in 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, and 1982.
San Antonio Spurs – 5
The San Antonio Spurs were blessed with one of the top coaches in league history: Gregg Popovich. Popovich overcame a slow start to his coaching career, and slowly silenced his doubters by setting the standard for what a winning and respectable organization should look like.
Of course, having David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili also did plenty to help his case, but his scouting and developing were always elite. Coach Pop and Duncan were a part of every single one of the team’s titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014, with 2013 being the only time they lost in the NBA Finals.
Chicago Bulls – 6
The Chicago Bulls had several of the greatest teams of all-time, all with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen at the helm. Legendary coach Phil Jackson helped them embrace the triangle offense and dominate the league like no other team had done since the Bill Russell days, and that may not happen again soon.
Once Jordan got a taste of glory, he had the league in a chokehold and never looked back. The Chicago Bulls are the only team that has won multiple NBA championships without ever losing in the NBA Finals, winning two three-peats in 1991, 1992, and 1993, and then in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Golden State Warriors – 7
The Golden State Warriors had to go through a lot to go back to their old glory days. They had been used to being a bottom-feeding organization for the better part of their history, and now they’ll go down as one of the greatest NBA dynasties we have ever seen.
The Dubs had three rings from 1947, 1956, and 1975. Then, they put together a remarkable team through the Draft, adding the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson alongside Draymond Green and capping it off by hiring Steve Kerr. They won the NBA championship in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Golden State also broke the record for the most wins in a regular season campaign (73), and made it to five straight NBA Finals. They lost in 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, and 2019, though.
Boston Celtics – 17
For years, the Boston Celtics stood alone as the team with the most NBA Championships. Most of those came from the early days of the league, with Bill Russell winning a whopping 11 championships in 13 years. That won’t happen ever again because the league is in a much better place now.
The Celtics have had more legendary teams since. The Larry Bird era was the last time they found success before Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen got them their 17th ring. They won the Finals in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, and 2008, and lost in 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010, 2022.
Los Angeles Lakers – 17
No team has gone to the NBA Finals more times than the Los Angeles Lakers. However, they’re still tied with the Boston Celtics for the most rings in the NBA. They’ve gone 17-15 in 32 trips to the Finals, and it took them a very long time before being able to shake off the Celtics’ dominance.
But the Lakers became the team to beat in the league as soon as they got their act together.
They’ve had the greatest players in NBA history and won the Finals in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, and 2020. Unfortunately, they also lost in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, and 2008.
