Which NBA Team Has The Most Championships? Hint: They have an amazing total of 17 rings
Do you know the answer to which NBA team has the most championships?
The NBA is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, captivating a vibrant audience with its star-studded selection of talented players. Historically, the league has been dominated by dynasties and great individual teams throughout its decades.
As a result, despite being in existence for more than three-quarters of a century, the NBA currently has just 5 franchises with more than 3 titles. Most avid NBA fans probably don’t have to ask themselves which NBA team has the most championships, as this answer always comes down to 2 franchises.
Which NBA Team has the Most Championships?
As of the 2022-2023 regular season, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are currently the teams with the most championships. Each team has won the NBA title a staggering 17 times, boasting numerous dynasties and legendary players.
The Boston Celtics won 11 of their 17 titles in a 13-year span from the 1956-1957 season to the 1968-1969 season, with large contributions from players such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek. During their dynasty the Celtics also set and still hold the record of 8 for the most NBA championships in a row team wise.
They also won 2 more titles in the 70s with John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, and Jo Jo White and 3 more in the 80s with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Their last title came during the 2007-2008 season with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
The Lakers franchise, headquartered in Minneapolis until 1960 before their move to Los Angles, won the most championships during the NBA’s early years. They won 5 titles in 6 seasons as the Minneapolis Lakers in the late 1940s and early 1950s, largely behind the dominant play of center George Mikan. They won their first title as the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1971-1972 season, with Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Gail Goodrich.
They won 5 more in the 1980s with the Showtime Lakers led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They won 3 titles in the early 2000s with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant and 2 more with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons. Their last title came during the 2019-2020 season with Lebron James and Anthony Davis.
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Which NBA team has the most championships and finals appearances?
While the Celtics and Lakers have both won 17 championships, the Lakers have many more finals appearances. The Lakers have 32 appearances in the NBA Finals to the Celtics 22 appearances.
Both franchises have faced each other 12 times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics holding a 9-3 advantage. However, the Lakers have won 3 out of the last 4, with the Celtics racking up most of their wins in the early days of the NBA in the 1960s.
NBA Teams Without Championships
10 NBA franchises in the league today currently have never won a championship. The Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz, while never having won a title, have all made 1 or more appearances in the NBA Finals. The Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans have never made an NBA Finals appearance.
NBA Most Winning Team
In terms of total wins, the NBA’s most successful franchise is the Boston Celtics with 3,513 wins through the end of the 2021-2022 season. In terms of winning percentage, the San Antonio Spurs are the most successful, with a .611 winning percentage through the end of the 2021-2022 season.
If there were an “NBA Most Championships Player Award” – Who has the most NBA Rings Top 10
While which NBA team has the most championships is often the focus of historians and fans, individual titles of players are important as well. While sometimes overblown in the grand scheme of a player’s career, a player’s NBA championship rings often indicate the important impact of his career.
There’s aren’t many players that can be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan when discussing the impact of their basketball career. But can you guess who has more rings than Jordan? Below are the top 10 players in terms of total championships won.
- Bill Russell – Celtics (11)
- Sam Jones – Celtics (10)
- Tom Heinsohn – Celtics (8) Tie for third
- K.C. Jones – Celtics (8) Tie for third
- Satch Sanders – Celtics (8) Tie for third
- John Havlicek – Celtics (8) Tie for third
- Jim Loscutoff – Celtics (7) Tie for seventh
- Frank Ramsey – Celtics (7) Tie for seventh
- Robert Horry – Rockets, Lakers, Spurs (7) Tie for seventh
- Bob Cousy – Celtics (6) Tie for tenth
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Bucks, Lakers (6) Tie for tenth
- Michael Jordan – Bulls (6) Tie for tenth
- Scottie Pippen – Bulls (6) Tie for tenth
So which NBA team has won the most championships?
Most sports fans know which NBA team has the most championships and championship appearances, namely the Celtics and Lakers. Both the Celtics and Lakers have won 17 titles, but the Lakers have 10 more total NBA Finals appearances. While both franchises have had great amounts of success, the Lakers have been the more dominant franchise during the modern-NBA era, starting in 1980.
Since 1980, the year the NBA introduced the 3-point shot, the Lakers have won 11 titles, while the Celtics have won just 4. However, the Celtics currently are in a better position overall in the 2022-2023 season and the foreseeable future, as they look to build on their historical success.
