The confetti was still falling at the end of Game 5 in the 2024 Finals, and no doubt someone, somewhere was already asking: “Sure, these Celtics finally won the NBA title – but can they repeat?”
It’s a valid question. A common belief in professional sports is that winning two straight titles is the biggest mountain any team can climb, and we don’t disagree. But a check of basketball history reveals that repeating as champs is not all that unusual in the NBA – and the Celtics seem well-positioned to do it in 2025.
Repeat Championships in NBA History
- Minneapolis Lakers, 1949 and 1950
- Minneapolis Lakers, 1952, 1953, 1954
- Boston Celtics, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
- Boston Celtics, 1968, 1969
- LA Lakers, 1987, 1988
- Detroit Pistons, 1989, 1990
- Chicago Bulls, 1991, 1992, 1993
- Houston Rockets, 1994, 1995
- Chicago Bulls, 1996, 1997, 1998
- LA Lakers, 2000, 2001, 2002
- LA Lakers, 2009, 2010
- Miami Heat, 2012, 2013
- Golden State Warriors, 2017, 2018
A total of 21 franchises have won at least one of the 78 NBA* championships – but the title totals are extremely lopsided.