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| The Larry O'Brien Trophy given to the champion of the NBA. |
But there are many teams who have put together multi-year runs of winning seasons but with no titles to show for it.
That is why I have complied a list of what I think are the 25 most successful NBA multi-year runs that failed to include a championship.
Some of these runs are currently going on right now and could be changed in the future like the team that starts off this list at #25:
25. Memphis Grizzlies(2011-17)
Using a high pressure defense and an offense that relied heavily on power forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol, Memphis became known as "Grind City" for the Grizzlies' grind-it-out style to win games.
It was successful as the Grizzlies became the fourth #8 seed in NBA history to win a playoff series when they upset the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 NBA playoffs.
While the Grizzlies would be eliminated in the next round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2011 season began a seven-year run where the Grizzlies made the playoffs each season, winning at least 50 games each season from 2013 to 2015 and advancing all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2013 where they would be swept by the Spurs.
Even though they never made it to the NBA Finals, the "Grind City" Grizzlies will be remembered fondly by Memphis fans as Gasol, Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen will have their numbers retired according to owner Robert Pera.
24. Atlanta Hawks(1986-89)
But Wilkins was also a great scorer as he won the scoring title in 1986 and averaged nearly 30 points per game from 1986-88.
With Wilkins, plus future NBA head coach Doc Rivers as one of the top assists leaders in the league, and 5' 7" Spud Webb, the Hawks won at least 50 games each season from 1986 through 1989.
However, the Hawks could not get past the second round as they were eliminated by the Celtics in 1986, then by the Pistons in 1987 and again by the Celtics in 1988 despite Wilkins' 47 points in a epic Game 7.
The Hawks would be eliminated in the first round in 1989 and miss the playoffs the following year, bringing an end to perhaps the most exciting era of Atlanta Hawks basketball.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (2018-present)
However, the Sixers have been unable to reach the conference finals during this time as they have been eliminated in the second round in five of their seven playoff appearances, with three of those second round eliminations ended in a Game 7 loss.
22. Los Angeles Clippers(2012-17)
After point guard Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers from the New Orleans Hornets(now Pelicans), 2011 rookie of the year Blake Griffin was quoted in a social media video that it was "going to be Lob City" as many alley-oop dunks were going to occur with the arrival of Paul.
The combination of Paul and Griffin plus defensive stew-alt DeAndre Jordan lead the Clippers to their most successful period in team history as they would make the playoffs the next six seasons, winning at least 50 games every season from 2013 to 2017.
But the Clippers could never get past the second round as they were eliminated in the second round three out of the six years, including a painful exit in 2015 where they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets.
The "Lob City era" came to an end over the course of 2017 and 2018 as Paul and Jordan signed with other teams, while Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons.
21. Portland Trail Blazers(1999-2003)
The Portland Trail Blazers of the late 1990s and early 2000s had one of the most talented rosters in the NBA with Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, former All-Star Steve Smith, and future All-Stars in Zach Randolph and Jermaine O'Neal.
Portland made the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons in 1999 + 2000, first losing in a sweep to the San Antonio Spurs in '99, then famously blowing a 15-point 4th quarter lead in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, which they ended up losing 89-84.
After their loss to the Lakers, the Blazers began to unravel with off-court issues leading to multiple arrests, earning them the infamous moniker the "Jail Blazers".
The Blazers still to manage to post 50-plus win seasons in 2001 + 2002, but were eliminated in the first round both times by the Lakers, then after a 49-33 season in 2003, almost pulled off a miracle as they rallied from a 3-0 series deficit in their first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, only to lose Game 7.
The following season, the Blazers would go 41-41, ending their run of 21 straight playoff appearances.
20. Chicago Bulls(1970-75)
Until Michael Jordan lead the Bulls to six NBA championships in eight years during the 1990s, the Bulls' most successful period came in the early 1970s.
Led by the trio of Bob Love, Norm Van Lier, and future NBA head coach Jerry Sloan, the Bulls made the playoffs six years in a row from 1970 through 1975 and won at least 50 games each season from 1971 through 1974.
The Bulls made it to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975, but were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in '74 and lost in seven games to the Golden State Warriors in '75, their last appearance in a conference final until 1989.
19. Fort Wayne Pistons(1955-56)
For the first 17 years of their existence, the Pistons played in Fort Wayne, Indiana, winning two National Basketball League titles in 1943 + 44 before the league merged with the NBA for the 1949 season.
The Pistons returned to championship contention in the mid-1950s as they made it to the NBA Finals in back-to-back years in 1955 + 56, only to lose both times, with the first Finals loss coming in devastating fashion as they lost the series to the Syracuse Nationals(now Philadelphia 76ers) by one point in Game 7 as Syracuse's George King hit the game-winning free throw with 12 seconds left, then stole the ball from the Pistons' Andy Phillip with three seconds left to seal the 92-91 win and the championship for the Nationals.
The Pistons made it back to the Finals the next year, but lost in five games to the Philadelphia Warriors.
After the 1957 season, the Pistons moved to Detroit and would not return to the Finals until 1988.
18. San Antonio Spurs(1977-83)
When the NBA took four teams from the ABA to merge with the league, the San Antonio Spurs were the ABA team to have immediate success in the NBA.
Led by four-time NBA scoring champion George "Iceman" Gervin, the Spurs would make the playoffs in their first seven seasons in the NBA, including three 50-plus win seasons and three trips to the conference finals.
But the Spurs would come up short in each of those conference finals, with the first exit coming in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals(yes, the Spurs were in the Eastern Conference at one point)as they fell to the Washington Bullets in seven games after holding a 3-1 series lead, before moving to the Western Conference were they eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and 1983.
Following their 1983 loss, the Spurs would not have a winning season until an "Admiral" arrived...
