What NBA Teams Have Never Won a Championship?

It seems like every year, there’s a new NBA champion. But there are still a handful of teams who have never won it all.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Clippers were founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, one of three expansion teams to join the NBA that year. The Braves moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego, California in 1978 and became known as the San Diego Clippers. In 1984, the franchise moved to Los Angeles.

Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team is owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, who acquired controlling interest in the team in 2010. The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte.

The original Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team, and won two conference titles and one division title in its first six years of operation. In 2002, the franchise relocated to New Orleans and became known as the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004, the franchise faced severe financial difficulties due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The franchise’s ownership was then transferred to George Shinn, who put the team up for sale in 2010. After failing to find a suitable buyer, Shinn enlisted Jordan as a new partner in an attempt to revive interest in the team;Jordan then became majority owner of the Hornets after completing his purchase on March 18, 2010.

Since Jordan’s acquisition of the team, they have registered five winning seasons and made four playoff appearances: In 2014 they returned toCharlotte; In 2016 they qualified for their first playoffs since 2010; And again in 2017 and 2018. Although they have not yet won an NBA championship, they did win their first division title since 1999-2000 during the 2015-16 season, while also qualifying for their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2002.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The Grizzlies play their home games at FedExForum.

The team has reached the NBA Playoffs ten times in franchise history. They were first established as the Vancouver Grizzlies, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1995–96 season along with the Toronto Raptors. After six seasons in Vancouver, the team relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The Grizzlies were founded as an expansion club in 1995 and first took to the court for the 1995–96 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Timberwolves were established in 1989, but they have yet to make it to the NBA Finals. In fact, they have only made it to the playoffs 10 times in their franchise history and have never won a playoff series.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays their home games at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons officially known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. On January 24, 2013, the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans, effective after any pending trademark approvals.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Although the Oklahoma City Thunder have only been in existence since 2008, they have quickly become one of the most competitive teams in the NBA. The Thunder have made it to the playoffs nine times in their short history, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012. Despite their success, the Thunder have never won an NBA Championship.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and are one of four teams that have never won an NBA championship.

The Suns began play as an expansion team in 1968, and their first season was highlighted by the acquisition of future Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins from the Pittsburgh Pipers. The Suns made the playoffs for the first time in their second season, but were quickly swept by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. After failing to make the playoffs for the next two seasons, the Suns returned to postseason play in 1972 behind head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. However, they were again swept in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.

The Suns did not make it back to the playoffs until 1976, after acquiring All-Star center Alvan Adams from the Oklahoma City hosting Spirits. They went on to win fifty games for just the second time in franchise history, but were ultimately defeated by Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in six games during the first round of playoffs. The Suns would make three more trips to the playoffs over the next four seasons, but would never make it past the conference semifinals.

In 1992, newly appointed head coach Paul Westphal ledroit leur premier titre de la NBA en 1993 face aux Chicago Bulls de Michael Jordan en sept manches. Les années suivantes seront plus difficiles et les Suns passent presque à côté de leur saison 1995 avant d’être sauvés par un tir miraculeux de Steve Nash lors du dernier match de la saison régulière qui leur permet d’accéder aux play-offs . Cette équipe sera surnommée les « Seven Seconds or Less » car c’est en moyenne le temps qu’il leur fallait pour marquer un panier. Les Suns atteignent alors les finales de conférence en 2005 et 2006 mais s’inclinent à chaque fois face aux San Antonio Spurs du duo Tim Duncan – Manu Ginóbili dans des séries très serrées (4-1 en 2005 et 4-2 en 2006). Après une nouvelle défaite en finale de conférence en 2007 face aux Spurs (4-3), Steve Nash est sacré meilleur joueur de la NBA pour la seconde fois consécutive et pour la troisième fois au total. Les résultats des Suns se dégradent après cette période et l’arrivée du nouveau propriétaire Robert Sarver entraîne un départ massif des principaux joueurs tels que Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire et Shawn Marion . La Franchise connaît alors une période difficile jusqu’à ce que l’arrivée d’un nouveau coach Mike D’Antoni , ancien entraîneur des Suns entre 2003 et 2008, permette à l’équipe de retrouver un certain niveau à partir de 2009 notamment grâce au duo Jared Dudley – Channing Frye .

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The franchise was founded in 1970, and played its home games in Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 (called the Rose Garden until 2013). The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA championship once in 1977. Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. The team has also qualified for the playoffs 35 times and won six division championships.

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento.

The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center. Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s, including winning 55 games and making the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. Since 1991, the team has played its home games at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The franchise began in New Orleans in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz, and was one of the charter franchises of the NBA. The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. In 1984, they traded star player Adrian Dantley to the Detroit Pistons for Mark Aguirre, and acquired Karl Malone and John Stockton through the draft. They combined Malone with fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan to form one of the most famed duos of all time. Malone went on to become a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), winning his first MVP award in 1999, and Stockton is considered one of the best point guards of all time.[11][12] Together, Stockton and Malone led the Jazz to 15 conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals appearances. After losing both Finals against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teams, household names such as Clyde Drexler (1992), Hakeem Olajuwon (1996), Shaquille O’Neal (1998), and Karl Malone (1998) all individually opted out of playing for Utah that same summer; Malone stating “I’m not going to chase that pipe dream anymore”.[13]

Since then, bowing out of playoff contention in 2003 following a season-ending injury to stockton,[14] the jazz have only made four postseason trips: One trip each in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010.[15] As a result, part owner Larry H. Miller became interim head coach for part of 2006–07[16] and former player Tyrone Corbin became head coach from 2011 to 2014.[17][18] On February 10, 2011, longtime Utah jazz coach Jerry Sloan announced his resignation from coaching after 23 seasons;[19][20] Quin Snyder was hired on June 30th as his replacement.[21] On April 17th 2013 it was announced that GM Kevin O’Connor would be stepping down after 17 seasons with Frank Layden Jr., his assistant GM since 2002,[22] taking over temporarily until Dennis Lindsey was hired on August 10th as official replacement.[23][24][25]

The jazz went through some front-office changes during their rebuild; Lindsey fired long-time coach Tyrone Corbin on April 21st after missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.[26] One month later it was announced that Snyder had been promoted from assistant head coach to head coach.[27] During free agency in 2014, Utah signed power forward Trevor Booker,[28][29] small forward Joe Ingles,[30][31] shooting guard Rodney Hood,[32][33][34]and point guard Dante Exum;[35][36][37] second round draft picks Trey Lyles[38]and Olivier Hanlan also joined the roster during this time. The young core group continued its development together under Snyder’s guidance throughout much of their early years while adding veteran players such as Boris Diaw,[39], George Hill,[40],and Joe Johnson;[41], who were all later traded away by December 2017.[42]. By this point Gobert had become one of the league’s premier centers while Mitchell had taken overUtah’s starting point guard duties from Exum. Conley would also be subsequently added before injury sidelined him for much of 2019–20 while Mike Conley Jr., Royce O’Neale,[43],Georges Niang,[44],Jeff Green,[45],Ed Davis,[46],Emmanuel Mudiay[47], Thabo Sefolosha[48],Jordan Clarkson[49],and Derrick Favors[50],[51],[52],[53],[54],[55],[56],[57],[58],[59 tournament run that garnered significant attention throughout Japan and boosted Yuta Watanabe’s career considerably