| Year |  |
Champion | Runner-up | G | MVP |
| 2002-03 | |
San Antonio Spurs | New Jersey Nets | 4-2 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| 2001-02 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | New Jersey Nets | 4-0 | Shaquille O'Neal, L.A.. |
| 2000-01 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-1 | Shaquille O'Neal, L.A.. |
| 1999-00 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana Pacers | 4-2 | Shaquille O'Neal, L.A.. |
| 1998-99 | |
San Antonio Spurs | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Tim Duncan, S.A. |
| 1997-98 | |
Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1996-97 | |
Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1995-96 | |
Chicago Bulls | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1994-95 | |
Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic | 4-0 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Hou. |
| 1993-94 | |
Houston Rockets | New York Knicks | 4-3 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Hou. |
| 1992-93 | |
Chicago Bulls | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1991-92 | |
Chicago Bulls | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1990-91 | |
Chicago Bulls | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Michael Jordan, Chi. |
| 1989-90 | |
Detroit Pistons | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-1 | Isiah Thomas, Det. |
| 1988-89 | |
Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Joe Dumars, Det. |
| 1987-88 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | 4-3 | James Worthy, L.A. |
| 1986-87 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, L.A. |
| 1985-86 | |
Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | Larry Bird, Bos. |
| 1984-85 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. |
| 1983-84 | |
Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Larry Bird, Bos. |
| 1982-83 | |
Philadelphia 76ers | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Moses Malone, Phi. |
| 1981-82 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, L.A. |
| 1980-81 | |
Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | Cedric Maxwell, Bos. |
| 1979-80 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Magic Johnson, L.A. |
| 1978-79 | |
Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets | 4-1 | Dennis Johnson, Sea. |
| 1977-78 | |
Washington Bullets | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Wes Unseld, Was. |
| 1976-77 | |
Portland Trail Blazers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Bill Walton, Por. |
| 1975-76 | |
Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | Jo Jo White, Bos. |
| 1974-75 | |
Golden State Warriors | Washington Bullets | 4-0 | Rick Barry, G.S. |
| 1973-74 | |
Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-3 | John Havlicek, Bos. |
| 1972-73 | |
New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Willis Reed, N.Y. |
| 1971-72 | |
Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Wilt Chamberlain, L.A. |
| 1970-71 | |
Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets | 4-0 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mil. |
| 1969-70 | |
New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Willis Reed, N.Y. |
| 1968-69 | |
Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Jerry West, L.A. |
| 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 |