17. San Antonio Spurs(1990-96)
David Robinson brought the Spurs out of purgatory when he arrived in San Antonio for his rookie season in 1989.
For the next seven years, "The Admiral" would lead the Spurs to seven consecutive playoff appearances and five seasons of at least 50 wins, which included a 62-win season in 1995 and a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
However, the Spurs would be upset by the eventual world champion Houston Rockets in six games and then after being eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the 1996 playoffs, the Spurs would only win 20 games during the 1997 season, but it lead them to land the #1 overall pick for that year's draft which would be Tim Duncan, who helped create a dynasty in San Antonio as the Spurs would win five NBA titles between the years 1999 and 2014.
After point guard Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers from the New Orleans Hornets(now Pelicans), 2011 rookie of the year Blake Griffin was quoted in a social media video that it was "going to be Lob City" as many alley-oop dunks were going to occur with the arrival of Paul.
The combination of Paul and Griffin plus defensive stew-alt DeAndre Jordan lead the Clippers to their most successful period in team history as they would make the playoffs the next six seasons, winning at least 50 games every season from 2013 to 2017.
But the Clippers could never get past the second round as they were eliminated in the second round three out of the six years, including a painful exit in 2015 where they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets.
The "Lob City era" came to an end over the course of 2017 and 2018 as Paul and Jordan signed with other teams, while Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons.
21. Portland Trail Blazers(1999-2003)
Portland made the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons in 1999 + 2000, first losing in a sweep to the San Antonio Spurs in '99, then famously blowing a 15-point 4th quarter lead in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, which they ended up losing 89-84.
After their loss to the Lakers, the Blazers began to unravel with off-court issues leading to multiple arrests, earning them the infamous moniker the "Jail Blazers".
The Blazers still to manage to post 50-plus win seasons in 2001 + 2002, but were eliminated in the first round both times by the Lakers, then after a 49-33 season in 2003, almost pulled off a miracle as they rallied from a 3-0 series deficit in their first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, only to lose Game 7.
The following season, the Blazers would go 41-41, ending their run of 21 straight playoff appearances.
20. Chicago Bulls(1970-75)
Led by the trio of Bob Love, Norm Van Lier, and future NBA head coach Jerry Sloan, the Bulls made the playoffs six years in a row from 1970 through 1975 and won at least 50 games each season from 1971 through 1974.
The Bulls made it to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975, but were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in '74 and lost in seven games to the Golden State Warriors in '75, their last appearance in a conference final until 1989.
19. Fort Wayne Pistons(1955-56)
The Pistons returned to championship contention in the mid-1950s as they made it to the NBA Finals in back-to-back years in 1955 + 56, only to lose both times, with the first Finals loss coming in devastating fashion as they lost the series to the Syracuse Nationals(now Philadelphia 76ers) by one point in Game 7 as Syracuse's George King hit the game-winning free throw with 12 seconds left, then stole the ball from the Pistons' Andy Phillip with three seconds left to seal the 92-91 win and the championship for the Nationals.
The Pistons made it back to the Finals the next year, but lost in five games to the Philadelphia Warriors.
After the 1957 season, the Pistons moved to Detroit and would not return to the Finals until 1988.
18. San Antonio Spurs(1977-83)
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Led by four-time NBA scoring champion George "Iceman" Gervin, the Spurs would make the playoffs in their first seven seasons in the NBA, including three 50-plus win seasons and three trips to the conference finals.
But the Spurs would come up short in each of those conference finals, with the first exit coming in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals(yes, the Spurs were in the Eastern Conference at one point)as they fell to the Washington Bullets in seven games after holding a 3-1 series lead, before moving to the Western Conference were they eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and 1983.
Following their 1983 loss, the Spurs would not have a winning season until an "Admiral" arrived...
17. San Antonio Spurs(1990-96)
For the next seven years, "The Admiral" would lead the Spurs to seven consecutive playoff appearances and five seasons of at least 50 wins, which included a 62-win season in 1995 and a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
However, the Spurs would be upset by the eventual world champion Houston Rockets in six games and then after being eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the 1996 playoffs, the Spurs would only win 20 games during the 1997 season, but it lead them to land the #1 overall pick for that year's draft which would be Tim Duncan, who helped create a dynasty in San Antonio as the Spurs would win five NBA titles between the years 1999 and 2014.
16. Orlando Magic(1994-96)
Before Shaquille O' Neal paired up with Kobe Bryant to win straight titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, Shaq had another electrifying wingman in Penny Hardaway with the Orlando Magic.
After O' Neal was selected as the #1 pick in the 1992 Draft, the Magic traded for Hardaway, who had been selected by the Golden State Warriors in the following years' draft, to be the next dynamic duo in the NBA.
The Magic would win at least 50 games the next three seasons, with a franchise record coming in 1996 as they won 60 games, and reached the NBA Finals in 1995.
But a sweep in the Finals to the Houston Rockets followed by another sweep the following year in the Eastern Conference Finals to Michael Jordan and the 72-win Chicago Bulls, steered O'Neal to move out west and sign with the Lakers following the 1996 season.
Shaq's departure and knee injuries to Hardaway sent the Magic reeling as they would not approach NBA title contender status again until the late 2000s.
15. New Jersey Nets(2002-07)
When Jason Kidd arrived in New Jersey for the 2002 season after being traded by the Phoenix Suns, the Nets experienced a basketball renaissance as the team achieved its most successful period since their ABA days when Julius Erving was throwing down slam dunks in leading the Nets to two ABA titles.
Kidd lead the Nets to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in his first two seasons in New Jersey, but would lose both times, first to the Lakers in 2002, then to the Spurs in 2003.
