Which NBA Teams Have Never Won a Championship?
Every sport in the world has some unfortunate teams that never seem to win anything in their history. They may have all the tools and still be unable to lift a single piece of silverware. In the NBA, there are teams that have never won a championship!
Some of these teams have come close to winning a Championship, while others have had little success. In this blog post, we will look at each of these teams and discuss their NBA history.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a team that has never won an NBA Championship. The Pacers were founded in 1967 as an ABA franchise (American Basketball Association).
Indiana hasn’t won a championship despite making three NBA Finals appearances since their debut in the NBA in 1976. They reached the NBA Finals in 2000 but fell to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2014, the Miami Heat defeated the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Reggie Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, and Paul George are just a few of the outstanding players that have played for the Pacers over the years.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have a brief history, as the team was founded in 1988.
The Hornets never won an NBA Championship, but they did reach the Conference Finals in 2002. Michael Jordan, arguably the best player ever, currently owns the team.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were founded in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans and were originally members of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
The team was one of the four charter members of the ABA and won two league championships. The Nets joined the NBA when the ABA and NBA merged in 1976.
Since joining the NBA, they have advanced to the playoffs 27 times, but they have never claimed the league’s top prize. The Nets twice reached the NBA Finals, however, they were defeated both times.
They fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in 2002 and the San Antonio Spurs in six games in 2003.
Memphis Grizzlies
They were founded in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada and were previously known as the Vancouver Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies reached the Western Conference Finals in 2011 but lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Currently, they have a nice, young core with Ja Morant, so, who knows in the future?
The Grizzlies have had some great players over the years, including Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, and Marc Gasol.
Utah Jazz
The New Orleans Jazz were the first NBA team to play in New Orleans. The Jazz were founded in 1974 in New Orleans and played there until 1979 when they relocated to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have never won an NBA championship, but they have reached the Finals twice. Both in 1997 and 1998, they played against Jordan’s Bulls and fell short, losing 4-2 in the Finals.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns, who entered the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, have never won an NBA Championship.
The Suns have made the playoffs 31 times in their history but have only reached the NBA Finals 3 times. In 1976 they lost 4-2 against the Boston Celtics, in 1993 they lost 4-2 against Jordan’s Bulls, and in 2021, they lost to the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Suns reached the Western Conference Finals four times (1993, 1995, 2005, and 2010), but each time they lost. Phoenix has had some great players over the years, including Steve Nash and Charles Barkley.
With a Superteam that includes Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, the Suns are the first favorites to win the 2023 NBA Championship.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans began as the New Orleans Hornets in 2002 following the relocation of the Charlotte Hornets. In 2013, they changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans.
They have made the Playoffs eight times, winning just two series in their 20-year history.
With the players like Zion Williams, Brandon Ingram, and Jose GTA Alvarado, it’s likely that history will change, however, will it be enough to bring the first NBA championship to the city, yhat’s something that we will have to wait for.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers were founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves.
In 1978, the Braves relocated to San Diego and became the Clippers. The Clippers relocated to Los Angeles in 1984.
The Clippers have made the playoffs 17 times since moving to Los Angeles, but have never won an NBA championship. The closest they came was a seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2014.
Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Jordan have all played for the Clippers over the years.
Denver Nuggets
Founded in 1967 as the Denver Larks, the Nuggets were a part of the ABA for nine seasons.
The team changed its name to the Rockets in 1975 and then to the Nuggets in 1976 when they joined the NBA.
Since joining the NBA, the Nuggets have made it to the playoffs 28 times but have never won an NBA Championship. They have never reached an NBA Finals and have only been to the Western Conference Finals four times.
Some of the most notable players in franchise history include reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic were formed as an expansion team in 1989. They have never won an NBA championship, but they have made two appearances in the NBA Finals, in 1995 and 2009.
Since their inception, they have made the playoffs 16 times and have had some great players suit up for them, including Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Dwight Howard, and Tracy McGrady.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves, like most expansion teams, struggled to find success in their early years.
The Timberwolves made the playoffs just ten times in their 34 seasons but never won an NBA championship. The closest they got was when they reached the Western Conference Finals in 2004, but were defeated in six games by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, and Karl-Anthony Towns are among the best players in franchise history.
Teams that won championships under old names
Neither Oklahoma City Thunder nor Sacramento Kings have won a championship under their current name or even cities. However, if you count previous names and cities that they’ve played in they each won a single championship.
Playing as Seattle SuperSonics, Thunder, as a franchise have a championship, won in 1979 and Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) won in 1951.
Under their current name, Thunder was able to reach the NBA Finals in 2012. The closest that the Kings were to the ultimate prize was in 2002 when they lost in 7 game series to the Lakers.
Conclusion
So, those are NBA teams that have never won a title! As we can see, some of these teams had great NBA players but were unable to win it all.
NBA championships are difficult to come by, and many of these teams have come close but have fallen short.
What do you think about these franchises? Do you think they’ll ever win an NBA title? Please let us know in the comments!
