5 Surprising Franchises Who Never Won an NBA Championship

Despite decades in the league and rosters full of talent, these top NBA teams still haven’t claimed a title.

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1. Phoenix Suns – 3 Finals Appearances (1976, 1993, 2021)

The Suns might be the most decorated team never to win it all. They’ve had MVPs, deep playoff runs, and some of the best offenses in league history. In 1993, Charles Barkley led a stacked team to the Finals, but they ran into Jordan’s Bulls dynasty.

Steve Nash’s Suns of the 2000s dominated regular seasons but couldn’t break through in the playoffs. In 2021, Devin Booker and Chris Paul gave the franchise fresh hope, but the Suns blew a 2–0 Finals lead to Giannis and the Bucks. Despite the talent, the title remains far.

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2. Indiana Pacers – 1 Finals Appearance (2000)

Before joining the NBA, the Pacers were a top ABA franchise with three titles. But since the 1976 merger, they’ve only reached the NBA Finals once. That came in 2000 when Reggie Miller finally got his shot at a ring.

Unfortunately, a prime Shaq and a rising Kobe were too much for Indiana. The Pacers haven’t returned to the Finals since, despite consistently competitive teams throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

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3. Los Angeles Clippers – 0 Finals Appearances

The Clippers are the only major L.A. team without a title, or even a Finals trip. Down by decades of dysfunction, relocations (Buffalo, San Diego, then L.A.), and poor ownership, the franchise spent much of its history down.

Even with star-studded rosters in the 2010s featuring Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and later Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they’ve never made it past the conference finals. Injuries and blown 3-1 leads have defined their playoff misfortunes.

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4. Memphis Grizzlies – 1 Conference Finals Appearance (2013)

From Vancouver to Memphis, the Grizzlies have built a reputation for toughness. The “Grit and Grind” era of the 2010s led by Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph was the team’s most successful.

They reached the Western Conference Finals in 2013 but got swept by the Spurs. Despite developing young stars like Ja Morant, the franchise is still waiting for its first Finals appearance.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves – 1 Conference Finals Appearance (2024)

Since joining the NBA in 1989, the Timberwolves have had just a handful of notable playoff runs. Kevin Garnett carried them through the early 2000s but could only get them to the conference finals once.

He won his only ring with Boston in 2008. Recently, the Anthony Edwards-led squad looked promising, making it to the West Finals in 2024, but they were knocked out in five games.