Kidd and the Nets would make the playoffs the next four seasons, ultimately bowing out in the second round in three out of those four seasons.
Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the middle of the 2008 season where three years later he would win his first and only NBA championship while the Nets did not return to the playoffs until 2013 when they had moved to Brooklyn after 35 years in New Jersey.
14. Miami Heat(1996-2001)
The Miami Heat went from NBA also-ran to one of the elite teams in the NBA beginning in 1995 when the franchise hired Pat Riley to be its head coach and team president.
Riley would acquire Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway via trades to help bring the Miami Heat to relevance as they made the playoffs during the 1996 season.
Despite being swept by the Bulls in the first round of the '96 playoffs, the Heat only go better as they would win 61 games the following season and make their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would be eliminated by the Bulls in five games.
The Heat would remain near the top of the Eastern Conference for the next three years, only to have Riley's former team, the New York Knicks, eliminate the Heat in the playoffs three straight years, with the most excurating loss coming in 1999 when the #1 seeded Heat lost in the first round to the #8 seeded Knicks on Allen Houston's game-winning shot with 0.8 seconds left in Game 5(the first round was best-of-5 from 1984-2002).
The Heat would win at least for 50 games for the fourth time in five years in 2001, but were swept by in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets, ending the Heat's six-year-run of consecutive playoff appearances, as they would miss the playoffs the following two seasons.
13. Sacramento Kings (1999-2006)
Before the 1999 season, the Sacramento Kings were known as the NBA's vagabond franchise as the team had played in four different cities(Rochester, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Omaha)before moving to Sacramento in 1985.
But with the drafting of point guard Jason Williams, the signing of free agent Vlade Divac, the arrival of Peja Stojakovic from Serbia and the trade to bring in All-Star Chris Webber, the Kings would soon become the "Greatest Show on Court" with their eight-year streak of playoff appearances, the longest in franchise history.
After back-to-back heartbreaking first round exits in 1999 to the Utah Jazz and in 2000 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings won 55 games in 2001 and won their first playoff series in 20 years as they knocked off the Phoenix Suns in the first round, only to be eliminated by the Lakers in the second round.
In the offseason, Williams was traded for Mike Bibby, leading the Kings to the NBA's best record at 61-21, only to have the Kings lose to the Lakers again in seven games in the Western Conference Finals, thanks to a Robert Horry buzzer beater in Game 4 and some really bad officiating in Game 6, leading to Sacramento losses.
The Kings would win 50 games in each of the next three seasons, but would go no further than the second round, losing in Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks in '03, losing another Game 7 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in '04, and losing in six games to the Seattle Supersonics in '05.
The Kings would make the playoffs in '06 only to be knocked out by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
They haven't been back to the postseason since.
12. Houston Rockets(2013-20)
Following the 2012 season, the Houston Rockets traded for Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden to lead them back to the playoffs.
Harden and the Rockets accomplished that by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2009, though they were eliminated by Harden's former team, the Thunder in five games in the first round.
The following year, the Rockets would win 54 games during the regular season, only to lose in the first round, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers on Damian Lilliard's walk-off buzzer beater in Game 6 of the series.
The Rockets would become a force in the Western Conference as they won at least 50 games in four of the next five years, including a franchise record 65 in 2018 as the team added Chris Paul to join Harden in the backcourt.
But the Rockets could not get past the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated Houston in four out of the next five playoffs, including twice in the Western Conference Finals(2015 and 2018).
After O' Neal was selected as the #1 pick in the 1992 Draft, the Magic traded for Hardaway, who had been selected by the Golden State Warriors in the following years' draft, to be the next dynamic duo in the NBA.
The Magic would win at least 50 games the next three seasons, with a franchise record coming in 1996 as they won 60 games, and reached the NBA Finals in 1995.
But a sweep in the Finals to the Houston Rockets followed by another sweep the following year in the Eastern Conference Finals to Michael Jordan and the 72-win Chicago Bulls, steered O'Neal to move out west and sign with the Lakers following the 1996 season.
Shaq's departure and knee injuries to Hardaway sent the Magic reeling as they would not approach NBA title contender status again until the late 2000s.
15. New Jersey Nets(2002-07)
Kidd lead the Nets to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in his first two seasons in New Jersey, but would lose both times, first to the Lakers in 2002, then to the Spurs in 2003.
Kidd and the Nets would make the playoffs the next four seasons, ultimately bowing out in the second round in three out of those four seasons.
Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the middle of the 2008 season where three years later he would win his first and only NBA championship while the Nets did not return to the playoffs until 2013 when they had moved to Brooklyn after 35 years in New Jersey.
14. Miami Heat(1996-2001)
Riley would acquire Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway via trades to help bring the Miami Heat to relevance as they made the playoffs during the 1996 season.
Despite being swept by the Bulls in the first round of the '96 playoffs, the Heat only go better as they would win 61 games the following season and make their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would be eliminated by the Bulls in five games.
The Heat would remain near the top of the Eastern Conference for the next three years, only to have Riley's former team, the New York Knicks, eliminate the Heat in the playoffs three straight years, with the most excurating loss coming in 1999 when the #1 seeded Heat lost in the first round to the #8 seeded Knicks on Allen Houston's game-winning shot with 0.8 seconds left in Game 5(the first round was best-of-5 from 1984-2002).
The Heat would win at least for 50 games for the fourth time in five years in 2001, but were swept by in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets, ending the Heat's six-year-run of consecutive playoff appearances, as they would miss the playoffs the following two seasons.
13. Sacramento Kings (1999-2006)
But with the drafting of point guard Jason Williams, the signing of free agent Vlade Divac, the arrival of Peja Stojakovic from Serbia and the trade to bring in All-Star Chris Webber, the Kings would soon become the "Greatest Show on Court" with their eight-year streak of playoff appearances, the longest in franchise history.
