By: Daniel Iriarte The history of the NBA is written in gold and green… and also in purple and gold. The Boston Celtics dominate the record books with 18 championships, crowning themselves as the winningest franchise of all time. Their most dominant era arrived between 1957 and 1969, when they lifted 11 titles in 13 years, an unprecedented streak led by Bill Russell that redefined the concept of a dynasty in professional sports.

Very close, constantly lurking on that throne, are the Los Angeles Lakers with 17 championships. Their greatness is not limited to a single era: they conquered titles in different decades from the 50s with George Mikan, through the "Showtime" of the 80s with Magic Johnson, to the 5 championships between 2000 and 2010 with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, in addition to the most recent one in 2020 with LeBron James. A franchise that has managed to reinvent itself without losing prominence.

In the third historical tier appear the Golden State Warriors with 7 titles, highlighting their recent dominance with 4 championships between 2015 and 2022, driven by Stephen Curry. Further back, the Chicago Bulls signed one of the most iconic dynasties with 6 championships in 8 years (1991–1998), all led by the legend Michael Jordan. For their part, the San Antonio Spurs built a model of exemplary consistency with 5 titles between 1999 and 2014, always under the guidance of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich.

The statistics are overwhelming: the Celtics and Lakers together have 35 championships, more than a third of all titles in NBA history. However, the league continues to evolve, and while new franchises seek to break through, the historical giants continue to set the standard. In every Finals, not only a trophy is contested: the weight of history is also measured.