What NBA Teams Don’t Have a Championship?
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We all know the teams that have won an NBA Championship, but what about the teams that haven’t? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the teams that have never won a Championship, and see what they need to do to get over the hump.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Hawks have won only one conference championship (1958) and one division title (1970). The team has never made it to the NBA Finals.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks began playing in 1946 as a member of the National Basketball League (NBL) and joined the NBA in 1949 when the leagues merged. In 1951, the Hawks moved from the NBL to the newly formed Eastern Professional Basketball League (later renamed the Eastern Basketball Association, and then back to the NBL). They won three championships in their time in that league.
In 1968, the Hawks’ ownership group led by Thomas Cousins and former head coach/general manager Alex Hannum brought doWN Milwaukee Bucks owner Wesley Pavalon, who then replaced LilHardin as team president. Pavalon would then name Leo Ferris and Stan Kasten as general managers. Ferris was instrumental in bringing future Hall of Fame head coach Lenny Wilkens to Atlanta from Portland in 1969, also during his tenure he drafted Pete Maravich from LSU with ln 1970 after losing lottery coin toss for first overall pick to Cleveland Cavaliers (later traded to Baltimore Bullets who used it on Tom Bianchi).
Kasten became president of Atlanta Spirit LLC, which owns both the Hawks and NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, on May 24, 2002, while Wilkens remained head coach until he retired following season. On April 16, 2007, Dick Welsh resigned as CEO of Atlanta Spirit LLC; Steve Koonin was later named CEO on July 18, 2007.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have never won an NBA Championship. The franchise began in 1988 as the Charlotte Spirits, an expansion team in the then-newly created Charlotte Coliseum. The team’s original owner was George Shinn, who also owned the NBA’s Charlotte Sting at the time. The Spirits made the playoffs in their first season but failed to make it past the first round.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
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 plays their home games at the Spectrum Center.
The franchise began play in 1988 as an expansion team, owned by George Shinn. In 2002, Shinn’s franchise relocated to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004, the NBA established the Charlotte Bobcats, which was regarded as a new expansion team at the time. In 2013, the New Orleans’ franchise announced it would rebrand itself as the New Orleans Pelicans, ultimately returning the Hornets name, records, and official history (spanning from 1988 to 2002) to Charlotte. The Bobcats were officially renamed the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season.
The Hornets have not made it to the NBA Finals.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are an American 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 first qualified for the NBA Playoffs in 2004. As of 2020, the Grizzlies have not won an NBA championship.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Memphis Grizzlies are an American 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 is owned by Robert Pera. The Grizzlies are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the city of Memphis. When the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001, the franchise brought back the meaning of “Grizzlies”, which had been absent from professional basketball in the city for 18 years. Built on December 15, 1995, FedExForum seats 18,119 for basketball and had a capacity of 19,000 for concerts.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 1989, the team is owned by Glen Taylor who also owns the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center, their home since 1990.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 1989, the team is owned by Glen Taylor who also owns the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. The Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center, their home since 1990.
Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in 1995, the team qualified for eight straight playoffs from 1997 to 2004. Despite losing in the first round in six of those seven years, the team had two highlights during that period: winning their first division championship in 2004 and reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 2004. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player for that season. The team has yet to make it to the NBA Finals.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have never won an NBA Championship. They came close in the 2018-19 season, but lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals. The Pelicans have only made the playoffs four times in their history and have never made it to the Finals.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American 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 NBA’s expansion year of 1988 and originally played their home games at the Louisiana Superdome. The team returned to Western Conference play in 2002 as a result of NBA realignment and split their home games between the newly constructed Smoothie King Center and the Sugarraydome in suburban New Orleans until 2005, when they became permanently based at Smoothie King Center.
The franchise began play in 1988 as members of the now defunct Southwest Division of the Western Conference. In 2002, the franchise underwent a major change when then-owner George Shinn moved them from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans, Louisiana due to financial difficulties. Following Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, league commissioner David Stern announced that Shinn would be allowed to temporarily relocate his franchise to Oklahoma City for two seasons while a new arena was being built in New Orleans; however, after that two-year period was up, if a new arena had not been built by then, Shinn would either have to find another temporary home for his franchise or sell it outright. The franchise subsequently took permanent residence in Oklahoma City’s Ford Center (now Chesapeake Energy Arena) while construction on Smoothie King Center began; they would return to playing permanently in New Orleans upon its completion on October 28, 1999 – exactly one year and one day following Hurricane Katrina making them one of only four modern day sports franchises (the others being baseball’s Houston Astros and football’s Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers) to have won championships while located in two different cities – winning their lone NBA Championship while located in Charlotte (as well as three Conference titles) and returning there for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina before permanently relocating back to New Orleans where they won their second Conference title following their return.