After back-to-back heartbreaking first round exits in 1999 to the Utah Jazz and in 2000 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings won 55 games in 2001 and won their first playoff series in 20 years as they knocked off the Phoenix Suns in the first round, only to be eliminated by the Lakers in the second round.
In the offseason, Williams was traded for Mike Bibby, leading the Kings to the NBA's best record at 61-21, only to have the Kings lose to the Lakers again in seven games in the Western Conference Finals, thanks to a Robert Horry buzzer beater in Game 4 and some really bad officiating in Game 6, leading to Sacramento losses.
The Kings would win 50 games in each of the next three seasons, but would go no further than the second round, losing in Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks in '03, losing another Game 7 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in '04, and losing in six games to the Seattle Supersonics in '05.
The Kings would make the playoffs in '06 only to be knocked out by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
They haven't been back to the postseason since.
12. Houston Rockets(2013-20)
Harden and the Rockets accomplished that by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2009, though they were eliminated by Harden's former team, the Thunder in five games in the first round.
The following year, the Rockets would win 54 games during the regular season, only to lose in the first round, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers on Damian Lilliard's walk-off buzzer beater in Game 6 of the series.
The Rockets would become a force in the Western Conference as they won at least 50 games in four of the next five years, including a franchise record 65 in 2018 as the team added Chris Paul to join Harden in the backcourt.
But the Rockets could not get past the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated Houston in four out of the next five playoffs, including twice in the Western Conference Finals(2015 and 2018).
The Rockets would then trade Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook before the 2020 season, only to have Houston get eliminated in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following the 2020 season, Westbrook would be traded to the Washington Bullets and Harden to the Brooklyn Nets.
11. Phoenix Suns(2005-10)
Many NBA experts were stunned when Steve Nash left the Dallas Mavericks to sign with the Phoenix Suns in 2004 after the Suns went 29-53.
But Nash fit the Suns' up-tempo offense style to lead the Suns to a 62-20 record and earn Nash the first of two straight MVPs.
However, the Suns would fall to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
The Suns would return to the Western Conference Finals the following year only to lose to Nash's former team, the Mavericks in six games after a 54-28 season.
In 2007, the Suns would go 61-21 but again fall to the Spurs as San Antonio knocked them in six games in the second round.
After a 55-win season in 2008 which ended in the first round at the hands of the Spurs, the Suns would miss the playoffs in 2009, only to come back with a 54-win season in 2010 where Phoenix finally beat San Antonio in the playoffs with a four-game sweep in the second round.
But the Suns would fall to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in six games and have not been back to the postseason after a six-year run which saw Phoenix win at least 50 games in five seasons, with two of those seasons being 60-plus win seasons, and three Conference Finals appearances.
10. New York Knicks(1951-53)
The New York Knicks of the early 1950s made NBA history for the wrong reasons as they became the first team to lose three straight NBA Finals.
In 1951, the Knicks fought back from a 0-3 series deficit to force a Game 7 against the Rochester Royals(now Sacramento Kings) only to lose Game 7 by the score of 79-75.
The next year, the Knicks faced the Minneapolis Lakers and once again fell short in a Game 7 thanks to a 22-point, 19-rebound performance by Lakers center George Mikan to give the Lakers a 82-65 win.
The Knicks and Lakers would go at it again in 1953 and again the Knicks would come out on the losing end as they lost in the series in five games.
The Knicks would not return to the Finals until 1970 when Willis Reed famously came out of the tunnel to hit the first baskets of the game to lift New York to a 113-99 win and their first championship, to ironically give the Lakers their third straight NBA Finals loss.
9. Milwaukee Bucks(1981-87)
The Bucks made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons beginning in 1980 and ending 1991, but their best years were from 1981 until 1987 when the Bucks led by All-Stars Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson and coached by Don Nelson won at least 50 games in those seven seasons, including 60 in 1981.
However, the Bucks could not past the two heavyweights of the Eastern Conference at the time, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, as Milwaukee was eliminated by the 76ers four times and the Celtics three times.
The Bucks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals three times(1983, 84, + 86) going 2-12 in those three series while also losing two heartbreaking Game 7s in the second round, with the Bucks losing by one point, 99-98 in 1981 to the 76ers, then lost to the Celtics in 1987 after holding an eight-point lead with seven minutes to go in the 4th quarter.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers(2006-10)
Before leading the Cavs to the 2016 NBA Championship, LeBron James was just another great athlete who could not lead a Cleveland sports team to a championship.
After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, LeBron and the Cavs would make the playoffs the next five years, with Cleveland winning at least 50 games in four of these seasons, including a 66-win season in 2009 and 61-win season in 2010.
However, the best LeBron and the Cavs could do was make the NBA Finals in 2007 where they were swept by the Spurs.
LeBron would leave the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat after the 2010 season only to return four years later and eventually end the Cleveland Sports Curse with the Cavs' title in 2016.
7. Indiana Pacers(1990-2006)
After being the dominant franchise the ABA by winning three titles, the most of any franchise during the league's eight-year run, the Indiana Pacers struggled when they moved to the NBA making the playoffs only twice from 1977-89.
Things began to turn around for the Pacers when the 1990s began as the Pacers would be in the playoffs for the next 17 seasons.
After four straight first round playoff exits, the Pacers made their deepest NBA playoff run in 1994 as they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, led by Reggie Miller, whose 25 4th quarter points in Game 5 of the ECF against the New York Knicks gave Indiana a 3-2 series lead.
But the Pacers would lose the next two games to end their season, only to come back stronger for the 1995 season as they went 52-30 during the regular season and returned to the Eastern Conference Finals, but were lost in seven games again, this time to the Orlando Magic.
