We took NBA.com's list of champions and, from 1955-56 on, followed each title team through the next season with NBA.com's standings and playoff games.
How often do NBA champions repeat?
Twenty-three times in 79 tries, 29 percent. The rate has fallen. Before 1970 champions repeated 11 times in 23 seasons, eight of them by the Boston Celtics; from 1970 on, 12 of 56, or 21 percent, and since 2000, 5 of 26, or 19 percent.
Over the 70 title defenses since 1955-56, the champion won again 20 times and lost in the Finals 12 more, so it got back to the Finals in 32 seasons, 46 percent. Of the rest, 14 lost in the conference finals (division finals until 1969-70), 14 in the second round, 8 in the first, and two missed the playoffs.
When a defending champion did lose, it was often to the team that went on to win. That was the case in 20 of the 48 defenses that ended in a series loss.
NBA back-to-back champions and three-peats
Thirteen times a team has won at least two titles in a row. Five of those runs reached three or more, and one reached eight:
- Minneapolis Lakers: 1948-49 and 1949-50, then three in a row from 1951-52 to 1953-54.
- Boston Celtics: eight in a row from 1958-59 to 1965-66, then 1967-68 and 1968-69.
- Los Angeles Lakers: 1986-87 and 1987-88; three in a row from 1999-00 to 2001-02; 2008-09 and 2009-10.
- Detroit Pistons: 1988-89 and 1989-90.
- Chicago Bulls: three in a row twice, 1990-91 to 1992-93 and 1995-96 to 1997-98.
- Houston Rockets: 1993-94 and 1994-95.
- Miami Heat: 2011-12 and 2012-13.
- Golden State Warriors: 2016-17 and 2017-18, both over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The last NBA team to repeat
Golden State, in 2018. NBA.com's list has the Warriors beating Cleveland 4-1 in the 2017 Finals and 4-0 in 2018. They went back a third straight time in 2019 and lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games.
Since then no defending champion has even reached the Finals, seven seasons in a row, the longest such stretch since 1955-56; the previous longest was five. The Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Celtics all went out in the second round, and the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers in the first. The Thunder came closest: 64-18 and the league's best record in 2025-26, they lost the Western Conference finals to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.
Counting Golden State's 2019 loss, that makes eight failed title defenses in a row, the second-longest streak. The record is 18, from the 1968-69 Celtics to the 1985-86 Celtics; the 1986-87 Lakers ended it by repeating in 1987-88.
Defending NBA champion next-season record
Champions usually get a little worse. Their average winning percentage fell from .722 in the title season to .682 the next, about 59.2 wins to 55.9 on an 82-game schedule, 3.3 fewer. In 44 of 70 cases the record got worse, in 23 it improved, and three teams matched it exactly.
The 1997-98 Chicago Bulls went 62-20, then 13-37 in a season cut to 50 games, and missed the playoffs. The 1968-69 Celtics went from 48-34 to 34-48 and also missed. The 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers dropped from 65-17 to 52-30, and the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks from 57-25 to 36-30 in 66 games.
Some did better. The 1974-75 Warriors went from 48-34 to 59-23, the 1977-78 Washington Bullets from 44-38 to 54-28, and the 2011-12 Miami Heat from 46-20 in a 66-game season to 66-16 and a second title.
NBA title defenses by era
Grouped by the decade the title season ended, the 1960s Celtics carried the early numbers: seven repeats in 10 tries. No 1970s champion repeated, the only full decade without one, though its champions won as often the next season as in the title season, on average. The 1990s show the biggest drop, about half of it from the 1998-99 Bulls.
The 2020s, six defenses so far, have no repeat and no return to the Finals. The Lakers slipped to 42-30 the season after the 2020 title and went out to the Phoenix Suns in six games; the Celtics went 61-21 after their 2024 title and lost to the Knicks in six.
Knicks defending champions in 2026-27
The Knicks won the 2025-26 title, their first since 1973, after winning the NBA Cup in December. They went 53-29 in the regular season, tied for the sixth-best record, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games, swept the 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and beat the Spurs 4-1 in the Finals. NBA.com's review names Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby as the core of that team, coached by Mike Brown.
