The 40–20 rule posits that a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) must win 40 games before losing 20 to have a chance at winning that year's championship. It was first publicized by 11-time NBA champion head coach Phil Jackson. Since the NBA added the three-point line in the 1979–80 season, all champions won 40 games before losing 20, except for five teams: the 1994–95 Houston Rockets, 2003–04 Detroit Pistons, 2005–06 Miami Heat, 2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks and the 2025–26 New York Knicks. The rule highlights how a team must be dominant over the first 60 games of the season to win a championship.
40-20 rule by season Updated through 2024 season Includes seasons since addition of 3-point line in 1979-80 season
^ Won championship despite failing to win 40 games before losing 20 times† Shortened season (not full 82 game schedule)
SeasonChampionRecord at 40th win1980Los Angeles Lakers40-171981Boston Celtics40-91982Los Angeles Lakers40-171983Philadelphia 76ers40-61984Boston Celtics40-121985Los Angeles Lakers40-161986Boston Celtics40-91987Los Angeles Lakers40-131988Los Angeles Lakers40-91989Detroit Pistons40-161990Detroit Pistons40-151991Chicago Bulls40-141992Chicago Bulls40-91993Chicago Bulls40-171994Houston Rockets40-151995Houston Rockets ^40-251996Chicago Bulls40-31997Chicago Bulls40-51998Chicago Bulls40-151999 †San Antonio Spurs37-132000Los Angeles Lakers40-112001Los Angeles Lakers40-192002Los Angeles Lakers40-172003San Antonio Spurs40-172004Detroit Pistons ^40-252005San Antonio Spurs40-112006Miami Heat ^40-202007San Antonio Spurs40-182008Boston Celtics40-92009Los Angeles Lakers40-92010Los Angeles Lakers40-132011Dallas Mavericks40-162012 †Miami Heat40-152013Miami Heat40-142014San Antonio Spurs40-152015Golden State Warriors40-92016Cleveland Cavaliers40-142017Golden State Warriors40-72018Golden State Warriors40-102019Toronto Raptors40-162020 †Los Angeles Lakers40-122021 †Milwaukee Bucks ^40-242022Golden State Warriors40-132023Denver Nuggets40-182024Boston Celtics40-122025Oklahoma City Thunder40-92026New York Knicks ^40-22
Recent developments Since 2020, the 2019–20 Miami Heat, 2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks, 2021–2022 Boston Celtics, 2022–23 Heat, 2023–24 Dallas Mavericks, 2024–25 Indiana Pacers and 2025–26 New York Knicks have all made the Finals, despite not qualifying for the 40–20 rule. Although only the Bucks and Knicks ended their campaign victorious, it is worth noting that, with load management, players are playing fewer games than ever before, making the rule potentially more difficult to achieve in the future.
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