Worst NBA Teams To Make The NBA Finals

Who is the worst team to make the NBA Finals?

Based on regular season winning percentage, the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers were the worst team to make the NBA Finals. They finished the regular season with only a 33-39 record, but made the Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Has a team with a losing record ever made the NBA Finals?

Yes, the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers (33-39), 1957 St. Louis Hawks (34-38) and 1981 Houston Rockets (40-42) all made the NBA Finals with a losing record.

Has a team with a losing record ever made the NBA Finals the next season?

Yes, this has happened 18 times in history. The 1958 Minneapolis Lakers (19-53), 2007 Boston Celtics (24-58), 2001 New Jersey Nets (26-56), 1963 San Francisco Warriors (31-49), 1975 Phoenix Suns (32-50), 2014 Cleveland Cavaliers (33-49), 1966 San Francisco Warriors (35-45), 1967 Los Angeles Lakers (36-45), 2019 Los Angeles Lakers (37-45), 1976 Portland Trail Blazers (37-45), 1961 Los Angeles Lakers (36-43), 1956 St. Louis Hawks (33-39), 1955 Philadelphia Warriors (33-39), 2020 Phoenix Suns (34-39), 1957 St. Louis Hawks (34-38), 2019 Miami Heat (39-43), 1989 Portland Trail Blazers (39-43) and 1977 Seattle SuperSonics (40-42) all made the NBA Finals the next season after having a losing record.

Worst NBA Regular Season Records To Make NBA Finals

By Win % By Worst Winning Percentage
By Most Losses

	Team	Year	Regular Season Record	Result
1	Minneapolis Lakers	1959	33-39	Lost Finals
2	St. Louis Hawks	1957	34-38	Lost Finals
3	Houston Rockets	1981	40-42	Lost Finals
4	Baltimore Bullets	1971	42-40	Lost Finals
	Phoenix Suns	1976	42-40	Lost Finals
6	Fort Wayne Pistons	1956	37-35	Lost Finals
7	Miami Heat	2023	44-38	Lost Finals
	Washington Bullets	1978	44-38	Won Finals
9	New York Knicks	1999	27-23	Lost Finals
10	San Francisco Warriors	1967	44-37	Lost Finals
11	New York Knicks	1951	36-30	Lost Finals
12	New York Knicks	1952	37-29	Lost Finals
13	Los Angeles Lakers	1970	46-36	Lost Finals
14	Los Angeles Lakers	1966	45-35	Lost Finals
15	St. Louis Hawks	1958	41-31	Won Finals
16	Houston Rockets	1995	47-35	Won Finals
	Seattle SuperSonics	1978	47-35	Lost Finals
18	Syracuse Nationals	1954	42-30	Lost Finals
19	Boston Celtics	1969	48-34	Won Finals
	Golden State Warriors	1975	48-34	Won Finals
	New York Knicks	1972	48-34	Lost Finals
22	Fort Wayne Pistons	1955	43-29	Lost Finals
	Syracuse Nationals	1955	43-29	Won Finals
24	New Jersey Nets	2003	49-33	Lost Finals
	Portland Trail Blazers	1977	49-33	Won Finals
26	San Francisco Warriors	1964	48-32	Lost Finals
27	Miami Heat	2020	44-29	Lost Finals
28	Rochester Royals	1951	41-27	Won Finals
29	Minneapolis Lakers	1952	40-26	Won Finals
30	Boston Celtics	2010	50-32	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2007	50-32	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	50-32	Lost Finals
	Philadelphia 76ers	1977	50-32	Lost Finals
34	Boston Celtics	1957	44-28	Won Finals
35	Los Angeles Lakers	1965	49-31	Lost Finals
36	St. Louis Hawks	1960	46-29	Lost Finals
37	Boston Celtics	2022	51-31	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2017	51-31	Lost Finals
	Houston Rockets	1986	51-31	Lost Finals
40	Philadelphia Warriors	1956	45-27	Won Finals
41	Washington Capitols	1949	38-22	Lost Finals
42	Los Angeles Lakers	1968	52-30	Lost Finals
	Miami Heat	2006	52-30	Won Finals
	New Jersey Nets	2002	52-30	Lost Finals
	Seattle SuperSonics	1979	52-30	Won Finals
46	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	46-26	Won Finals
	Minneapolis Lakers	1954	46-26	Won Finals
48	St. Louis Hawks	1961	51-28	Lost Finals
49	Denver Nuggets	2023	53-29	Won Finals
	Golden State Warriors	2022	53-29	Won Finals

