10 NBA teams that have never won a championship
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It’s safe to say that winning a championship in the NBA is the most difficult thing to achieve in professional basketball. To win a championship, everything must go right across the organization to merit an elusive title.
Although the Boston Celtics have made it look easy with 18, not every team in the NBA has reached the pinnacle. Here is a look at 10 NBA teams that have never won a championship.
Check out the gallery below.
Brooklyn Nets
Since relocating to Brooklyn, the Nets have failed to make deep playoff runs. At least when they were in New Jersey, the franchise had back-to-back Finals appearances to show for it. In the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals, the squad was led by the trio of Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Kenyon Martin.
Unfortunately, the squad was swept by the three-peat Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2002. A year later, they were stopped by the San Antonio Spurs in six games. The team continues to be in the midst of a rebuilding transition after blowing up their roster by trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the 2022-23 trade deadline.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets don’t exactly have a rich history as a franchise, including their days as the Bobcats. In fact, the franchise has made more name changes than overall trips to the Conference Finals in playoff history. Fast-forward to today, things aren’t changing anytime soon. The Hornets are currently going through a playoff drought, with their last appearance being in 2016. Although the team is currently led by electrifying guard LaMelo Ball, Charlotte continues to be a cellar dweller in the NBA.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have a rich history in basketball, having won three championships in the ABA. However, they’ve failed to translate that in the NBA since the NBA-ABA merger. But unlike Charlotte, the Pacers have been more competitive. The franchise has one NBA Finals appearance back in 2000, when they ran into Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant who would kick off their three-peat run at the expense of Reggie Miller and crew.
They have also garnered a total of nine appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals across different eras led by Miller, Paul George, and currently Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner look to finally end the championship drought with a 2025 NBA Playoffs spot all but assured.
Los Angeles Clippers
Nearly every NBA fan is familiar with the Los Angeles Clippers curse. The team seems to have a tradition of collapsing when the playoffs roll by, although the franchise has seen some competitive years recently, including the Lob City era and the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George duo.
Unfortunately, the franchise has also gone through several obstacles, including Donald Sterling’s controversial ban for making racist remarks. Just recently, the franchise looks to be heading for a rebuild after the departure of Paul George in the offseason.
Memphis Grizzlies
For several years, the Memphis Grizzlies have been competitive. After going unsuccessful based in Vancouver, the team relocated to Memphis and saw brighter days. While the team has never been afraid of taking a shot against the best teams in the NBA, the Grizzlies are usually just dark horses whenever they compete in the postseason.
They’ve yet to win a single game past the second round, with their deepest run happening in 2013. Unfortunately, uncharted waters saw Memphis get swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Nowadays, the team is led by the polarizing Ja Morant, who shoulders the expectations of carrying the franchise to new heights.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Another franchise that mostly spent its NBA days at the bottom of the league is the Minnesota Timberwolves. With exception to Kevin Garnett’s peak years along with their 2023-24 playoff run, the Timberwolves don’t really have some chapters to be proud of. Since joining the NBA in 1989, the franchise has only appeared in the postseason a dozen times.
However, they do have two Western Conference Finals appearances to show for it. Today, the Timberwolves are fresh from their best playoff run since 2004. And now fans are hoping that new Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore will finally end their title drought.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are a relatively young franchise, having joined the NBA only in 2002. But in over two decades in the league, the Pelicans have only made the postseason nine times. The only times the Pelicans were real threats were during the Chris Paul and Anthony Davis eras, both which took the team to the second round in 2008 and 2018, respectively. Nowadays with Zion Williamson at the helm, the Pelicans can only hope for good luck in the NBA draft lottery.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have yet to hoist the NBA championship trophy. However, they did come close on several occasions. In 1995, a young Shaquille O’Neal led the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance, which led to a sweep at the hands of Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
It took more than a decade for the franchise to return to the Finals stage, this time under the leadership of Dwight Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year put the league on notice before the Magic’s Cinderella run ended at the hands of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Phoenix Suns
Another competitive franchise that remains eluded by a NBA championship are the Phoenix Suns. They have suffered their fair share of heartbreaks. They first made the NBA Finals in 1976, where they were blasted by the Boston Celtics in six games. Seventeen years later, the Charles Barkley-led Suns were outclassed by Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Furthermore, Phoenix was a Western Conference Finals fixture with Steve Nash as the face of the franchise. All resulted in playoff exits. And in 2021, the last time they made a Finals appearance, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks spoiled the party.
Currently, the Suns are led by the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. But despite the surplus of star power, the team doesn’t look like a legitimate contender and are fighting just to make the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have usually been a competitive franchise. In fact, they even formed one of the greatest duos in NBA history in the form of Karl Malone and John Stockton. They were the centerpiece of the team’s glory days in the late 1990s, powering Utah to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. Unfortunately, Michael Jordan and the Bulls proved to be too much on both occasions.
Since then, the Jazz have been trying to mount another competitive campaign. They did make the Western Conference Finals in 2007 when All-Star Deron Williams took charge but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. Today, the Jazz are still rebuilding since the departures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. As a result, the long wait continues for Jazz fans.
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