The Denver Nuggets removed themselves from the list of teams to never win an NBA title after defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 last Monday, ending a 47-year drought in franchise history.
Out of the thirty active NBA franchises, there are now 10 teams who have yet to experience lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy. Ten teams who have yet to experience the falling confetti and pop champagne confidently with the assurance of giant ski goggles. That would be Nikola Jokic, by the way.
Next NBA season, another hopeful franchise could also cross themselves off the non-championship list, reducing the number to just nine.
Mirror Sport takes a look at just who those teams are and why it's yet to happen.
Brooklyn Nets
Total Finals Appearances: 2
Last Finals Appearance: 2003
The Brooklyn Nets won two ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 as the New York Nets, but the franchise has not won an NBA title since the merger in 1976. The team had the daunting task of defeating a San Antonio Spurs team who won 60 games that year, giving them the best record in the entire NBA.
The Gregg Popovich-led Spurs - featuring Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, defeated the Nets in 6 games, with Duncan recording a triple-double of 21 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. The win kicked off a future Spurs dynasty that would see the franchise win three more titles in a nine-year period.
Charlotte Hornets
Total Finals Appearances: 0
Last Finals Appearance: Never
Whether known as the Charlotte Hornets or the Charlotte Bobcats, neither phase of the organisation’s history has made it to the NBA Finals nor won a championship. Furthermore, the franchise has only made the NBA Playoffs three times since its expansion into the Bobcat era in 2004, earning a lottery pick six times in the last even years that they have drafted.
The Hornets have never made it out of the Eastern Conference semi-finals and were eliminated from the first round of contention on three occasions. Carried by young players in LaMelo Ball and P. J. Washington, the franchise will likely face more woes before putting themselves in championship considerations.
Indiana Pacers
Total Finals Appearances: 1
Last Finals Appearance: 2000
The Pacers have had legendary players dawn their famous dark blue and yellow jerseys. Players like Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, and Reggie Miller, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time.
However, Miller’s greatness occurred during the height of Michael Jordan’s success and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The Pacers wouldn’t make the finals again until 2000, which was an era dominated by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
LA Clippers
Total Finals Appearances: 0
Last Finals Appearance: Never
The LA Clippers have been the victims of relocation throughout their lengthy history. The team was born in Buffalo, New York, moved to San Diego, and then to LA where the franchise has been viewed as the secondary team of the city compared to the rich history of the LA Lakers.
The Clippers best chance of a title occurred during the “Lob City” era featuring the trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. However injuries and poor coaching led the team to blow big leads during the playoffs, stifiling the team from having success.
Today’s version of the Clippers has faced similar challenges, with injuries to to star players Paul Geoge and Kawhi Leonard.
Orlando Magic
Total Finals Appearances: 2
Last Finals Appearance: 2009
The history of the Orlando Magic tells the story of a franchise who has made key decisions to let star players leave prematurely - which ultimately leads to their early playoff exits. The team drafted Shaquille O’Neal with the first overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft and the dominant center led the team to the finals in 1996.
After making the playoffs in his second season and winning a scoring title in his third, the team give O’Neal a low-ball deal, which spearheaded him joining the LA Lakers after becoming an unrestricted free agent.
In 2004, the team drafted Dwight Howard - another dominant center, with the first overall pick of the draft. Howard led the team to their last finals appearance in 2009, ultimately losing to Kobe Bryant in the height of his dominance.
Repeating history, the Magic let their dominant center go to the Lakers in a trade, and the franchise has yet to repeat its past success.
Phoenix Suns
Total Finals Appearances: 3
Last Finals Appearance: 2021
The Phoenix Suns have a history of having the roster in place to compete for championships. They’ve just run into some of the greatest basketball teams and players of all time.
The teams of the late 1990s featured Charles Barkley, and Kevin Johnson. However, he would meet the likes of Michael Jordan and Hameek Olajuwon, who both have NBA titles on their resume.
The era of the “run and gun” Steve Nash, led teams ran into the tree-peat Spurs and the emergence of LeBron James, who has dominated the Playoffs with ten appearances and four championships.
Devin Booker’s Suns were unable to hold a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, and lost the NBA Finals to Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. With the addition of Kevin Durant, the team will look to be in pole position to remove themselves off the non-title list.
Utah Jazz
Total Finals Appearances: 2
Last Finals Appearance: 1998
Led by the late Jerry Sloan, the Utah Jazz became staples of the NBA Playoffs throughout the 90s. The duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton is still regarded as one of the greatest NBA duos to never win a title due to also being the victims of running into Michael Jordan.
The Jazz made their last Finals appearance in 1998, which was also Jordan’s sixth NBA title, Finals MVP, and last championship of his career.
Memphis Grizzlies
Total Finals Appearances: 0
Last Finals Appearance: Never
The Memphis Grizzzles have shown regular season success but has yet to adapt their playstyles to the face pace of the NBA Playoffs, where every position counts.
The team’s closest chances of a championship came during the “Grit-N-Grind” era, which featured a bruising, and rugged defensive style from Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley. Those teams were never able to have success in the postseason, but did establish a culture that features hints of the team today.
Today, the team has replicated the culture of toughness, but now with the speed and pace of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr - who have already led the franchise to their most succession in NBA history during 2021, where the team won 56 games.
As the team continues to place pieces around Morant, they could put themselves in position to continue taking the franchise well-beyond its previous benchmarks.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Total Finals Appearances: 0
Last Finals Appearance: Never
The Minnesota Timberwloves had Kevin Garnett for over a decade, and still managed to never make the NBA Finals. Garnett shortly left the franchise to join the Boston Celtics in 2007, immediately winning a title with the team in his first year.
That’s the kind of luck that the franchise has had, with the 2003-04 season being the best in their history. In 2003, the team managed to make it to the Western Conference finals, led by Garnett and Latrell Spreewell, falling to the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers.
New Orleans Pelicans
Total Finals Appearances: 0
Last Finals Appearance: Never
The Pelicans have only been in existence since 2002 in their New Orleans era, and were previously the Charlotte Hornets. With such a short history, its difficult to face a league that showcases 29 other teams – all with the own principles, identities, and recipes for success.
As the Pelicans continue to grow with franchise cornerstones in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the team will continue to push toward developing their own culture, and establishing a presence in the Western Conference.
