With teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Philadelphia 76ers among the best teams in the league the season, we could see some of the longest current NBA championship droughts snap in 2024. To honor the potential for history, here are the longest active title droughts.
Length of drought: 72 seasons (1950-51)
What happened since last championship: McDonald’s began franchising locations (1953)
Length of drought: 65 seasons (1957-58)
What happened since last championship: The Post Office introduced zip codes (1963)
Length of drought: 50 seasons (1972-73)
What happened since last championship: The first personal computer was released to the public (1974)
Length of drought: 46 seasons (1976-77)
What happened since last championship: The first Garfield comic strip was published (1978)
Length of drought: 45 seasons (1977-78)
What happened since last championship: The three-point line was tested and adopted (1979)
Length of drought: 44 seasons (1978-79)
What happened since last championship: MTV launched (1981)
Length of drought: 40 seasons (1982-83)
What happened since last championship: LeBron James was born (1984)
Length of drought: 28 seasons (1994-95)
What happened since last championship: The first Harry Potter book was published (1997)
Length of drought: 25 seasons (1997-98)
What happened since last championship: The entire life cycle of Napster (1999)
Length of drought: 19 seasons (2003-04)
What happened since last championship: The iPhone was released (2007)
- Phoenix Suns (founded 1968)
- Los Angeles Clippers (founded as Buffalo Braves in 1970)
- Utah Jazz (founded as New Orleans Jazz in 1974)
- Brooklyn Nets (joined NBA as New Jersey Nets in 1977)
- Indiana Pacers (joined NBA in 1976)
- Orlando Magic (founded in 1989)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (founded in 1989)
- Charlotte Hornets (founded in 1988)
- Memphis Grizzlies (founded as Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995)
- New Orleans Pelicans (founded as New Orleans Hornets in 2002)
