[4] In 1985, to ease the amount of cross-country travel, it was changed to a 2–3–2 format, in which the first two and last two games of the series were played at the arena of the team who earned home-court advantage by having the better record during the regular season.

After being founded in 1946, the Basketball Association of America completed its inaugural season in April 1947 with the Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Chicago Stags in the 1947 BAA Finals in five games.

Led by future Hall of Famer George Mikan, the Lakers won the third and final BAA championship in 1949 over the Red Auerbach-coached Washington Capitals.

In 1964, Chamberlain, who had moved to the state of California alongside his team, led the San Francisco Warriors to a Western Division championship, but again failed to conquer the Celtics.

The following season, he returned to the Eastern Division to join the Philadelphia 76ers after the former Syracuse Nationals relocated to the city to cover the vacancy created by the Warriors.

Russell utilized this newly lacking mobility in West to organize fast breaks at every opportunity for the Celtics, which allowed them to gain an early lead.

[11] The following season had another first-time champion, as the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, defeated the Baltimore Bullets.

In 1976, the Phoenix Suns, after only eight years of existence, overcame an 18–27 losing record early in the regular season to build a remarkable run to finish 42–40.

[13] The team, nicknamed the "Sunderella Suns," achieved upset victories over the Seattle SuperSonics and the Warriors, before facing the Celtics in the Finals.

Franchises that won their first titles in the 1970s included the New York Knicks in 1970, Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and the Washington Bullets, who defeated the Seattle SuperSonics, in 1978.

The 1987 Finals included Johnson hitting a hook shot with two seconds left in Game 4 to give the Lakers a 107–106 win and a 3–1 series lead.

The Pistons were nicknamed the "Bad Boys" due to their rough, physical play led by future Hall of Fame guards Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas and a rugged front court with Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.

The Bulls, led by head coach Phil Jackson and star players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, won six titles in six Finals appearances from 1991 to 1998.

After the Bulls took a 3–0 series lead, Seattle won the next two games after point guard Gary Payton asked his coach George Karl to be switched onto Jordan.

Led by Dream Team Olympians John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz were defeated in both Finals by the Bulls in six games.

Jackson retired following this season, which set off a chain reaction that resulted in most of the team, including Jordan and Pippen, leaving the Bulls.

The 2000s were largely dominated by the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, who appeared in a combined eleven Finals to win nine championships in twelve seasons.

The Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games, led by their "Big Three" superstars of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.

The 2010s were distinguished by the continued excellence of LeBron James, who appeared in nine NBA Finals in ten seasons, winning four titles, while playing for three different franchises.

The decade also saw the ascent of the Golden State Warriors, emerging as a dominant force in the Western Conference with six NBA Finals appearances and four titles in eight seasons.

During the 2010 off-season, the Miami Heat re-signed team captain Dwyane Wade and added James and Chris Bosh via free agency to form a new "Big Three.

The Heat returned to the Finals in the following year against a young Oklahoma City Thunder team featuring future MVPs Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant.

[20] Miami sought a three-peat in a 2014 rematch with the Spurs, but this time San Antonio prevailed in five games, winning the fifth and final title of Tim Duncan's career.

The Warriors drew first blood in the 2015 NBA Finals, coming back from a 2–1 deficit to win the series 4–2, despite James' historic efforts.

The Warriors opened up a 3–1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, but James and Irving led the Cavaliers to two straight victories to force a deciding Game 7.

[22] In the subsequent off-season, the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant through free agency, forming what many considered to be one of the greatest teams ever assembled.

[23] In 2017, the Warriors set a playoff record of 15 consecutive wins en route to a five-game victory in the Finals, followed by a dominant sweep in 2018.

Toronto prevailed in six games after season-ending injuries to stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, resulting in the first NBA title for a team based outside the United States.

[28] After missing the playoffs two years in a row due to injuries and roster changes, the Warriors returned to the 2022 NBA Finals for their sixth appearance in eight seasons.

[33] As part of a multiyear partnership that began in 2018, internet television service YouTube TV became the presenting sponsor of the NBA Finals.