What NBA teams have never won a championship

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have been going toe-to-toe year in and year out, vying to hold the most championships won. Yet, not every NBA franchise has been as lucky as that. In fact, 10 franchises are still looking to secure their first championship win.

In the highly-competitive world of the NBA, though, this could take years, owing to a combination of factors - funding, legacy players, and basketball tradition in the teams’ home states.

What are the NBA teams without a championship title today?

Below is a list of the teams that have never won an actual NBA championship title. While some teams have managed to win individual accolades, such as the ABA

• Brooklyn Nets
• Charlotte Hornets
• Indiana Pacers
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New Orleans Pelicans
• Orlando Magic
• Phoenix Suns
• Utah Jazz

The Minnesota Timberwolves are actually having a decentseason in 2025/2026, with the team within the top five teams of the Western Conference as of January 31, 2026. However, they are still far behind the Thunder, who have been accruing their lead in terms of games won.

What teams have historically come close to winning their first games?

While the above teams may not have won an NBA championship (just yet), some of them have come closer to pulling off the distinction than others. Take, for example, the Suns.

Phoenix has managed to reach the finals three times - most recently in 2021 when the team lost to the Bucks, sniffing out the team’s ambition to secure its first title - a historic moment by all accounts.

The last two times the team came close were in 1976 and 1993. The Utah Jazz also managed to reach the finals in 1997 and 1998, but had the misfortune of playing against the Chicago Bulls, who were running Michael Jordan, easily considered the greatest NBA player of all time.

The dynamics of the NBA make winning a championship a long and difficult journey, especially when competing against established powerhouses. The league is sometimes criticized for its entrenched hierarchies, with some franchises maintaining dominance for long stretches, limiting upward mobility compared to leagues like the NFL or the Premier League in the United Kingdom.

This has not stopped the teams that have not won a championship from cultivating strong fan crowds and continuing to build towards the coveted goal of becoming the champion of the season.

NBA teams continue to build towards a championship title

While a championship has eluded them so far, the teams without the highest accolade in the sport continue to come back each season, pushing harder and often farther.

The new season is a fresh opportunity to break through and make history, although this could often be predicated on years of preparatory hard work. For now, the pursuit of that first NBA title remains a driving force for these franchises.