You’ve probably heard of teams that have never won an NBA championship. But who are these teams? Here are a few names to remember. The Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets are all franchises that never won a championship. They’re also in rebuilding mode.
ABA teams have never made an NBA finals
The Brooklyn Nets were one of the few ABA teams to ever make the NBA finals, but they only made it twice, in 2002 and 2003. In both years, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Nonetheless, they were still able to win ABA titles and make the finals twice. The Nets hope to reach the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant this year.
The Indiana Pacers were one of the most successful teams in the ABA, winning three league championships and reaching the Finals three times. After the ABA was merged with the NBA, the Pacers had a rough start in the NBA, but found success in the late ’90s and early 2000s. In 2000, they reached the NBA Finals for the first time, but lost to the Lakers in six games. They are still the only team from the Central Division to not win the NBA finals.
The Denver Nuggets were founded in 1967 and were ABA members for four seasons. While they haven’t made an NBA finals since then, they did win ABA division titles and made the Western Conference Finals four times. Despite their absence from the NBA finals, the Nuggets have made the playoffs nine times.
The Indiana Pacers, the first ABA team, won the championship in 1967. They are led by four ABA originals. The Detroit Pistons won the NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990 under Chuck Daly. ABA players like James Worthy and Rajon Rondo also played in the NBA.
Of the current 30 teams in the NBA, 11 have never won a championship. The Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets are the closest to claiming the championship, but they have never won it. The New Jersey Nets made it to the NBA finals in 2002 and 2003. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have been in the NBA for over 20 seasons and have never won a championship. The team’s name is derived from the word nugget, which means “gold.” The team’s logo features a cartoon miner with a large red beard, a pick-axe, and a basketball. The team’s logo has evolved over the years, and they have been known for wearing a variety of different colors on their uniforms.
Despite not having a championship, the Denver Nuggets have the depth and superstar talent to be a legitimate title threat in the Western Conference. They are led by MVP Nikola Jokic, and have a young core with plenty of experience. However, they have yet to win a title despite being the sixth-best team in the league.
The Nuggets have won five playoff games in the last two years, and have reached the NBA Finals only once. They have lost in the Western Conference Finals four times, most recently in 2009 and 2020. That’s a long time without a championship, but it’s important to keep in mind that the Denver Nuggets have had rich rosters throughout their history.
In the offseason, the Nuggets have added a few pieces to their roster. First, they traded for two players from the Washington Wizards: Monte Morris and Will Barton. This trade landed them two veteran centers and a 3-point shooter.
During the 1980s, the Nuggets experienced a brief decline. After the team hired Doug Moe as head coach in 1981, the team’s offense began to improve. They became a very competitive team, scoring over 115 points per game. The team also broke an NBA record by scoring at least 100 points in every game during the 1981-82 season.
Indiana Pacers
There are a number of NBA teams that have never won a championship. These teams include the Indiana Pacers, who began in 1967 as an expansion team in the ABA. They have made several appearances in the finals but have never won a championship. It is not clear why they haven’t achieved success in the NBA.
Some teams take years to make it to the playoffs, while others are perennial contenders. Regardless of the reason, NBA teams that haven’t won a championship should make sure to prove themselves this season. The Toronto Raptors are one team that proved themselves during the 2018-19 season. But there are still other teams in the NBA that are far behind the rest.
There are 11 teams in the NBA that have never won a championship. The Pacers are one of the unluckiest of these teams, as they have been a contender in multiple eras. But in the end, they lost to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Clippers are another team that has not won a championship. They have not been to the NBA Finals since 2003. For decades, they were under the shadow of the Lakers, a team that has yet to win a title. Eventually, however, they emerged as one of the best teams in the world.
There are two franchises that haven’t won an NBA championship since 1947. These teams were the Baltimore Bullets in 1948, the Sacramento Kings in 1951, and the Rochester Royals in 1951. In 1979, they were the Seattle SuperSonics. The New York Knicks also haven’t won a championship.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an NBA team without a championship, but they are not out of hopes. Last season, they finished with a losing record, missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season. After acquiring Chris Paul in November 2020, the Suns improved dramatically under new head coach Monty Williams. They finished with the second-best record in the league and stormed through the Western Conference playoffs. The Suns made their third trip to the NBA finals, where they lost four games in a row.
The team’s success is due in part to their balanced style of basketball. In 2009-10, the Suns finished with a record of 54-28, and reached the Western Conference Finals. During that season, they knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers in six games and the San Antonio Spurs in four. Then, they faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, where they went on to lose in six games to the Lakers.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Suns had a great season and made the playoffs eight times in a row. However, they began to face problems both on and off the court. In 1987, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office indicted thirteen people on drug-related charges, including three Suns players. The indictments were based on the testimony of star player Walter Davis, and the scandal tarnished the team’s reputation.
While the Phoenix Suns haven’t won a championship, their consistency in making clutch shots has been impressive. In clutch minutes, they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 1.54 points per possession. They’ve also been able to shoot over 50% of their shots without a turnover. With all these factors, the Phoenix Suns are a team with a real shot at winning the title.
Los Angeles Clippers
Since joining the NBA in 2000, the Los Angeles Clippers have been known as “the other LA team.” The team started on an upward trajectory under Steve Balmer after the Donald Sterling scandal. The Clippers have signed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and have developed into a worthy rival for the Lakers.
While the Clippers have not won a championship in a decade, they are favored to win one next season. The team’s roster includes Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and John Wall. They have added depth at the wing position and are loaded with great two-way players.
In 2015, the Clippers finished with a respectable regular season record. They also won the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets, but fell short in seven games. The Clippers have been in the playoffs 16 times in 52 seasons.
Despite their long time in the NBA, the Clippers have failed to win a championship. The team lost the Western Conference Finals in 2021. In fact, they have never even reached the NBA Finals. The Clippers have reached the Western Conference Finals once in their history but have never won a championship. However, their streak is now nearly over. While the Clippers are an nba team with no championship, they have made an impressive run over the last decade.
There are 11 NBA teams without a championship. They represent 36% of the league. These teams include the Los Angeles Clippers and the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the New Orleans Pelicans. While neither of them have won the championship, they have both been very close.