The Pacers would go 52-30 again in 1996, but were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks, then missed the playoffs the following season.
That is when the Pacers brought in Larry Bird as its head coach, who would guide the Pacers back to the Eastern Conference Finals where once again Indiana fell in seven games, this time to the Chicago Bulls.
Then after another elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999 to the Knicks, the Pacers finally made it to the NBA Finals, defeating the Knicks in six games to reach their first ever NBA Finals, where they would lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Bird would step down as head coach following the 2000 season and the Pacers would not reach the Eastern Conference Finals again until 2004 when they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons.
Miller retired after the 2005 season as the Pacers were knocked out by the Pistons in the second round, which was followed by a first round exit to the New Jersey Nets in 2006.
Overall during their 17-year run, the Pacers made it to the Conference Finals six times and the NBA Finals once, but zero NBA titles to show for it.
6. Phoenix Suns(1989-95)
Years before the Steve Nash led Suns come oh so close to winning an NBA title, the Suns of the early 90s dealt with years of heartbreak as the team won at least 50 games in seven straight seasons, but never won the NBA championship.
The Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals three times in four years(1989-90 + 92) but each time fell short of making it to the NBA Finals.
That is when the team traded for 76ers forward Charles Barkley, who would go on to win his only MVP in the 1993 season as the Suns won a franchise record 62 games during the regular season and finally got past the Western Conference Finals as they defeated the Seattle Supersonics in seven games to earn its Phoenix its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1976.
But the Suns would fall victim to history as the Chicago Bulls become the third team in NBA history to win at least three titles in a row as John Paxson hit the game-winning and championship-winning three-pointer in Game 6 to eliminate the Suns.
The Suns would return to the playoffs the next two seasons, only to be eliminated by the Houston Rockets in the second round in both seasons after building 2-0 series leads in each series.
The Suns would make the playoffs the next six seasons but never got further than the second round.
5. New York Knicks(1992-2001)
Before he built Miami into a contender, Pat Riley brought the Knicks back to championship contender with a defense-first mentality lead by center Patrick Ewing.
In Riley's 1st season, the Knicks improved from 39-43 to 51-31 and pushed the defending champion Chicago Bulls to seven games in the second round of the 1992 playoffs, only to be blown out in Game 7.
The Knicks would tie the franchise record for most wins in a season with 60 in 1993 and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years, where they lost to the Bulls again after building a 2-0 series lead.
The Knicks finally got over the hump that was the Chicago Bulls as they defeated the three-time defending champions(minus Michael Jordan) in a seven-game series in the second round of the 1994 playoffs, then had to fight off the scrappy Indiana Pacers in a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals to earn New York its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1973.
The Knicks took a 3-2 series lead, but would lose the last two games of the series to the Houston Rockets, denying New York the NBA championship.
The following season, the Knicks would be eliminated by the Pacers in the second round when Ewing's potential game-tying basket bounced off the rim in the final seconds of Game 7, which turned out to be the final game of Riley's tenure in New York.
Riley would be replaced by Don Nelson who would then be replaced by Jeff Van Gundy after 59 games of the 1996 season as the Knicks would make it to the second round, only to be eliminated by the Bulls with Michael Jordan.
The Knicks would not make it past the second round in '97 or '98 either, until their Cinderella run to the NBA Finals in 1999.
The Knicks become the first and thus far only #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals as they eliminated the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Indiana Pacers, despite losing Ewing to an Achilles injury during their run, to reach the Finals where their unlikely run would come to an end at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks made it back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000, but lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers, then were knocked out in the first round of the 2001 playoffs to the Toronto Raptors.
From 1992-2001, the Knicks won at least 50 games six times, but since 2002 the Knicks have only accomplished that feat once(54 in 2013).
4. Seattle Supersonics(1992-98)
In 1992 with the team standing with a 20-20 record, the Sonics hired George Karl as head coach in hopes of turning the team around.
Under Karl's leadership and the emergence of point guard Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the Sonics would go 27-15 to earn the #6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, where they would upset the #3 seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round, which was followed by an elimination at the hands of the Utah Jazz in the second round.
The following season, the Sonics won 55 games and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they fell to the Phoenix Suns in seven games.
It seemed that the stars were aligned for a title run in 1994 as the Sonics finished with the league's best record as they went 63-19, a franchise best.
However, the Sonics would be shocked in the first round by the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first NBA #1 seed to ever lose a 1st round series.
The Sonics came back with a 57-25 season in 1995, only to be eliminated in the first round again, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Sonics would respond to their two years of epic disappointment by breaking their franchise record for wins with 64 and making to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979 where they would fall to Chicago Bulls in six games.
Seattle would not make past the second round the next two years as they would eliminated by the Houston Rockets in 1997 and the Lakers in 1998 after 57 and 61 win seasons, respectively.
After the '98 season, Karl left to become the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a six-and-half year run which saw the Sonics win at least 50 games six years in a row and have three seasons of 60 or more wins, but zero championships to show for it.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder(2010-19)
Before the 2009 season, the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC entered the 2010 season with three future MVPs in third-year forward Kevin Durant, second-year point guard Russell Westbrook, and rookie guard James Harden.
The team improved from 23-59 to 50-32 earning the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, where they fought the Los Angeles Lakers to a tough six-game series in the first round.
Though they lost that series, many believed that the Thunder had made a statement and were going to be the NBA's next great team.
In 2011, the Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks in five games but was followed by the Thunder returning to the Western Conference Finals in 2012 where they came back from a 0-2 series deficit to win the next four games and knock off the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals where they would fall to the Miami Heat in five games.
