NBA Champions and Playoff MVPs

Here is a list of all the winners of the Larry O’Brien championship trophy, who they beat, and how many games the series lasted. O’Brien was NBA commissioner from 1975-1983.

The MVP of the NBA Finals earns the Bill Russell Most Valuable Player trophy, named for the Boston Celtics legend.

Year Champion Result Opponent Finals MVP
2010-11 Dallas Mavericks 4-2 Miami HEAT Dirk Nowitzki
2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Boston Celtics Kobe Bryant
2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Orlando Magic Kobe Bryant
2007-08 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers Paul Pierce
2006-07 San Antonio Spurs 4-0 Cleveland Cavaliers Tony Parker
2005-06 Miami Heat 4-2 Dallas Mavericks Dwyane Wade
2004-05 San Antonio Spurs 4-3 Detroit Pistons Tim Duncan
2003-04 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers Chauncey Billups
2002-03 San Antonio Spurs 4-2 New Jersey Nets Tim Duncan
2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 New Jersey Nets Shaquille O’Neal
2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Philadelphia 76ers Shaquille O’Neal
1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Indiana Pacers Shaquille O’Neal
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 New York Knicks Tim Duncan
1997-98 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz Michael Jordan
1996-97 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz Michael Jordan
1995-96 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Seattle SuperSonics Michael Jordan
1994-95 Houston Rockets 4-0 Orlando Magic Hakeem Olajuwon
1993-94 Houston Rockets 4-3 New York Knicks Hakeem Olajuwon
1992-93 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Phoenix Suns Michael Jordan
1991-92 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Portland Trail Blazers Michael Jordan
1990-91 Chicago Bulls 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers Michael Jordan
1989-90 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Portland Trail Blazers Isiah Thomas
1988-89 Detroit Pistons 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers Joe Dumars
1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Detroit Pistons James Worthy
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics Magic Johnson
1985-86 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets Larry Bird
1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1983-84 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers Larry Bird
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers Moses Malone
1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers Magic Johnson
1980-81 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets Cedric Maxwell
1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers Magic Johnson
1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics 4-1 Washington Bullets Dennis Johnson
1977-78 Washington Bullets 4-3 Seattle SuperSonics Wes Unseld
1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers Bill Walton
1975-76 Boston Celtics 4-2 Phoenix Suns Jo Jo White
1974-75 Golden State 4-0 Washington Bullets Rick Barry
1973-74 Boston Celtics 4-3 Milwaukee Bucks John Havlicek
1972-73 New York Knicks 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers Willis Reed
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks Wilt Chamberlain
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks 4-0 Baltimore Bullets Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1969-70 New York Knicks 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers Willis Reed
1968-69 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers Jerry West*
1967-68 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 San Francisco Warriors
1965-66 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1964-65 Boston Celtics 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
1963-64 Boston Celtics 4-1 San Francisco Warriors
1962-63 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers
1961-62 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
1960-61 Boston Celtics 4-1 St. Louis Hawks
1959-60 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks
1958-59 Boston Celtics 4-0 Minneapolis Lakers
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks 4-2 Boston Celtics
1956-57 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Fort Wayne Pistons
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals 4-3 Fort Wayne Pistons
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 Syracuse Nationals
1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks
1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 New York Knicks
1950-51 Rochester Royals 4-3 New York Knicks
1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Syracuse Nationals
1948-49 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Washington Capitols
1947-48 Baltimore Bullets 4-2 Philadelphia Warriors
1946-47 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Chicago Stags
* Only MVP from a losing team.