Every sport has its share of competition and fierce rivalry for both teams and players that compete in them and this is one of the reasons why such sports are highly entertaining.
Sports such as Soccer, American Football, Boxing, etc, are all exciting, as teams and players get to compete at the highest level, and thankfully, the very popular and exciting game of basketball under the NBA is no exception.
Basketball is a very popular sport in the world and the NBA is also one of the most popular sports associations in the United States and the world at large. We’ve seen teams compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy and win it and this is the dream of every NBA team.
However, as is applicable in other sports, only one team can come out tops at the end of the league season in the NBA. Although some sides have dominated the NBA, other sides have managed to be the surprise package.
READ: How Long is a College Basketball Game?
According to records, only 10 teams in the NBA have won the championship multiple times and at least half of the 30 teams in the NBA have won the championship once since the NBA and ABA merged.
However, there are other NBA teams without a championship and it is not for lack of trying but the other teams have been too formidable. We will be throwing more light on these 11 teams that have never won a championship.
Find below a list of the top 11 NBA teams without a championship yet:
1. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have been decent in the NBA and have reached the NBA finals multiple times. However, they fell short when it mattered.
They lost to the Lakers in 2002 and suffered another heartbreak against the Spurs in 2003. If there is a proper definition of consecutive heartbreaks, then this is it.
They were once acquired by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov but still failed to attain success.
He eventually gave up and the team under the ownership of Joseph Tsai has been on a resurgence with the likes of Irving and Durant and may make it to the list of contenders in the NBA anytime soon.
2. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are owned by Basketball legend Michael Jordan. However, his legend is yet to rub off on the very inconsistent team.
They also lost their best player ever, Kemba Walker, at the start of the season as he left as a free agent.
It remains to be seen if they can make it to the playoffs before being considered as one of the contenders for the NBA championship.
READ: What is the meaning of a Bonus in Basketball?
3. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets can be described as one of the best NBA teams without a championship. They are one of the most decent teams in NBA history although their greatest feat remains their progress to the Western Conference Finals.
Presently, they are one of the best teams in the West coupled with their acquisition of Bol Bol and Michael Porter Jr.
The team is still young and has a lot to prove and is expected to go places if the young core of the team presently remains intact based on recent performances, they are one of the likeliest to leave this list in the nearest future.
4. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have won the ABA championship multiple times but are yet to taste NBA championship success. They have been NBA championship contenders in the past but just couldn’t get it done at the end as their rivals proved stronger.
The likes of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as well as LeBron and the Miami Heat have hampered their NBA championship dreams in the past despite the presence of Reggie Miller and Paul George in those eras.
They are now being spearheaded by Sabonis and Oladipo and are on the rise. However, they don’t seem ready for a place in the highest stages of the Eastern Conference just yet.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
They’ve been under the shadows of the Lakers over the years but have been on a steady rise since the takeover by Steve Balmer.
They were very impressive in last year’s playoffs and this played a part in their acquisition of arguably the star name in the market Kawhi Leonard. We look forward to seeing if they have what it takes to get off this list in the nearest future.
READ: What is a triple-double in Basketball?
6. Memphis Grizzlies
It can be recalled that the Memphis Grizzlies made it to the NBA in 1995 as an expansion team and have shown great potential since then, however, they are still one of the NBA teams that have never won a championship.
They appear to be rebuilding in recent times as they made the playoff this tea despite being at the bottom at some point.
Regardless, they still have a lot of work to do and improvements to make to stand a chance of making the list of the NBA teams that have won the championship.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
This team is up there in the NBA when it comes to having some of the amazing talents of the sport on display.
Despite this, they have not made the NBA Finals. They once had Kevin Garnett in their ranks but still failed to make a significant impact in NBA.
This was worsened when Kevin Garnett left for Boston Celtics in 2007 and played a major role in their triumph in the NBA championship.
Presently, the Minnesota Timberwolves have some talented players in their ranks that they will be looking to utilize and not allow to go the way of Kevin Garnett.
It remains to be seen if they can make the most of their present offensive talents despite the frailty of their defense.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the NBA teams without a championship even though they once had Anthony Davis in their ranks. Funny enough, at the time the talented player was there, they were yet to be a regular playoff team.
Presently, they have some exciting young talents in their ranks and maybe, just maybe, they may be aspiring to get off this list in the nearest future.
READ: How many NBA teams are in Canada?
9. Phoenix Suns
The year 1976 would be a memorable one for Phoenix Suns and their fans as they joined the NBA final in that year, However, they fell short of attaining glory as they lost to the Boston Celtics.
Regardless, they went on to win the Western Conference title in 1993 with Charles Barkley in their ranks. They progressed to the 1993 finals and lost to the Chicago Bulls despite the home-court advantage they had in their favor.
Since then, they have not made it to the final and have also never won the NBA title. Presently, the future looks bright due to some of the talented young players they have in their ranks.
10. Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic is one of the best NBA teams that have never won the championship despite making the finals twice in 1995 and 2009. They lost to the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA final despite the presence of Shaquille O’Neal.
They seem to have made some progress in recent times but are still far below the NBA championship standard.
11. Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz have had some talented players in the past. It can be recalled that they once had the likes of Karl Malone and John Stockton.
Despite the presence of these big names, and how equipped they were as contenders, they failed to win the NBA championship.
They may not have come out tops with regards to winning the NBA title but have given fans a taste of some of the best finals in the history of the NBA. Presently, their squad is decent enough to go all the way to the first title triumph.
Conclusion
Based on the records of the aforementioned teams, it appears that winning the NBA championship is no mean feat and is only a feat reserved for the best of the best in the NBA at any point in time.
Regardless, the 11 basketball teams that have been mentioned in this article, are the 11 NBA teams without a championship title to their name based on when this article was published.