6 teams who have never reached the NBA Finals
With the regular season of the NBA drawing towards a close, franchises, players, and fans alike turn their attention towards the postseason.
The playoffs begin in three weeks' time but things are not yet done and dusted as far as those top eight seeds are concerned in either Conference.
The Western Conference is the more competitive one yet again with 10 teams still in the hunt for a playoffs spot.
Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors have got the first two seeds all covered up but cutthroat rivalry means that eight teams can slot in anywhere in the remaining six playoffs spot.
In the East, the playoffs teams have been virtually decided but the tussle for finishing at a higher seed continues.
The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics lead the pack in this half of the NBA.
While many franchises will be looking for glory in the postseason, endeavoring to make a long playoffs run, some teams would have already set sights on an NBA ring.
The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the NBA Finals regulars of late; Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs before them.
However, there are many sides who have never managed to reach the NBA Finals in the history of the league. Let us look at these six teams now.
#6 Memphis Grizzlies
There couldn't have been poorer times for the Memphis Grizzlies.
They are dead last in the Western Conference rankings, recently endured a 19-game losing streak, and to add salt to the wounds, they were thrashed by the Charlotte Hornets 79-140 in a 61-point blowout loss last night.
Their story in each of the last two seasons has been the same. They finished seventh, were pitted against San Antonio Spurs in the first round, and lost on both occasions.
The Grizzlies have qualified for the playoffs a total of 10 times in franchise history and their best finish has been that of reaching the Western Conference Finals in the 2012-13 season under the tutelage of head coach Lionel Hollins.
Marc Gasol was adjudged the Defensive Player of the Year in that term. Interestingly, the Grizzlies again lost out to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, who swept them 4-0.
Given their tanking record this season, the Grizzlies don't like a side that will be anywhere near a playoffs spot soon, let alone an NBA Finals appearance.