Which NBA Team Has the Most Championships?
By now, the Golden State Warriors are pretty used to the championship feeling. The franchise has won five NBA championships and is the favorite to win their third in four years this June.
But the Warriors' recent success can't rival that of many other teams.
The Celtics, who appear to be a contender despite significant injuries, have won 17 championships throughout their franchise history. The Los Angeles Lakers come in second place with 16.
The Celtics and Lakers stand alone at the top of the NBA. After them, the Chicago Bulls have won the third-most titles with six, all of which came during the Michael Jordan era in the 1990s. The Spurs (five) and Warriors rank in fourth place and three teams (Heat, Pistons, 76ers) are tied for fifth with three titles.
Boston, meanwhile, was led by Bill Russell and won 11 NBA championships from 1957-1969. Five years later, the Celtics won their 12th. And just two years after that, their 13th.
In the 1980s, Boston drafted legend Larry Bird, who led them to titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986 before succumbing to injuries. With 15 titles at the time, the Celtics had won significantly more championships than the second place Lakers, who had won 10 by 1986.
Although the Celtics would face a championship drought of over 20 years, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen would lead Boston to the glory land again in 2008, their most recent title.
