NBA teams to never win a championship: Updated list of 10 clubs without an NBA Finals title

Bryan Murphy

NBA teams to never win a championship: Updated list of 10 clubs without an NBA Finals title image

Winning an NBA title isn't easy — just ask a number of the organizations in the league that have never done so. 

There have been a number of NBA champions throughout its history. In fact, two-thirds of the teams currently in the NBA have taken home the Larry O'Brien Trophy after climbing the top of the basketball summit. 

However, there remains a handful of squads who are title-less. Some have reached the NBA Finals multiple times but have failed to conquer hoops' ultimate quest, while others have never even tasted what it's like to play in the final series. 

So how many NBA teams have never won the NBA Finals? The Sporting News has the answer. 

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How many NBA teams have never won the NBA Finals?

In total, there are 10 teams that have never won the NBA Finals. Of those clubs, only half have even reached the final series of the NBA Playoffs. 

Among the franchises that have not won an NBA title, the Suns have gone on the longest without bringing a championship to the desert. Phoenix is the oldest NBA franchise without a title, as it joined the league in 1968.

In addition to being the oldest franchise without a title, the Suns have made the most Finals appearances without a win, with their most recent loss coming in 2021.

Here is the complete list:

TeamTotal NBA Finals appearancesLast NBA Finals appearance
Suns32021
Magic22009
Nets22003
Jazz21998
Pacers12000
Clippers0
Grizzlies0
Hornets0
Pelicans0
Timberwolves0

Teams with the most NBA championships

It shouldn't be a surprise that two of the NBA's most storied franchises are at the top of the championship leaderboard. The Lakers and Celtics are tied for the most NBA championships with 17 apiece.

Los Angeles drew even Boston thanks to its win in the 2020 "bubble" at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando.

TeamNBA Finals winsLast NBA Finals win
Lakers172020
Celtics172008
Warriors72022
Bulls61998
Spurs52014
Heat32013
Pistons32004
76ers31983
Bucks22021
Rockets21995
Knicks21973
Nuggets12023
Raptors12019
Cavaliers12016
Mavericks12011
Thunder11979*
Wizards11978
Trail Blazers11977
Hawks11958*
Kings11951*

*Finals win came when the franchise was located in a different city. Thunder's Finals win came as Seattle SuperSonics. Hawks' win came while the franchise was located in St. Louis. Kings' win came when the team was known as the Rochester Royals.

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.