Oklahoma City Thunder
They have only been in the league since 2008, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to win an NBA Championship. The Thunder made it to the Finals in 2012, but lost to the Miami Heat in five games. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were the two best players in that series, and Durant has since left the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Thunder were previously known as the Seattle SuperSonics, an American Basketball Association (ABA) expansion team that joined the NBA in 1976, after the ABA–NBA merger. The SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 after a dispute between owner Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington following Bennett’s purchase of the team.
In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, advanced to three NBA Finals, and won their lone NBA championship in 1979. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder have qualified for the NBA playoffs eight times since relocating; they have also reached two Western Conference Finals and one NBA Finals appearance (in 2012), but 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). The Suns began play as an expansion team in 1968. The franchise owns the NBA’s fourth-best all-time winning percentage, winning 55 percent of its games, as of the end of the 2012–13 season.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
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 the only team in their division not to have won an NBA championship.
The Suns began play as an expansion team in 1968, and their first eight seasons were relatively unsuccessful. However, they made the playoffs in 1976 with a 16–66 record, which is still the worst winning percentage for a playoff team in NBA history. After missing the playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons from 1988 to 2001, they returned to prominence under head coach Mike D’Antoni, acquiring Steve Nash in a trade from the Dallas Mavericks in 2004 and becoming one of the most entertaining teams in the league with their blaze-speeding style of play. Nash won consecutive MVP Awards while playing with the Suns between 2005 and 2010, but they failed to make any significant postseason advances during that time.
After D’Antoni left to coach the New York Knicks in 2008, the Suns continued to be one of the league’s most successful teams under various head coaches but have yet to make it back to the NBA Finals.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They 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 the Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 (which was originally named the Rose Garden).
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The franchise played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 (known as the Rose Garden until 2013).
The Trail Blazers are the only major professional basketball franchise based in Oregon, and they are also the only franchise in the NBA to have never made it to an NBA Finals.
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.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
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. The Kings are one of the NBA’s oldest and most storied franchises. They joined the NBA in 1948 as the Rochester Royals and won their first NBA championship in 1951. They relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 and became known as the Cincinnati Royals until 1971, when they moved to Kansas City and were renamed as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings due to slimmed-down schedule due to financial difficulties caused by pension plan cancellation from newly merged American Basketball Association (ABA). In 1975, due to yet another period of financial hardship caused by poor attendance and general disinterest in the team, ownerships reshuffled the team yet again; they moved back to their original city of Rochester and changed their name back to “Royals”. The franchise was finally sold to a local group of investors led by Gregg Lukenbill on May 31, 1985.
The franchise changed its name once again on August 15, 1994 after Lukenbill brought back Kevin Johnson as head coach and revived public interest; he changed it from “Royal” to “King”, reflective of Johnson’s nickname “KJ” and his promise that he would “deliver a kingdom”.
