What NBA Team Has Not Won a Title?
It’s a question that has been asked for years, and there is still no clear answer. Which NBA team has not won a title?
The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the most important basketball tournament of the year. The best team from the Eastern Conference plays the best team from the Western Conference in a best-of-seven series. The Finals have been played every year since 1947, and no team has won more than two titles in a row since the Boston Celtics won eight titles in a row from 1959 to 1966.
What is the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
How many teams have won the NBA Finals?
The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is the championship series of the NBA, a professional basketball league in North America. The annual championship series is a best-of-seven playoff that is contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. The Western Conference team has won the NBA Finals 22 times, while the Eastern Conference team has won the title 20 times.
The teams that have not won the NBA Finals
There have been 46 NBA Finals series in total. Of the 30 NBA teams, 11 have never won the NBA Finals. This includes the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They 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 franchise was established in 1946 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in Moline, Illinois, a small city located near the Mississippi River. The team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1951 and became the Milwaukee Hawks. In 1955, the Hawks relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, and were renamed the St. Louis Hawks until they moved to Atlanta in 1968. With 21 playoff appearances and nine division championships since 1968 (through 2020), they have amassed a .570 winning percentage during that span (second only to the Los Angeles Lakers). However, they have not advanced past the conference finals since 1957 and have not played in the NBA Finals since 1960.
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 purchased majority ownership in 2010. The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte.
The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1988, and won four division titles and two conference championships between 1996 and 2002, led by Hall of Famers Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Tim Duncan. However, they failed to make the NBA Finals during that timespan. In 2002, the franchise relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana (now New Orleans Pelicans), and became known as the New Orleans Hornets until 2013 when they returned to Charlotte after spending a decade away from North Carolina while playing home games in Oklahoma City (now Thunder) during that timespan as well due to hurricanes Katrina & Rita decimating New Orleans at that time.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed its name to Rockets before the first season. It changed its name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets.
The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA playoffs seven times and for the NBA playoffs 22 times. However, it has not made it to the NBA Finals since its last ABA appearance in 1976. As such, they are one of only five franchises (the other four being the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats, New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors) to have never won an NBA championship.
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have not won an NBA title since 1989. The Pistons made it to the NBA Finals in 2004, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers franchise was founded in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976 as part of the ABA-NBA merger. The Pacers have played their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since 1999. The Pacers appeared in three consecutive ABA Finals between 1970 and 1972, and won the ABA Championship in 1970. The team has been a regular playoff contender since joining the NBA, winning five Eastern Conference titles between 2000 and 2014. They have played in two NBA Finals, in 2000 and 2012, but lost both times to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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 was established as the Vancouver Grizzlies, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1995–96 season. After the 2000–01 season concluded, the franchise relocated to Memphis. The Grizzlies hold the dubious distinction of being the latest expansion team in NBA history to win a division title; they did so in 2004–05
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves, based in Minneapolis, have never won an NBA championship. They have made the playoffs 20 times in their 30-year history but have never advanced to the NBA Finals.
New Orleans Pelicans
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 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 the conclusion of the 2012–13 season. Their achievements include one division title (in 2009), and one playoff appearance which resulted in a first-round sweep by eventual champions Golden State Warriors (in 2015).
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The Thunder play their home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The franchise began play as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967, playing its home games in the Seattle Center Coliseum. The SuperSonics won the NBA championship in 1979. In 2008, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder made the NBA Finals in 2012 and lost to the Miami Heat in five games.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was established in 1989 as an expansion team, such plays its home games at the Amway Center.
Orlando has not won an NBA championship.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members 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 were one of two franchises (along with the Milwaukee Bucks) to join the NBA that year. The team played its home games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum until 1992, when they moved to America West Arena (now Talking Stick Resort Arena). In 2000, the Suns again changed venues, moving to US Airways Center (now Phoenix Suns Arena) in downtown Phoenix.
The Suns have won nine division championships, one conference championship, and were runners-up for the NBA championship in 1976. The franchise has also appeared in the playoffs 29 times, posted 19 seasons of 50 or more wins, made nine trips to the Western Conference Finals, and advanced to the NBA Finals three times. As of 2019, the Suns are the third most winning franchise since 1968 behind only the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail 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 was founded in 1970, and played its home games in Memorial Coliseum until 1995. 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.
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 played its home games at Arco Arena from 1985 to 2016. Beginning with the 2016–17 season, the Kings moved to Golden 1 Center, located in downtown Sacramento.
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger and are the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship. The franchise has won five NBA championships, which is tied for fourth-most in both franchise history and history of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues (behind only the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics). The Spurs have made the playoffs in every season since 1997–98, tying for first-longest such streak with 21 consecutive seasons ending with 2020–21. They would make it 22 seasons if they qualify for the playoffs this year—tying them with the Philadelphia 76ers for second-longest streak behind only Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949–63; active).
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 play as an expansion team in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz. The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. However, following a trade for star player Karl Malone in 1979, and his pairing with young John Stockton, the franchise compiled one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Stockton and Malone went on to form one of the best point guard-power forward duos of all time, leading their team to 15 NBA Playoffs appearances.
