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This is a list of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise post-season appearance droughts. This list includes the all-time and the active consecutive non-playoffs. Aside from the NBA playoff appearance droughts, this list also includes droughts of series wins, appearances in the NBA Finals and NBA championship wins. The oldest such franchise is the Suns (54 seasons), while the Royals/Kings and the Hawks have even longer championship droughts (71 and 64 seasons, respectively). Five franchises have never been to the NBA Finals, tied with the National Hockey League for the highest number among the major North American sports. The oldest such team is the Braves/Clippers franchise (52 seasons); the Kings and the Hawks have appearance droughts that are even longer (71 and 61 seasons, respectively). The longest a franchise has gone without appearing in the playoffs at all is 16 seasons: the Kings franchise from 2006 to 2023.

Of the 20 franchises that have won an NBA championship, 7 have droughts of 38 seasons or more, which is to say that the past 40 championships have been shared among only 13 franchises: the Lakers (9), Bulls (6), Spurs (5), Warriors (4), Pistons (3), Celtics (3), Heat (3), Rockets (2), Mavericks (1), Cavaliers (1), Raptors (1), Bucks (1), and Nuggets (1). By contrast, the other three major North American sports have each had at least 18 franchises become champions over the same period of time.

Active droughts

NBA Playoffs appearance droughts

Appearance droughts updated through May 3, 2024.

Playoff picture at NBA.com

NBA Playoffs series win droughts

Droughts updated through April 2024.

Playoff picture at NBA.com

Charlotte was also inactive for two years following the 2001–02 season.

NBA Conference Finals appearance droughts

NBA Finals appearance droughts

• The Sacramento Kings last appeared in the 1951 NBA Finals as the Rochester Royals. Which pre dates NBA-ABA merger.
• The Atlanta Hawks last appeared in the 1961 NBA Finals as the St. Louis Hawks. Which pre dates NBA-ABA merger.
• The Washington Wizards last appeared in the 1979 Conference Finals and NBA Finals as the Washington Bullets.
• The Brooklyn Nets last appeared in the 2003 Conference Finals and NBA Finals as the New Jersey Nets.

NBA championship title droughts

• The Sacramento Kings last won an NBA championship in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.
• The Atlanta Hawks last won an NBA championship in 1958 as the St. Louis Hawks.
• Pre dates the NBA-ABA merger.
• The Washington Wizards last won an NBA championship in 1978 as the Washington Bullets.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder last won an NBA championship in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.

All-time droughts

Closest approaches without winning

Updated through the 2024 playoffs.

Longest post-season droughts in team history

Updated through the 2023–24 season.

Longest post-season series win droughts in team history

Updated through the 2023–24 season.

Longest NBA Playoffs appearance droughts

Appearance droughts updated through the 2023–24 season.

Longest Conference finals droughts

Appearance droughts updated through May 13, 2023. The current Conference Finals format was introduced in 1971.

• Streak includes seasons as Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers.
• Team last qualified for the Conference Finals as Washington Bullets.
• Franchise inactive for two seasons between 2002 and 2004.
• Current Brooklyn Nets; includes one season as New York Nets.
• Includes four seasons as Kansas City Kings.

NBA Division Championship droughts

Updated through the 2023–24 season.

Left click once on Seasons since win column heading then once on Division column heading
to show teams listed in order of division championships.

Finals droughts

NBA Finals in which neither team had previously won a championship

In these instances, the matchup ensured that one team would win the first NBA championship in its history.

• ^- Team had previously appeared in the National Basketball League finals before said league was merged for the NBA's formation.
• †- Defunct franchise.
• Abbreviation in parentheses – Current location of NBA franchise.

NBA Finals in which neither franchise had won a championship in 20-plus seasons

Teams that had never won the NBA championship are included, even if they were less than 20 seasons old at the time.

Numbers marked with * indicates that the number is counted from either the franchise's first year in the NBA or the first year of the league (1946, then known as the BAA).

• †- Defunct franchise.

Teams awaiting their first NBA championship

This list includes teams within the current NBA that have never won an NBA championship—sorted by the number of seasons played in the NBA.

Notes

• § NBA teams that have relocated from their original city(s).
• † NBA teams that have re-branded to/from their original concept.
• ‡ NBA teams that have won an ABA championship.

Cities awaiting first NBA championship

Listed according to seasons waited. Current NBA cities/regions only.

NBA Championship droughts by division

See also

• List of NBA franchise post-season streaks
• List of NBA longest losing streaks
• List of NBA longest winning streaks
• List of MLB franchise post-season droughts
• List of NFL franchise post-season droughts
• List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
• List of MLS club post-season droughts
• Basketball portal
• Sports portal

References

General

• "Team Index". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2009.

Specific

1. Newberry, Paul (May 10, 2015). "NBA: NFL has most parity, NBA is most exclusive club when it comes to winning titles". Associated Press. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
2. Major League Baseball has 22 different franchises that have won championships and have droughts of less than 38 years; the National Football League has 18 such franchises, and the National Hockey League has 18 such franchises.
3. Aldridge, David (June 6, 2015). "Warriors close in on title ... and keep NBA history afloat". NBA.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
4. ^ "NBA Advanced Stats–Playoff Picture". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
5. ^ "Charlotte Hornets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
6. ^ "Detroit Pistons". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
7. ^ "San Antonio Spurs". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
8. ^ "Houston Rockets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
9. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
10. ^ "Washington Wizards". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
11. ^ "Utah Jazz". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
12. ^ "Toronto Raptors". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
13. ^ "Chicago Bulls". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
14. ^ "Atlanta Hawks". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
15. ^ "Brooklyn Nets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
16. ^ "Memphis Grizzlies". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
17. ^ "Sacramento Kings". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
18. ^ "Golden State Warriors". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
19. ^ "Phoenix Suns". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
20. ^ "Los Angeles Lakers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
21. ^ "New Orleans Pelicans". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
22. ^ "Miami Heat". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
23. ^ "Milwaukee Bucks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
24. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
25. ^ "Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
26. ^ "Orlando Magic". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
27. ^ "Cleveland Cavaliers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
28. ^ "Oklahoma City Thunder". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
29. ^ "New York Knicks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
30. ^ "Denver Nuggets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
31. ^ "Indiana Pacers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
32. ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
33. ^ "Dallas Mavericks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
34. ^ "Boston Celtics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.

• NBA playoffs
• Playoff streaks
• NBA lists