A Complete Guide to NBA Finals All Years: Champions and MVPs
As I sit down to write this comprehensive guide to every NBA Finals in history, I can't help but reflect on how these championship moments define basketball greatness. Having followed the NBA for over two decades, I've witnessed firsthand how these finals not only crown champions but create legends. The recent quote from a current NBA star resonates deeply with me: "I believe I'm in my prime right now, so I'll try to show that come Saturday." This mindset perfectly captures what separates finals performers from regular season stars - that ability to elevate when everything's on the line.
Looking back at the very first NBA Finals in 1947, when it was still called the BAA Finals, the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags 4-1 in a best-of-seven series. Joe Fulks, who averaged over 23 points per game that series, set the template for what would become the Finals MVP performance, though the award didn't exist formally until 1969. The evolution of these championships tells the story of basketball itself - from those early days when teams would sometimes score in the 60s to today's high-flying offensive showcases. What fascinates me most is how certain players seem to save their best for these moments, much like today's stars who understand they're in their prime and want to prove it on the biggest stage.
The Boston Celtics' dominance from 1957 to 1969 remains, in my opinion, the most impressive stretch in sports history. Winning 11 championships in 13 years under Red Auerbach's leadership created a legacy that still influences how we think about team building today. Bill Russell's 11 rings stand as a record I don't believe will ever be broken, especially in today's player movement era. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry that began in those years and extended through the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird era of the 1980s created some of the most memorable basketball moments of my lifetime. Those finals weren't just games - they were cultural events that brought basketball to the mainstream.
When the NBA introduced the Finals MVP award in 1969, it changed how we perceive individual greatness in team success. Jerry West winning the first award despite his Lakers losing the series speaks volumes about how dominant performances can transcend final scores. I've always argued that West's achievement might be the most impressive individual finals performance in history, though many would point to Michael Jordan's six perfect Finals MVP records with the Bulls. Jordan's 1998 "Last Shot" against Utah remains etched in my memory - that moment when everyone in the building knew he'd take the final shot, and he still delivered. His 33.4 points per game average across 35 finals games demonstrates a level of consistency we may never see again.
The modern era has given us equally compelling narratives. LeBron James leading the Cavaliers back from 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors in 2016 stands out as perhaps the greatest finals comeback I've witnessed. His block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 symbolizes that never-say-die attitude that defines champions. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry finally capturing his first Finals MVP in 2022 after three previous championships shows how persistence pays off. The Warriors dynasty that began in 2015 has reshaped how teams approach roster construction and offensive philosophy, with their emphasis on three-point shooting becoming the league standard.
What often gets overlooked in these discussions is how international players have shaped recent finals history. Dirk Nowitzki's 2011 performance against the Miami Heat wasn't just a championship - it was validation for an entire playing style and development path. His one-legged fadeaway became the signature move that defeated a superteam, proving that individual brilliance can still triumph in the modern NBA. Similarly, Giannis Antetokounmpo's 50-point closeout game in 2021 announced the arrival of a new global superstar who could carry a franchise to glory.
The numbers themselves tell fascinating stories. The Lakers and Celtics combining for 34 of the 76 championships demonstrates the historical imbalance between franchises, though I'd argue this concentration of success actually helps the league's narrative. Superstars having their "prime" moments in the finals creates the iconic memories that fuel basketball's popularity. When players like Kawhi Leonard in 2019 or Kevin Durant in his Warriors years deliver championship performances, they're not just winning games - they're cementing their places in basketball history.
As I analyze these patterns across decades, what strikes me most is how the finals reveal players' true characters. The pressure exposes weaknesses and magnifies strengths in ways the regular season never could. That's why moments like Magic Johnson starting at center as a rookie in 1980 or Isiah Thomas scoring 25 points in a quarter on a badly sprained ankle in 1988 become legendary - they show athletes reaching beyond their physical limits when championships are at stake.
Looking toward the future, I'm excited to see how the next generation will add to this rich history. The emergence of international talent and the evolving style of play suggest we'll see even more dramatic finals in the coming years. But the fundamental truth remains unchanged: the NBA Finals represent the ultimate test where legends are made and careers are defined. That current player's statement about being in his prime and wanting to prove it on Saturday night? That's been the mindset of every great finals performer throughout history, from Russell to Jordan to James and beyond. They all understood that these moments define legacies, and that championship DNA separates the good from the truly great.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
