| 
Year
 | 
Champion
 | 
Runner-up
 | 
Series
 | 
MVP
 | 
| 
1998-99
 | 
San Antonio Spurs
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-1
 | 
Tim Duncan (Spurs)
 | 
| 
1997-98
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Utah Jazz
 | 
4-2
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1996-97
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Utah Jazz
 | 
4-2
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1995-96
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Seattle SuperSonics
 | 
4-2
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1994-95
 | 
Houston Rockets
 | 
Orlando Magic
 | 
4-0
 | 
Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets)
 | 
| 
1993-94
 | 
Houston Rockets
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-3
 | 
Hakeen Olajuwon (Rockets)
 | 
| 
1992-93
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Phoenix Suns
 | 
4-2
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1991-92
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Portland Trail Blazers
 | 
4-2
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1990-91
 | 
Chicago Bulls
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-1
 | 
Michael Jordan (Bulls)
 | 
| 
1989-90
 | 
Detroit Pistons
 | 
Portland Trail Blazers
 | 
4-1
 | 
Isiah Thomas (Pistons)
 | 
| 
1988-89
 | 
Detroit Pistons
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-0
 | 
Joe Dumars (Pistons)
 | 
| 
1987-88
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
Detroit Pistons
 | 
4-3
 | 
James Worthy (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1986-87
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
4-2
 | 
Magic Johnson (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1985-86
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Houston Rockets
 | 
4-2
 | 
Larry Bird (Celtics)
 | 
| 
1984-85
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
4-2
 | 
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1983-84
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-3
 | 
Larry Bird (Celtics)
 | 
| 
1982-83
 | 
Philadelphia 76ers
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-0
 | 
Moses Malone (76ers)
 | 
| 
1981-82
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
Philadelphia 76ers
 | 
4-2
 | 
Magic Johnson (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1980-81
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Houston Rockets
 | 
4-2
 | 
Cedric Maxwell (Celtics)
 | 
| 
1979-80
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
Philadelphia 76ers
 | 
4-2
 | 
Magic Johnson (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1978-79
 | 
Seattle SuperSonics
 | 
Washington Bullets
 | 
4-1
 | 
Dennis Johnson (Sonics)
 | 
| 
1977-78
 | 
Washington Bullets
 | 
Seattle SuperSonics
 | 
4-3
 | 
Wes Unseld (Bullets)
 | 
| 
1976-77
 | 
Portland Trail Blazers
 | 
Philadelphia 76ers 
 | 
4-2
 | 
Bill Walton (Blazers)
 | 
| 
1975-76
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Phoenix Suns
 | 
4-2
 | 
Jo Jo White (Celtics)
 | 
| 
1974-75
 | 
Golden State Warriors
 | 
Washington Bullets
 | 
4-0
 | 
Rick Barry (Warriors)
 | 
| 
1973-74
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Milwaukee Bucks
 | 
4-3
 | 
John Havlicek (Celtics)
 | 
| 
1972-73
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-1
 | 
Willis Reed (Knicks)
 | 
| 
1971-72
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-1
 | 
Wilt Chamberlain (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1970-71
 | 
Milwaukee Bucks
 | 
Baltimore Bullets
 | 
4-0
 | 
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bucks)
 | 
| 
1969-70
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-3
 | 
Willis Reed (Knicks)
 | 
| 
1968-69
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-3
 | 
Jerry West (Lakers)
 | 
| 
1967-68
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1966-67
 | 
Philadelphia 76ers
 | 
San Francisco Warriors
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1965-66
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1964-65
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1963-64
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
San Francisco Warriors
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1962-63
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1961-62
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Los Angeles Lakers
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1960-61
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
St. Louis Hawks
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1959-60
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
St. Louis Hawks
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1958-59
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
4-0
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1957-58
 | 
St. Louis Hawks
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1956-57
 | 
Boston Celtics
 | 
St. Louis Hawks
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1955-56
 | 
Philadelphia Warriors
 | 
Fort Wayne Pistons
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1954-55
 | 
Syracuse Nationals
 | 
Fort Wayne Pistons
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1953-54
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
Syracuse Nationals
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1952-53
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1951-52
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1950-51
 | 
Rochester Royals
 | 
New York Knicks
 | 
4-3
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1949-50
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
Syracuse Nationals
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1948-49
 | 
Minneapolis Lakers
 | 
Washington Capitols
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1947-48
 | 
Baltimore Bullets
 | 
Philadelphia Warriors
 | 
4-2
 | 
 
 | 
| 
1946-47
 | 
Philadelphia Warriors
 | 
Chicago Stags
 | 
4-1
 | 
 
 |