The Milwaukee Bucks begin their NBA title defense on opening night of the 2021-22 season Tuesday, hosting the Brooklyn Nets in an Eastern Conference heavyweight showdown.
Milwaukee snapped a 50-year championship drought when it erased a 2-0 series deficit with four straight wins over the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 Finals. Now, Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. will be trying to become the first team to repeat as champions since the Steph Curry-Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
But the road to a repeat won’t be easy, as several teams look primed to challenge Milwaukee for this season’s Larry O'Brien Trophy.
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SIGN UP HERE Before a champion is crowned in 2022, here’s a look back at the history of past title winners and non-winners:
Which NBA franchise has won the most championships?
The most storied rivalry in NBA history features the two franchises who have won the most championships. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are tied for the most titles with 17.
Boston and L.A. have met in the Finals a record 12 times, with the Celtics taking nine of those head-to-head matchups. Their most recent Finals bout came in 2010, when Finals MVP Kobe Bryant led the Lakers past the Celtics in seven games. They also squared off two years prior to that, with the C’s winning in six games.
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There’s a big drop-off after the Celtics and Lakers. The Warriors and Chicago Bulls are tied for the third-most championships with six. All of the Bulls’ titles came during the Michael Jordan era in the 1990s, courtesy of two three-peats. Meanwhile, the Dubs captured half of their titles within the last decade, winning three of four from 2015-18.
Sitting alone in fifth with five championships are the San Antonio Spurs. Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan were the foundation of a dynasty in San Antonio that won all five of the franchise’s titles from 1999-2014.
Sitting outside the top five are the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers with three championships apiece.
Which NBA franchises have never won a championship?
There are 11 franchises who have never won an NBA championship: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.
Of that group, only the Pacers, Nets, Suns, Jazz and Magic have reached the Finals. The Suns have suffered the most Finals losses of any franchise without a title, losing to Boston in 1976, Chicago in 1993 and Milwaukee in 2021.
What is the longest current NBA championship drought?
The longest current title drought doesn’t actually belong to a franchise that has never won one. The Sacramento Kings last took home a championship in 1951, when they were the Rochester Royals. That 70-year stretch without a title currently stands as the longest drought. Sacramento also owns the longest active playoff drought at 15 years, which is tied for the all-time record.
The Atlanta Hawks, who last won it all in 1958 as the St. Louis Hawks, have gone the second-longest stretch without a championship at 63 years, followed by the Suns at 53 years.
Who are the winners of each NBA championship?
Here’s a look at every NBA champion in league history:
1947: Philadelphia Warriors
1948: Baltimore Bullets
1949: Minneapolis Lakers
1950: Minneapolis Lakers
1951: Rochester Royals
1952: Minneapolis Lakers
1953: Minneapolis Lakers
1954: Minneapolis Lakers
1955: Syracuse Nationals
1956: Philadelphia Warriors
1957: Boston Celtics
1958: St. Louis Hawks
1959: Boston Celtics
1960: Boston Celtics
1961: Boston Celtics
1962: Boston Celtics
1963: Boston Celtics
1964: Boston Celtics
1965: Boston Celtics
1966: Boston Celtics
1967: Philadelphia 76ers
1968: Boston Celtics
1969: Boston Celtics
1970: New York Knicks
1971: Milwaukee Bucks
1972: Los Angeles Lakers
1973: New York Knicks
1974: Boston Celtics
1975: Golden State Warriors
1976: Boston Celtics
1977: Portland Trail Blazers
1978: Washington Bullets
1979: Seattle SuperSonics
1980: Los Angeles Lakers
1981: Boston Celtics
1982: Los Angeles Lakers
1983: Philadelphia 76ers
1984: Boston Celtics
1985: Los Angeles Lakers
1986: Boston Celtics
1987: Los Angeles Lakers
1988: Los Angeles Lakers
1989: Detroit Pistons
1990: Detroit Pistons
1991: Chicago Bulls
1992: Chicago Bulls
1993: Chicago Bulls
1994: Houston Rockets
1995: Houston Rockets
1996: Chicago Bulls
1997: Chicago Bulls
1998: Chicago Bulls
1999: San Antonio Spurs
2000: Los Angeles Lakers
2001: Los Angeles Lakers
2002: Los Angeles Lakers
2003: San Antonio Spurs
2004: Detroit Pistons
2005: San Antonio Spurs
2006: Miami Heat
2007: San Antonio Spurs
2008: Boston Celtics
2009: Los Angeles Lakers
2010: Los Angeles Lakers
2011: Dallas Mavericks
2012: Miami Heat
2013: Miami Heat
2014: San Antonio Spurs
2015: Golden State Warriors
2016: Cleveland Cavaliers
2017: Golden State Warriors
2018: Golden State Warriors
2019: Toronto Raptors
2020: Los Angeles Lakers
2021: Milwaukee Bucks