Despite trading Harden to the Houston Rockets in the offseason, the Thunder would win 60 games in 2013 but be eliminated in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies as OKC lost Westbrook to a knee injury in the previous round.
The Thunder returned to the Western Conference Finals in 2014 but were knocked out by the Spurs in six games, which was followed by the Thunder missing out on the playoffs in 2015 as Durant endured nagging foot injuries.
Durant would come back with a vengeance in 2016 as he would win the MVP award in leading the Thunder back to the Western Conference Finals where they took a 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.
But the Thunder would lose the next three games, with the most difficult loss coming in Game 6 at home, as the Warriors knocked off the Thunder.
Durant would OKC in the offseason to join Golden State, leaving the team all to Westbrook who would averaged a triple double for the next three seasons, but could not lead the Thunder out of the first round as they were eliminated in the opening round three straight years.
Westbrook would be traded to the Rockets in the offseason, reuniting with Harden, bringing an end to what could have been one of the great dynasties in NBA history.
2. Portland Trail Blazers(1990-92)
The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs every season from 1983 through 2003, a run of 21 straight playoff appearances, which is the second longest streak in NBA history behind the Philadelphia 76ers' run of 22 straight playoff appearances from 1950 to 1971.
However, the Blazers never won a NBA championship during their 21-year streak, with the most excruciating period coming from 1990-1992, where the team led by All-Star and future "Dream Team" member Clyde Drexler, made it to the NBA Finals twice in three years, only to lose both times.
In 1990, the Blazers went 59-23 tied for second best in the league, and won the Western Conference title to earn Portland its first trip to the Finals since 1977.
However, the Blazers would fall to the Detroit Pistons in five games as Vinnie Johnson secured the championship for the "Bad Boys" with his game-winning shot in the final seconds of Game 5.
The Blazers came back the following year to win 63 games to earn the league's best record, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Then in 1992, the Blazers went 57-25 during the regular season and returned to the NBA Finals, where they faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
The Blazers were poised to force a Game 7 as they held a 15-point lead at the beginning of the 4th quarter, only to be outscored 33-14 to lose the game 97-93, ending their season as the Bulls won the second of their six titles in the 1990s.
1. Utah Jazz(1984-2003)
The Utah Jazz made the playoff every year for 20 straight seasons starting in 1984 and ending in 2003.
The best years of that run came between 1989 and 2001 when the duo of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone lead the Jazz to 11 seasons where the team won at least 50 games, with three of those seasons being 60-plus win seasons.
And yet, the dynamic duo never won it all, making this the greatest team run in NBA history not to include a championship.
Before the 1989 season, Jerry Sloan was hired as head coach to help take the Jazz to the next level after five straight playoff appearances, but no trips to the Conference Finals.
That trend continued for the Jazz until 1992 when they made it to their first Western Conference Finals in team history, only to be knocked out by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.
Following a first round exit to the Seattle Supersonics in 1993, the Jazz returned to the Western Conference Finals in 1994, but could not get past the Houston Rockets who won the series in five series.
The Rockets would eliminate the Jazz in the first round the following season despite the Jazz reaching the 60-win plateau for the first time in team history.
Utah would return to the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five years, but would fall short again as they lost to the Sonics in a tough seven game series.
Then in 1997, the Jazz set a franchise record for wins with 64 and returned to the Western Conference Finals again, this time making to the NBA Finals as Stockton hit a walk-off three pointer at the buzzer of Game 6 to send Utah its first NBA Finals where they faced the Chicago Bulls.
After dropping the first two games of the series, the Jazz would even the series by winning the next two games and appeared poised to take the series lead as Michael Jordan came down with flu-like symptoms before Game 5.
But Jordan would score 38 points to lead the Bulls to a 90-88 victory as the Bulls would go win the series in Game 6 on Steve Kerr's game-winning jumper with 5 seconds left.
The Jazz would return to the NBA Finals following a 62-win season where they faced the Bulls in a rematch.
Once again, the Jazz would fall to the Bulls in six games as Jordan scored 45, including the game-winner, when he pushed off(in Jazz fans' minds)Bryan Russell to hit the game-winning shot with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 to give the Bulls their sixth title in eight years.
The Jazz would be eliminated by the Blazers in the second round the following two seasons, then after a 53-win season in 2001, would be shocked in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks, who had not been to the playoffs since 1990.
The Jazz would make the playoffs the next two years but be eliminated in the first round both years by the Sacramento Kings.
Following the 2003 season, Stockton retired and Malone left to join the Lakers bringing an end to the greatest team run in NBA history not to include a championship.
11. Phoenix Suns(2005-10)
But Nash fit the Suns' up-tempo offense style to lead the Suns to a 62-20 record and earn Nash the first of two straight MVPs.
However, the Suns would fall to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
The Suns would return to the Western Conference Finals the following year only to lose to Nash's former team, the Mavericks in six games after a 54-28 season.
In 2007, the Suns would go 61-21 but again fall to the Spurs as San Antonio knocked them in six games in the second round.
After a 55-win season in 2008 which ended in the first round at the hands of the Spurs, the Suns would miss the playoffs in 2009, only to come back with a 54-win season in 2010 where Phoenix finally beat San Antonio in the playoffs with a four-game sweep in the second round.
But the Suns would fall to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in six games and have not been back to the postseason after a six-year run which saw Phoenix win at least 50 games in five seasons, with two of those seasons being 60-plus win seasons, and three Conference Finals appearances.
10. New York Knicks(1951-53)
In 1951, the Knicks fought back from a 0-3 series deficit to force a Game 7 against the Rochester Royals(now Sacramento Kings) only to lose Game 7 by the score of 79-75.
