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Raptors players celebrate with the trophy. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The NBA Finals series is culmination of the NBA season. It is the equivalent of a grand final series that decides the winner of the NBA season, played over seven games.
The Toronto Raptors are the reigning NBA champions, after they defeated the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 finals.
The regular season traditionally ends in mid-April, with the playoffs starting just days later. The NBA Finals, following the playoffs, traditionally commence in June.
To qualify for the NBA Finals, teams must finish in the top eight places of their respective conference, and win their way through conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals to become conference champions.
To date, the Boston Celtics have the most NBA titles with 17, while Los Angeles Lakers franchise is next-best with 16 (although five of those were won in Minneapolis). The Chicago Bulls are equal-third, but have the distinction of having never lost an NBA finals series – being the only team to do so while having played more than one series.
