NBA: Number of Years Before Winning First Championship For Each Team
The Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns Have Waited the Longest for a Title
The Oklahoma City Thunder are moving on to the NBA Finals for the first time in their young history. It’s only their fifth year in existence.
They were once the Seattle SuperSonics, a team that took the title in their 12th year.
Here’s a look at how long each of the current NBA franchises (and derivative teams where applicable, signified by the “…”) had to wait from their foundation to an NBA title.
The Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers have all been waiting over 40 years. The Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and newly-named Brooklyn Nets haven’t won since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.
But it’s the Sacramento Kings franchise – through all its iterations – that has gone the longest without a championship, an incredible 64 years.
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* Note included in the stats are the three years of the BAA (1946-47 through 1948-49), predecessor to the NBA. The ABA is not included.
| FRANCHISE | TEAM | TEAM EST. | WON | YEARS | |
| 1. | Atlanta Hawks… | Atlanta Hawks | 1968-69 | None | 44 |
| St. Louis Hawks | 1949-50 | 1957-58 | 8 | ||
| 1. | Phoenix Suns | 1968-69 | None | 44 | |
| 3. | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1970-71 | None | 42 | |
| 4. | Denver Nuggets | 1976-77 | None | 36 | |
| 4. | Indiana Pacers | 1976-77 | None | 36 | |
| 4. | New Jersey Nets | NY/NJ Nets | 1976-77 | None | 36 |
| 7. | Utah Jazz… | Utah Jazz | 1979-80 | None | 33 |
| New Orleans Jazz | 1974-75 | None | 5 | ||
| 8. | Detroit Pistons… | Detroit Pistons | 1957-58 | 1988-89 | 31 |
| Fort Wayne Pistons | 1948-49 | None | 9 | ||
| 9. | Dallas Mavericks | 1980-81 | 2010-11 | 30 | |
| 10. | Los Angeles Clippers… | LA Clippers | 1984-85 | None | 28 |
| San Diego Clippers | 1978-79 | None | 6 | ||
| Buffalo Braves | 1970-71 | None | 8 | ||
| 11. | Sacramento Kings… | Sacramento Kings | 1985-86 | None | 27 |
| KC/Omaha Kings | 1972-73 | None | 13 | ||
| Cincinnati Royals | 1957-58 | None | 15 | ||
| Rochester Royals | 1948-49 | None | 9 | ||
| 12. | Chicago Bulls | 1966-67 | 1990-91 | 24 | |
| 13. | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1989-90 | None | 23 | |
| 13. | New York Knicks | 1946-47 | 1969-70 | 23 | |
| 13. | Orlando Magic | 1988-89 | None | 23 | |
| 16. | Houston Rockets… | Houston Rockets | 1971-72 | 1993-94 | 22 |
| San Diego Rockets | 1967-68 | None | 4 | ||
| 16. | San Antonio Spurs | 1976-77 | 1998-99 | 22 | |
| 18. | Miami Heat | 1988-89 | 2005-06 | 17 | |
| 18. | Toronto Raptors | 1995-96 | None | 17 | |
| 20. | Golden State Warriors… | SF/GS Warriors | 1962-63 | 1974-75 | 12 |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 1946-47 | 1946-47 | 0 | ||
| 21. | Los Angeles Lakers… | LA Lakers | 1960-61 | 1971-72 | 11 |
| Minneapolis Lakers | 1948-49 | 1948-49 | 0 | ||
| 21. | Memphis Grizzlies… | Memphis Grizzlies | 2001-02 | None | 11 |
| Vancouver Grizzlies | 1995-96 | None | 6 | ||
| 23. | Boston Celtics | 1946-47 | 1956-57 | 10 | |
| 23. | New Orleans Hornets… | NO/OKC Hornets | 2002-03 | None | 10 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 1988-89 | None | 14 | ||
| 25. | Charlotte Bobcats | 2004-05 | None | 8 | |
| 26. | Portland Trail Blazers | 1970-71 | 1976-77 | 6 | |
| 27. | Oklahoma City Thunder… | OKC Thunder | 2008-09 | None | 4 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 1967-68 | 1978-79 | 11 | ||
| 27. | Washington Wizards… | Washington Bullets/Wizards | 1973-74 | 1977-78 | 4 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 1963-64 | None | 10 | ||
| Chicago Packers/Zephyrs | 1961-62 | None | 2 | ||
| 29. | Philadelphia 76ers… | Philadelphia 76ers | 1963-64 | 1966-67 | 3 |
| Syracuse Nationals | 1949-50 | 1954-55 | 5 | ||
| 30. | Milwaukee Bucks | 1968-69 | 1970-71 | 2 | |
Photo: goldenkeyhq.wordpress.com / free-extras.com
Posted on June 6, 2012, in NBA and tagged Basketball, championship, first, List, longest, nba, number, team, title, wait, years. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Comment.
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