The next year, the Knicks faced the Minneapolis Lakers and once again fell short in a Game 7 thanks to a 22-point, 19-rebound performance by Lakers center George Mikan to give the Lakers a 82-65 win.
The Knicks and Lakers would go at it again in 1953 and again the Knicks would come out on the losing end as they lost in the series in five games.
The Knicks would not return to the Finals until 1970 when Willis Reed famously came out of the tunnel to hit the first baskets of the game to lift New York to a 113-99 win and their first championship, to ironically give the Lakers their third straight NBA Finals loss.
9. Milwaukee Bucks(1981-87)
However, the Bucks could not past the two heavyweights of the Eastern Conference at the time, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, as Milwaukee was eliminated by the 76ers four times and the Celtics three times.
The Bucks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals three times(1983, 84, + 86) going 2-12 in those three series while also losing two heartbreaking Game 7s in the second round, with the Bucks losing by one point, 99-98 in 1981 to the 76ers, then lost to the Celtics in 1987 after holding an eight-point lead with seven minutes to go in the 4th quarter.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers(2006-10)
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After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, LeBron and the Cavs would make the playoffs the next five years, with Cleveland winning at least 50 games in four of these seasons, including a 66-win season in 2009 and 61-win season in 2010.
However, the best LeBron and the Cavs could do was make the NBA Finals in 2007 where they were swept by the Spurs.
LeBron would leave the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat after the 2010 season only to return four years later and eventually end the Cleveland Sports Curse with the Cavs' title in 2016.
7. Indiana Pacers(1990-2006)
Things began to turn around for the Pacers when the 1990s began as the Pacers would be in the playoffs for the next 17 seasons.
After four straight first round playoff exits, the Pacers made their deepest NBA playoff run in 1994 as they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, led by Reggie Miller, whose 25 4th quarter points in Game 5 of the ECF against the New York Knicks gave Indiana a 3-2 series lead.
But the Pacers would lose the next two games to end their season, only to come back stronger for the 1995 season as they went 52-30 during the regular season and returned to the Eastern Conference Finals, but were lost in seven games again, this time to the Orlando Magic.
The Pacers would go 52-30 again in 1996, but were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks, then missed the playoffs the following season.
That is when the Pacers brought in Larry Bird as its head coach, who would guide the Pacers back to the Eastern Conference Finals where once again Indiana fell in seven games, this time to the Chicago Bulls.
Then after another elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999 to the Knicks, the Pacers finally made it to the NBA Finals, defeating the Knicks in six games to reach their first ever NBA Finals, where they would lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Bird would step down as head coach following the 2000 season and the Pacers would not reach the Eastern Conference Finals again until 2004 when they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons.
Miller retired after the 2005 season as the Pacers were knocked out by the Pistons in the second round, which was followed by a first round exit to the New Jersey Nets in 2006.
Overall during their 17-year run, the Pacers made it to the Conference Finals six times and the NBA Finals once, but zero NBA titles to show for it.
6. Phoenix Suns(1989-95)
The Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals three times in four years(1989-90 + 92) but each time fell short of making it to the NBA Finals.
That is when the team traded for 76ers forward Charles Barkley, who would go on to win his only MVP in the 1993 season as the Suns won a franchise record 62 games during the regular season and finally got past the Western Conference Finals as they defeated the Seattle Supersonics in seven games to earn its Phoenix its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1976.
But the Suns would fall victim to history as the Chicago Bulls become the third team in NBA history to win at least three titles in a row as John Paxson hit the game-winning and championship-winning three-pointer in Game 6 to eliminate the Suns.
The Suns would return to the playoffs the next two seasons, only to be eliminated by the Houston Rockets in the second round in both seasons after building 2-0 series leads in each series.
The Suns would make the playoffs the next six seasons but never got further than the second round.
5. New York Knicks(1992-2001)
In Riley's 1st season, the Knicks improved from 39-43 to 51-31 and pushed the defending champion Chicago Bulls to seven games in the second round of the 1992 playoffs, only to be blown out in Game 7.
The Knicks would tie the franchise record for most wins in a season with 60 in 1993 and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years, where they lost to the Bulls again after building a 2-0 series lead.
The Knicks finally got over the hump that was the Chicago Bulls as they defeated the three-time defending champions(minus Michael Jordan) in a seven-game series in the second round of the 1994 playoffs, then had to fight off the scrappy Indiana Pacers in a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals to earn New York its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1973.
The Knicks took a 3-2 series lead, but would lose the last two games of the series to the Houston Rockets, denying New York the NBA championship.
The following season, the Knicks would be eliminated by the Pacers in the second round when Ewing's potential game-tying basket bounced off the rim in the final seconds of Game 7, which turned out to be the final game of Riley's tenure in New York.
Riley would be replaced by Don Nelson who would then be replaced by Jeff Van Gundy after 59 games of the 1996 season as the Knicks would make it to the second round, only to be eliminated by the Bulls with Michael Jordan.
The Knicks would not make it past the second round in '97 or '98 either, until their Cinderella run to the NBA Finals in 1999.
The Knicks become the first and thus far only #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals as they eliminated the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Indiana Pacers, despite losing Ewing to an Achilles injury during their run, to reach the Finals where their unlikely run would come to an end at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks made it back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000, but lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers, then were knocked out in the first round of the 2001 playoffs to the Toronto Raptors.
From 1992-2001, the Knicks won at least 50 games six times, but since 2002 the Knicks have only accomplished that feat once(54 in 2013).
4. Seattle Supersonics(1992-98)
Under Karl's leadership and the emergence of point guard Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the Sonics would go 27-15 to earn the #6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, where they would upset the #3 seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round, which was followed by an elimination at the hands of the Utah Jazz in the second round.