Their record is lower than most champions'. Only 13 of the 70 champions since 1955-56 won the title with a winning percentage at or below the Knicks' .646, and none of those 13 repeated; two, the 1956-57 Celtics and the 1977-78 Bullets, lost in the next Finals. The same 53-29 belonged to the 2021-22 Warriors and the 2022-23 Nuggets, and both went out in the second round the next season.
The 2026-27 season opened on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with the Knicks at home against the 76ers, who won 106-100, and through Nov. 2 the Knicks were 3-4. On Christmas Day they play the Spurs at Madison Square Garden in a rematch of the Finals. The regular season ends on April 11, 2027.
The NBA schedule lists every Knicks game, and the NBA simulator lets you play the season out game by game. For how the title connects to the regular season, see how often the best record wins the NBA title and how often the MVP's team wins it.
Every NBA champion and its next season
| Title season | Champion | Record | Next season | Next playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 68-14 | 64-18 | Lost conf. finals |
| 2023-24 | Boston Celtics | 64-18 | 61-21 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2022-23 | Denver Nuggets | 53-29 | 57-25 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2021-22 | Golden State Warriors | 53-29 | 44-38 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2020-21 | Milwaukee Bucks | 46-26 | 51-31 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2019-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | 52-19 | 42-30 | Lost 1st round |
| 2018-19 | Toronto Raptors | 58-24 | 53-19 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2017-18 | Golden State Warriors | 58-24 | 57-25 | Lost Finals |
| 2016-17 | Golden State Warriors | 67-15 | 58-24 | Won title |
| 2015-16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 57-25 | 51-31 | Lost Finals |
| 2014-15 | Golden State Warriors | 67-15 | 73-9 | Lost Finals |
| 2013-14 | San Antonio Spurs | 62-20 | 55-27 | Lost 1st round |
| 2012-13 | Miami Heat | 66-16 | 54-28 | Lost Finals |
| 2011-12 | Miami Heat | 46-20 | 66-16 | Won title |
| 2010-11 | Dallas Mavericks | 57-25 | 36-30 | Lost 1st round |
| 2009-10 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57-25 | 57-25 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2008-09 | Los Angeles Lakers | 65-17 | 57-25 | Won title |
| 2007-08 | Boston Celtics | 66-16 | 62-20 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2006-07 | San Antonio Spurs | 58-24 | 56-26 | Lost conf. finals |
| 2005-06 | Miami Heat | 52-30 | 44-38 | Lost 1st round |
| 2004-05 | San Antonio Spurs | 59-23 | 63-19 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2003-04 | Detroit Pistons | 54-28 | 54-28 | Lost Finals |
| 2002-03 | San Antonio Spurs | 60-22 | 57-25 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2001-02 | Los Angeles Lakers | 58-24 | 50-32 | Lost 2nd round |
| 2000-01 | Los Angeles Lakers | 56-26 | 58-24 | Won title |
| 1999-00 | Los Angeles Lakers | 67-15 | 56-26 | Won title |
| 1998-99 | San Antonio Spurs | 37-13 | 53-29 | Lost 1st round |
| 1997-98 | Chicago Bulls | 62-20 | 13-37 | Missed playoffs |
| 1996-97 | Chicago Bulls | 69-13 | 62-20 | Won title |
| 1995-96 | Chicago Bulls | 72-10 | 69-13 | Won title |
| 1994-95 | Houston Rockets | 47-35 | 48-34 | Lost 2nd round |
| 1993-94 | Houston Rockets | 58-24 | 47-35 | Won title |
| 1992-93 | Chicago Bulls | 57-25 | 55-27 | Lost 2nd round |
| 1991-92 | Chicago Bulls | 67-15 | 57-25 | Won title |
| 1990-91 | Chicago Bulls | 61-21 | 67-15 | Won title |
| 1989-90 | Detroit Pistons | 59-23 | 50-32 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1988-89 | Detroit Pistons | 63-19 | 59-23 | Won title |
| 1987-88 | Los Angeles Lakers | 62-20 | 57-25 | Lost Finals |
| 1986-87 | Los Angeles Lakers | 65-17 | 62-20 | Won title |
