Which NBA teams have never won a championship? We revisit the list in 2021
Not every NBA franchise has been lucky enough to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy. 11 teams have never won an NBA championship. This season, any one of five such teams might get a chance to lift their first-ever NBA championship trophy. Of the eight teams left in the 2021 NBA playoffs, five have never won an NBA title and the other three won it decades ago.
Hence, we can be certain that NBA history will be made once the final buzzer sounds in the 2021 NBA Finals. Of the 11 teams that have never won a title, five have been to the NBA Finals but couldn't get the job done, whereas six have never even seen the final stage of the competition. Let's revisit the 11 teams that have never won an NBA title.
5 Teams that made the NBA Finals
- Phoenix Suns
- Brooklyn Nets (then New Jersey Nets)
- Indiana Pacers
- Orlando Magic
- Utah Jazz
The Phoenix Suns saw two NBA Finals appearances in 1976 and 1993. Paul Westphal led the team to the NBA Finals despite a 42-40 record and the third seed. They upset the Seattle Supersonics and reigning champions Golden State Warriors along the way but lost the Finals to Dave Cowens and JoJo White-led Boston Celtics.
In 1993, reigning MVP Charles Barkley led the Suns to the NBA Finals but unfortunately faced the dominant Chicago Bulls, led by the legendary Michael Jordan.
The Indiana Pacers have also never won an NBA championship. However, in 2000, Hall of Fame sharpshooter Reggie Miller led the team to their only NBA Finals appearance. They came up short against the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal-led LA Lakers.
Speaking of Shaquille O'Neal, he led the Orlando Magic to their first-ever NBA Finals in 1995. O'Neal, along with Penny Hardaway, beat the Pacers, Bulls and Boston Celtics to advance to the Finals but unfortunately got swept by the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets.
In 2009, the Magic would relive the NBA Finals atmosphere. DPOY Dwight Howard took the team past the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics superteam, and a LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers en route to the NBA Finals. However, they would face a hungry Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers and lose to them in five games.
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Charles Barkley isn't the only one who can't get it done against Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The Hall of Fame duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton led the Utah Jazz to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances but succumbed to the Chicago Bulls dynasty in 1997 and 1998.
Like Jordan and the Bulls, the LA Lakers dynasty led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal spoiled the Brooklyn Nets' playoff run in 2002. The then New Jersey Nets, led by Jason Kidd, faced the LA Lakers in the 2002 NBA Finals who were trying to accomplish a three-peat. Unfortunately, Kidd and his crew fell to the Lakers in a four-game sweep.
They would get another opportunity at the NBA title the following season. However, in 2003, Tim Duncan and the David Robinson-led San Antonio Spurs spoiled the party and won the NBA Finals in six games.
6 teams that have never even made the NBA Finals
- LA Clippers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
These six teams have never seen the NBA Finals stage. Many of them have seen incredibly long playoff droughts or were never lucky enough to bag an All-Star who would lead to a deep playoff run.
The LA Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and New Orleans Pelicans have never even made a conference finals appearance. Some of the worst playoff runs have come from the LA Clippers recently, who have had stars but always failed to reach the second-last stage in the competition.
Moreover, the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets have seen the conference finals but unfortunately could never get past that level. Reigning MVP Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2004 but faced the 'Kobe-Shaq' LA Lakers and lost to them in six games.
Marc Gasol and Mike Conley led the Memphis Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals in 2013 but faced the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs and got swept.
The Denver Nuggets, however, have seen several conference finals appearances. The latest being just last season when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the team to two consecutive 3-1 comebacks in the 2020 NBA playoffs. They made the conference finals in 2009 with Carmelo Anthony and 1985 with Alex English and Fat Lever. In fact, the Nuggets have seen the Finals but during their time with the ABA (before the merger).
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