The following season, the Sonics won 55 games and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they fell to the Phoenix Suns in seven games.
It seemed that the stars were aligned for a title run in 1994 as the Sonics finished with the league's best record as they went 63-19, a franchise best.
However, the Sonics would be shocked in the first round by the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first NBA #1 seed to ever lose a 1st round series.
The Sonics came back with a 57-25 season in 1995, only to be eliminated in the first round again, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Sonics would respond to their two years of epic disappointment by breaking their franchise record for wins with 64 and making to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979 where they would fall to Chicago Bulls in six games.
Seattle would not make past the second round the next two years as they would eliminated by the Houston Rockets in 1997 and the Lakers in 1998 after 57 and 61 win seasons, respectively.
After the '98 season, Karl left to become the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a six-and-half year run which saw the Sonics win at least 50 games six years in a row and have three seasons of 60 or more wins, but zero championships to show for it.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder(2010-19)
OKC entered the 2010 season with three future MVPs in third-year forward Kevin Durant, second-year point guard Russell Westbrook, and rookie guard James Harden.
The team improved from 23-59 to 50-32 earning the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, where they fought the Los Angeles Lakers to a tough six-game series in the first round.
Though they lost that series, many believed that the Thunder had made a statement and were going to be the NBA's next great team.
In 2011, the Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks in five games but was followed by the Thunder returning to the Western Conference Finals in 2012 where they came back from a 0-2 series deficit to win the next four games and knock off the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals where they would fall to the Miami Heat in five games.
Despite trading Harden to the Houston Rockets in the offseason, the Thunder would win 60 games in 2013 but be eliminated in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies as OKC lost Westbrook to a knee injury in the previous round.
The Thunder returned to the Western Conference Finals in 2014 but were knocked out by the Spurs in six games, which was followed by the Thunder missing out on the playoffs in 2015 as Durant endured nagging foot injuries.
Durant would come back with a vengeance in 2016 as he would win the MVP award in leading the Thunder back to the Western Conference Finals where they took a 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.
But the Thunder would lose the next three games, with the most difficult loss coming in Game 6 at home, as the Warriors knocked off the Thunder.
Durant would OKC in the offseason to join Golden State, leaving the team all to Westbrook who would averaged a triple double for the next three seasons, but could not lead the Thunder out of the first round as they were eliminated in the opening round three straight years.
Westbrook would be traded to the Rockets in the offseason, reuniting with Harden, bringing an end to what could have been one of the great dynasties in NBA history.
2. Portland Trail Blazers(1990-92)
However, the Blazers never won a NBA championship during their 21-year streak, with the most excruciating period coming from 1990-1992, where the team led by All-Star and future "Dream Team" member Clyde Drexler, made it to the NBA Finals twice in three years, only to lose both times.
In 1990, the Blazers went 59-23 tied for second best in the league, and won the Western Conference title to earn Portland its first trip to the Finals since 1977.
However, the Blazers would fall to the Detroit Pistons in five games as Vinnie Johnson secured the championship for the "Bad Boys" with his game-winning shot in the final seconds of Game 5.
The Blazers came back the following year to win 63 games to earn the league's best record, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Then in 1992, the Blazers went 57-25 during the regular season and returned to the NBA Finals, where they faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
The Blazers were poised to force a Game 7 as they held a 15-point lead at the beginning of the 4th quarter, only to be outscored 33-14 to lose the game 97-93, ending their season as the Bulls won the second of their six titles in the 1990s.
1. Utah Jazz(1984-2003)
The best years of that run came between 1989 and 2001 when the duo of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone lead the Jazz to 11 seasons where the team won at least 50 games, with three of those seasons being 60-plus win seasons.
And yet, the dynamic duo never won it all, making this the greatest team run in NBA history not to include a championship.
Before the 1989 season, Jerry Sloan was hired as head coach to help take the Jazz to the next level after five straight playoff appearances, but no trips to the Conference Finals.
That trend continued for the Jazz until 1992 when they made it to their first Western Conference Finals in team history, only to be knocked out by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.
Following a first round exit to the Seattle Supersonics in 1993, the Jazz returned to the Western Conference Finals in 1994, but could not get past the Houston Rockets who won the series in five series.
The Rockets would eliminate the Jazz in the first round the following season despite the Jazz reaching the 60-win plateau for the first time in team history.
Utah would return to the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five years, but would fall short again as they lost to the Sonics in a tough seven game series.
Then in 1997, the Jazz set a franchise record for wins with 64 and returned to the Western Conference Finals again, this time making to the NBA Finals as Stockton hit a walk-off three pointer at the buzzer of Game 6 to send Utah its first NBA Finals where they faced the Chicago Bulls.
After dropping the first two games of the series, the Jazz would even the series by winning the next two games and appeared poised to take the series lead as Michael Jordan came down with flu-like symptoms before Game 5.
But Jordan would score 38 points to lead the Bulls to a 90-88 victory as the Bulls would go win the series in Game 6 on Steve Kerr's game-winning jumper with 5 seconds left.
The Jazz would return to the NBA Finals following a 62-win season where they faced the Bulls in a rematch.
Once again, the Jazz would fall to the Bulls in six games as Jordan scored 45, including the game-winner, when he pushed off(in Jazz fans' minds)Bryan Russell to hit the game-winning shot with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 to give the Bulls their sixth title in eight years.
The Jazz would be eliminated by the Blazers in the second round the following two seasons, then after a 53-win season in 2001, would be shocked in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks, who had not been to the playoffs since 1990.
The Jazz would make the playoffs the next two years but be eliminated in the first round both years by the Sacramento Kings.
Following the 2003 season, Stockton retired and Malone left to join the Lakers bringing an end to the greatest team run in NBA history not to include a championship.
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