About this chart race
Eighty seasons, eighty titles, and only 21 franchises have ever won one. The Minneapolis Lakers led from 1950 after five titles in six years, then Boston produced the most dominant run in American sport: 11 championships in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969. The Celtics took the lead in 1963 and have never lost it since, but the margin has been under threat twice. The Lakers drew level at 17 apiece in 2020, and Boston answered with an 18th in 2024. The 2026 title went to the New York Knicks, their first since 1973.
This animated ranking shows how cumulative nba championships changed across 21 series between 1947 and 2026. The bars re-order themselves as the years advance, so overtakes are visible as they happen rather than hidden inside a table. Use the list on the left to choose exactly who competes, drag the slider to jump to any year, or open the table view to read the underlying numbers.
As of 2026, Boston Celtics leads with 18.
Included in this race
Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Baltimore Bullets, Atlanta Hawks.
Source
Data from Wikipedia - List of NBA champions. Every figure shown comes from this source — nothing is estimated or generated.
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