Short answers, pulled from the story.
The NBA playoffs began in 1947 when the league was still called the Basketball Association of America. The first tournament was a three-stage event held over 21 days, with the Philadelphia Warriors winning the inaugural championship by defeating the Chicago Stags four games to one.
Teams finishing seventh through tenth in each conference compete in the play-in tournament. The seventh- and eighth-place teams play each other; the winner earns the seventh seed. The ninth and tenth seeds play an elimination game, with the winner facing the loser of the seven-eight game to determine the eighth and final playoff seed.
All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-seven series. Series follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning the higher seed hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts games 3, 4, and 6. This format has been used since 2014.
The Boston Celtics hold 18 NBA Finals series wins with an overall record of 18-5 in 23 appearances. The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 championships, making 19 Finals appearances, giving them the most Finals appearances of any franchise.
No eighth-seeded team has won the NBA championship as of 2025. Only six eighth seeds have won a first-round series; the 1998-99 New York Knicks and the 2022-23 Miami Heat are the only eighth seeds to reach the NBA Finals.
The 1977-78 Washington Bullets hold the lowest win total and winning percentage of any NBA champion, finishing the regular season 44-38. They defeated the 47-win Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals, making it the most recent Finals not to feature at least one 50-win team.