RRRochester Royals
RRRochester Royals has reached the nba champions decider on record (1950-51). 1 win against 0 runner-up finishes is recorded below, sourced from our full nba champions list.
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
RRRochester Royals — 1 nba champions (1950-51).
Franchise history
The Rochester Royals originated from the Rochester Seagrams, a semi-professional club founded in 1923. The team turned fully professional and joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the Rochester Royals, winning the NBL championship in their very first season. In 1948 the Royals jumped to the rival BAA; when the BAA and NBL merged in 1949, Rochester became a charter NBA franchise.
Led by All-NBA guard Bob Davies, center Arnie Risen, and coach Les Harrison, the Royals won the 1951 NBA championship, defeating the New York Knicks 4-3 in the Finals — the only NBA title in the franchise's history to date. Playing out of the small Edgerton Park Arena, the Royals struggled to compete financially with larger markets despite their on-court success. In 1957 the franchise left Rochester for Cincinnati, later moving to Kansas City (1972) and finally Sacramento (1985), where it remains today as the Sacramento Kings.
Sources
NBA Champions won (1)
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