| 1985-86 | Boston Celtics | 67-15 | 59-23 | Lost Finals |
| 1984-85 | Los Angeles Lakers | 62-20 | 62-20 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1983-84 | Boston Celtics | 62-20 | 63-19 | Lost Finals |
| 1982-83 | Philadelphia 76ers | 65-17 | 52-30 | Lost 1st round |
| 1981-82 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57-25 | 58-24 | Lost Finals |
| 1980-81 | Boston Celtics | 62-20 | 63-19 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1979-80 | Los Angeles Lakers | 60-22 | 54-28 | Lost 1st round |
| 1978-79 | Seattle SuperSonics | 52-30 | 56-26 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1977-78 | Washington Bullets | 44-38 | 54-28 | Lost Finals |
| 1976-77 | Portland Trail Blazers | 49-33 | 58-24 | Lost 2nd round |
| 1975-76 | Boston Celtics | 54-28 | 44-38 | Lost 2nd round |
| 1974-75 | Golden State Warriors | 48-34 | 59-23 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1973-74 | Boston Celtics | 56-26 | 60-22 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1972-73 | New York Knicks | 57-25 | 49-33 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1971-72 | Los Angeles Lakers | 69-13 | 60-22 | Lost Finals |
| 1970-71 | Milwaukee Bucks | 66-16 | 63-19 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1969-70 | New York Knicks | 60-22 | 52-30 | Lost conf. finals |
| 1968-69 | Boston Celtics | 48-34 | 34-48 | Missed playoffs |
| 1967-68 | Boston Celtics | 54-28 | 48-34 | Won title |
| 1966-67 | Philadelphia 76ers | 68-13 | 62-20 | Lost div. finals |
| 1965-66 | Boston Celtics | 54-26 | 60-21 | Lost div. finals |
| 1964-65 | Boston Celtics | 62-18 | 54-26 | Won title |
| 1963-64 | Boston Celtics | 59-21 | 62-18 | Won title |
| 1962-63 | Boston Celtics | 58-22 | 59-21 | Won title |
| 1961-62 | Boston Celtics | 60-20 | 58-22 | Won title |
| 1960-61 | Boston Celtics | 57-22 | 60-20 | Won title |
| 1959-60 | Boston Celtics | 59-16 | 57-22 | Won title |
| 1958-59 | Boston Celtics | 52-20 | 59-16 | Won title |
| 1957-58 | St. Louis Hawks | 41-31 | 49-23 | Lost div. finals |
| 1956-57 | Boston Celtics | 44-28 | 49-23 | Lost Finals |
| 1955-56 | Philadelphia Warriors | 45-27 | 37-35 | Lost div. semifinals |
NBA repeat champions: frequently asked questions
How often do NBA champions repeat? 23 of 79 champions from 1946-47 to 2024-25 won the next title, 29 percent. Since 2000 it has happened 5 times in 26 seasons.
Who was the last NBA team to win back-to-back titles? The Golden State Warriors, in 2016-17 and 2017-18. None of the seven champions since has repeated.
How many NBA teams have won three titles in a row? Three franchises, five times: the Lakers twice (in Minneapolis from 1951-52 to 1953-54 and in Los Angeles from 1999-00 to 2001-02), the Boston Celtics (eight straight from 1958-59 to 1965-66) and the Chicago Bulls twice.
How do defending NBA champions do the next season? On average they win about 3.3 fewer games on an 82-game pace, and 46 percent of them reach the Finals again. Only two missed the playoffs: the 1969-70 Celtics and the 1998-99 Bulls.
When did the Knicks start their title defense? On Oct. 20, 2026, at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, who won 106-100. Through Nov. 2 the Knicks were 3-4.
How this was built: repeats are counted on NBA.com's list of champions, every season from 1946-47 to 2025-26. For the 70 champions from 1955-56 to 2024-25, regular-season records come from each season's final standings and playoff runs from every playoff game in NBA.com's stats database, with each series placed in its round by counting back from the Finals; play-in games are not counted as playoff series. In every season the champion, runner-up and Finals result match NBA.com's list. Earlier champions are left out of the record and round analysis because those seasons' standings and playoff games were not in our data.