The Last 3 Winners Of The NBA Championship

The 2021-22 NBA season is finally underway stateside and while it is still very early days in this 82-game campaign, the top teams are already beginning to stamp their authority in their respective conferences and divisions — including the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors, who all boast impressive records up to this point.

With the last two seasons delayed and shortened due to the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, basketball fans all over the world will be delighted that this exciting NBA season has returned to its normal length, while those stateside will be able to revel in the thrills and spills of live-action as they return to their favourite venues for the first time in over 18 months.

So, as the standings begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months, let’s take a look back at the last three winners of the NBA Championship. Read on to find out more!

2021: Milwaukee Bucks

Often favored when betting on the NBA games with Betfair last season, the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the Central Division with 46 wins and 26 losses — a record that resulted in them finishing third in the Eastern Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks dispatched of Miami Heat with a comfortable 4-0 series win before coming from 3-2 down to knock out the Brooklyn Nets with a narrow 4-3 victory in the Conference semi-finals. Milwaukee lost their opening match of the Eastern Conference final at home to the Atlanta Hawks but fought back to win 4-2.

Clashing with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA finals, the Bucks were up against it after going 2-0 down in the first two matches in Arizona. However, they recovered well to level the series with successive wins at the Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin. Another win on their return to Phoenix meant the Bucks were heading back to their home court with a victory needed to land their second Championship title and they duly delivered with a 105-98 triumph.

2020: Los Angeles Lakers

The LA Lakers didn’t let the coronavirus pandemic, the stop-start nature of the 2019-20 season and the fact the latter portion of the campaign was played behind closed doors in a covid-safe bubble at Walt Disney World in Florida hinder their pursuit of landing their 17^th NBA title. They topped the Pacific Division with an impressive 52 wins and 19 draws, which was unsurprisingly enough to see them claim first place in the Western Conference. Successive 4-1 wins over the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets saw them progress to the NBA finals with considerable ease.

Miami Heat passed up the opportunity to win their fourth Championship title in their home state. The Lakers went 2-0 up after the first two games, and despite Miami pulling a game back, LA then led the series 3-1. Another Heat victory brought it back to 3-2 in the series, but the Lakers proved too strong as they won 106-93 to win the series 4-2.

2019: Toronto Raptors

The only Canadian team to currently play in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors won their first Championship title in 2019. Ending the regular season with a record of 58 wins and 24 losses, the Raptors topped the Atlantic Division but had to settle for second behind the Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings. A 4-1 win over Orlando Magic saw them progress to the semi-finals, where they beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a decisive match at the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario to win 4-3. Toronto came from 2-0 down to the Bucks in the Eastern Conference final to 4-2 and book their place in their first NBA final.

Having won the Championship three times in the previous four years, not many people would have given the Raptors much of a chance against the Golden State Warriors. However, the Canadian side held their nerve in the finals to beat the California-based outfit 4-2 to become the first Canadian side to win the title.