The 40âÂÂ20 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 1979âÂÂ80 season, all champions won 40 games before losing 20, except for four teams: the 1994âÂÂ95 Houston Rockets, 2003âÂÂ04 Detroit Pistons, 2005âÂÂ06 Miami Heat, and the 2020âÂÂ21 Milwaukee Bucks. The rule highlights how a team must be dominant over the first 60 games of the season to win a championship.
Since 2020, the 2019âÂÂ20 Miami Heat, 2020âÂÂ21 Milwaukee Bucks, 2021âÂÂ2022 Boston Celtics, 2022âÂÂ23 Heat, 2023âÂÂ24 Dallas Mavericks, and 2024âÂÂ25 Indiana Pacers have all made the Finals, despite not qualifying for the 40âÂÂ20 rule. Although only the Bucks ended their campaign victorious, it is worth noting that, with load management, star players more likely to miss games in the modern NBA, making the rule potentially more difficult to achieve in the future.