Since joining the NBA, the Sacramento Kings have had mixed results: they have reached two Western Conference Finals (in 2002 and 2020), but missed out on qualifying for the playoffs on 30 occasions out of a possible 60 seasons (as of 2019–20). As a result, they hold numerous NBA records for futility; these include having finished last place overall 12 times (a record shared with three other teams) – including 9 seasons where they only managed 10 or fewer wins – as well being second overall for losses with 2,764 (behind only Brooklyn Nets / New Jersey Nets / New York Nets). And since 1991–92 season when Chris Webber was drafted 4th overall by then-general manager Garry St. Jean, who later infamously traded him away after disputing with each other over playing time disagreement, up until 2020 when Luke Walton was relieved off coaching duties after missing out on playoffs during his first two seasons with current head coach Walton following Jerry Reynolds’ nine seasons stint during Louie Dampier’s ownership era between 1999 and 2006 which included Rick Adelman coached eight playoff appearances era between 1998 and 2006 & Eric Musselman coached one playoff appearance era between 2006 and 2007 though those teams never made beyond second round before Musselman was fired after blowing double-digit lead against San Antonio Spurs at home during Game 6 towards end of regular season which caused them not only missed out 2007 playoffs but also resulted an all-time worst collapse like never seen before in league history led Musselman being fired shortly afterwards even though that year’s team eventually became one greatest teams didn’t make playoffs which featured Mike Bibby led classic core that including Doug Christie Vlade Divac Peja Stojaković & Predrag Drobnjak along with Bobby Jackson Hedo Türkoğlu Predrag Stojaković Bonzi Wells among others while 2010s Decade saw DeMarcus Cousins arrived from then-New Orleans Pelicans led by Boogie Cousins & Rudy Gay before 2016 Sign-and-trade deal involving then-Golden State Warriors All Star center DeMarcus Cousins joining New Orleans Pelicans along with Omri Casspi for Buddy Hield Tyreke Evans Langston Galloway & 2017 1st round draft pick turning into 2017 9th overall pick which eventually became 2017 Rookie Of The Year winner Malcolm Brogdon while former Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari became current Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations while during Vivek Ranadivé ownership tenure saw Kevin Johnson lasted two seasons between 2013–14 & 2014–15 where Derek Fisher coached 2014–15 season while George Karl coached 2015–16 season where Karl subsequently got fired 57 games into 2015–16 season finishing 29–28 resulting Luke Walton taking over head coaching duties for final 25 games where Walton posted 16–9 win/loss record leading them 36–46 missing out on 2015 playoffs making it 10 years since 2005 playoff berth but both Johnson & Walton failed make playoffs afterwards respectively despite having solid young talented core groups like De’Aaron Fox Bogdan Bogdanović Buddy Hield Harrison Barnes Justin Jackson Willie Cauley-Stein Nemanja Bjelica among others while Luke Walton later left Sacramento becoming current Los Angeles Lakers head coach where he spend three injury plagued seasons at helm until 2019 offseason where he mutually agreed part ways leaving newly appointed general manager Monte McNair hiring current head coach Walton’s former assistant Ty Corbin becoming interim head before McNair replaced Corbin Walter Motta becoming new permanent head coach
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have never won an NBA Championship. They have made it to the Finals twice, in 1997 and 1998, but lost to the Chicago Bulls both times. The Jazz have been in the playoffs 28 times in their history, but have never been able to win the big one.
They have never been to the NBA Finals
The Utah Jazz are an American 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 franchise has played its home games at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979.
The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. In 1983–84, they had the worst record in the NBA at 20–62. They didn’t make the playoffs again until 1988–89, beginning a streak of seasons that lasted 14 years and included five trips to the Conference Finals. After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, they finally returned to prominence under head coach Jerry Sloan, who took over from Frank Layden in 1988 and led them to 15 playoff appearances in his 23 seasons as head coach; they also made two trips to the NBA Finals under Sloan (in 1997 and 1998). During this period, Karl Malone and John Stockton became the first players to form one of the most formidable duos in NBA history. Malone was a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP); Stockton was a 10-time NBA All-Star and was voted one of NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of all time. Together with fellow Hall of Famer ringgit reserved for these two players who fueled much of the Jazz’s successes during this period with their play on both sides off ballast holding down elections for ten All-Star Game appearances with Charlotte . after Karl Malone retired in 2004 stockton played briefly with Andrei Kirilenko before retiring due mostly because Kirilenko was not willing to renegotiate a contract similar role with Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap .
The team struggled early on after losing head coach Jerry Sloan along with longtime stars Karl Malone and John Stockton . They failed to make the playoffs during Derek Fisher ‘s first two seasons , but made a return trip led by Deron Williams in 2006–07 , which included a landmark victory over LeBron James ‘s Cavaliers en route to finishing as Western Conference runners up that season . After losing Williams to free agency , things unraveled quickly thereafter , highlighted by an 0-8 start during which Tyrone Corbin became head coach after Jerry Sloan abruptly resigned midseason following 23 seasons at helm ; Corbin served out remainder of season before being replaced by former assistant Quin Snyder . The Jazz finished 25-57 that year , missing playoffs for fourth consecutive year — something that hadn’t happened since 1968 , when franchise was still located in New Orleans .
