Seven different West Finals teams in seven seasons: a first for either conference

NBA Communications points out that the Western Conference has sent seven different teams to the NBA Finals in the last seven seasons — a first for either conference. With the 2026-27 season tipping off on Tuesday, October 20, the West Finals berth is open again.

The Western Conference has sent seven different teams to the NBA Finals in the last seven seasons – a first for either conference.

Who will represent the West in the NBA Finals this season? The 2026-27 NBA season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20.@AmericanExpress NBA Tip-Off pic.twitter.com/htfc1rKnSG

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 13, 2026

The seven West Finals teams

• 2019-20: Los Angeles Lakers. Beat Miami 4-2 in the Finals (bubble season).
• 2020-21: Phoenix Suns. Lost to Milwaukee 2-4 in the Finals.
• 2021-22: Golden State Warriors. Beat Boston 4-2 in the Finals.
• 2022-23: Denver Nuggets. Beat Miami 4-1 in the Finals for the franchise’s first title.
• 2023-24: Dallas Mavericks. Lost to Boston 1-4 in the Finals.
• 2024-25: Oklahoma City Thunder. Beat Indiana 4-3 in the Finals.
• 2025-26: San Antonio Spurs. Lost to New York 1-4 in the Finals.

Seven seasons, seven different franchises. No repeat West Finals team in that stretch.

What the stretch shows

Four of the seven West representatives won the championship: the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets and Thunder. The Suns, Mavericks and Spurs each fell short in the Finals. Basketball-Reference and NBA.com’s champions lists line up with the sequence NBA Communications highlighted.

The East has not matched that kind of turnover at the Finals level over the same window. The West’s path from the bubble Lakers through last spring’s Spurs is the widest Finals rotation either conference has posted in a seven-year span.

What to watch in 2026-27

NBA Communications asks who will represent the West in the Finals this season. Preseason favorites will shift once the first tips land. WhyNBA’s standings hub switches to live 2026-27 records after the first regular-season final on October 20.