- Philadelphia 76ers: 9 Finals appearances
Philadelphia 76ers (previously Syracuse Nationals) has a 1-2 Finals record as the Syracuse Nationals, and a 2-4 Finals record as the Philadelphia 76ers. Some of the greatest centers in the history of the NBA have played in this franchise, such as Moses Malone and Wilt Chamberlain.
- New York Knicks: 8 Finals appearances
The New York Knicks is the oldest NBA franchise, having played at the most iconic venue in basketball lore. However, the Knicks has been surprisingly bad during this century. They only won twice at the NBA Finals during the times of Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.
- Detroit Pistons: 7 Finals appearances
Founded as the Fort Wayne Pistons, the Detroit Pistons become a cropper in its first two appearances at the NBA Finals. It made the Finals appearance again only in 1988 but won the two first champions in the following two seasons. The Pistons won their last Finals title in 2004.
- Chicago Bulls: 6 Finals appearances
The Chicago Bulls is the only team to have a perfect NBA Finals record on this list. The Bulls was led all 6 times by Michael Jordan to the NBA Finals during the 1990s.
- San Antonio Spurs: 6 Finals appearances
The Antonio Spurs has got a mostly perfect record in the NBA Finals, except for the solitary 7-game loss in the 2012-13 season to the Big Three Miami Heat. This formerly ABA franchise first made the Finals appearance and won the championship with Tim Duncan in the 1998-99 season.
- Miami Heat: 5 Finals appearances
Founded in the late 80s as an expansion franchise, the Miami Heat is a newer franchise in the NBA. They first made an NBA Finals appearance in 2006, winning it all with Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade playing the star roles.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Finals appearances
The Cavaliers has only LeBron James to credit for their five Finals appearances. They made their first NBA Finals appearance in the final year of James’s contract and their next four NBA Finals appearances, as well as their only victory, both came after James returned to them in 2016.