Winning an NBA championship is one of the toughest things anyone could ever dream of in the sports industry. Of course, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics made it seem easy, but it isn’t.
Luck, coaching, injuries, and even character could take a massive toll on any team’s chances of winning a championship. That’s why it’s so hard to win back-to-backs.
And now that the Denver Nuggets have finally joined the list of teams with at least one ring, we’ll talk about those franchises who still haven’t won their very first title.
NBA Teams With No Rings
Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder are supposed to be the same franchise as the Seattle Supersonics, who were crowned in 1979. However, the team has yet to win in its new city, and if the league expansion becomes a reality, the Sonics will most likely come back and demand their championship back.
Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets were ABA champions, but haven’t been able to find that same success since the merger. Not even having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden on the same team was enough to get them over the hump, and it might be a very long while before they’re back to championship contention.
Indiana Pacers
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Likewise, the Indiana Pacers also won during their days in the ABA, but they haven’t been much of a force since the merger. They were close to knocking Michael Jordan out to make the NBA Finals, but fell short, and then they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 edition with an aging Reggie Miller far from his prime. They haven’t reached that stage ever since
Memphis Grizzlies
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The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the youngest franchises in the league, so it’s not that surprising to see that they’re ringless. They were a perennial contender during the ‘grit-and-grind’ era, and they’ll be good for years to come with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., but they need to keep developing and be more mature to reach the NBA Finals.
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball — Getty Images
The Charlotte Hornets were a fun team to watch in the 90s. They had legends like Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, or Alonzo Mourning, but they had to coexist with other powerhouses in the East. Now, owned by Michael Jordan — literally this time — they’ve struggled to be at their best, and they need to put more talent around LaMelo Ball to be a legit playoff team.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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Kevin Garnett was one of the greatest two-way forces this league had ever seen. However, the league punished the Minnesota Timberwolves for breaking their financial policy, stripping them of multiple first-round picks. That prevented them from giving Garnett the help he needed to reach the NBA Finals, and the franchise has been a bottom-feeder since he left.
New Orleans Pelicans
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The New Orleans Pelicans are another young franchise. They play in a small-market team, and may struggle to retain their top-notch players for long. Also, with Zion Williamson missing more time than most players, it’s hard to envision them being a legit contender at any point in the near future.
Orlando Magic
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The Orlando Magic have had two of the greatest, most dominant big men in the history of this game. Both Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard led the team to the NBA Finals at some point in their careers, but they both faced stronger, more experienced teams and couldn’t finish the job. Now, they’re young and rebuilding.
Phoenix Suns
Chris Paul — Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns made it to the NBA Finals with an MVP Charles Barkley playing like the best player on Earth not named Michael Jordan. That was until they faced the Chicago Bulls, and His Airness made a statement. Then, nearly 30 years later, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton suffered the same fate at the hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard — Getty Images
The Los Angeles Clippers spent most of their history living on the Los Angeles Lakers shadow and being a not-so-good team. The new ownership has gone to great lengths to put an end to that, but Kawhi Leonard and Paul George never seem to be healthy in the playoffs. They have a nice project going on, though, so they might leave this list sooner than the rest of the teams on it.