	Team	Year	Regular Season Record	Result
1	Houston Rockets	1981	40-42	Lost Finals
2	Baltimore Bullets	1971	42-40	Lost Finals
	Phoenix Suns	1976	42-40	Lost Finals
4	Minneapolis Lakers	1959	33-39	Lost Finals
5	St. Louis Hawks	1957	34-38	Lost Finals
6	Miami Heat	2023	44-38	Lost Finals
	Washington Bullets	1978	44-38	Won Finals
8	San Francisco Warriors	1967	44-37	Lost Finals
9	Los Angeles Lakers	1970	46-36	Lost Finals
10	Fort Wayne Pistons	1956	37-35	Lost Finals
11	Los Angeles Lakers	1966	45-35	Lost Finals
12	Houston Rockets	1995	47-35	Won Finals
	Seattle SuperSonics	1978	47-35	Lost Finals
14	Boston Celtics	1969	48-34	Won Finals
	Golden State Warriors	1975	48-34	Won Finals
	New York Knicks	1972	48-34	Lost Finals
17	New Jersey Nets	2003	49-33	Lost Finals
	Portland Trail Blazers	1977	49-33	Won Finals
19	San Francisco Warriors	1964	48-32	Lost Finals
20	Boston Celtics	2010	50-32	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2007	50-32	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	50-32	Lost Finals
	Philadelphia 76ers	1977	50-32	Lost Finals
24	St. Louis Hawks	1958	41-31	Won Finals
25	Los Angeles Lakers	1965	49-31	Lost Finals
26	Boston Celtics	2022	51-31	Lost Finals
	Cleveland Cavaliers	2017	51-31	Lost Finals
	Houston Rockets	1986	51-31	Lost Finals
29	New York Knicks	1951	36-30	Lost Finals
30	Syracuse Nationals	1954	42-30	Lost Finals
31	Los Angeles Lakers	1968	52-30	Lost Finals
	Miami Heat	2006	52-30	Won Finals
	New Jersey Nets	2002	52-30	Lost Finals
	Seattle SuperSonics	1979	52-30	Won Finals
35	New York Knicks	1952	37-29	Lost Finals
36	Fort Wayne Pistons	1955	43-29	Lost Finals
	Syracuse Nationals	1955	43-29	Won Finals
38	Miami Heat	2020	44-29	Lost Finals
39	St. Louis Hawks	1960	46-29	Lost Finals
40	Denver Nuggets	2023	53-29	Won Finals
	Golden State Warriors	2022	53-29	Won Finals
42	Boston Celtics	1957	44-28	Won Finals
43	St. Louis Hawks	1961	51-28	Lost Finals
44	Rochester Royals	1951	41-27	Won Finals
45	Philadelphia Warriors	1956	45-27	Won Finals
46	Minneapolis Lakers	1952	40-26	Won Finals
47	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	46-26	Won Finals
	Minneapolis Lakers	1954	46-26	Won Finals
49	New York Knicks	1999	27-23	Lost Finals
50	Washington Capitols	1949	38-22	Lost Finals

All Longest Streaks and Droughts »

Worst Basketball Teams To Make NBA Finals

Who is the worst team to make the NBA Finals?

Has a team with a losing record ever made the NBA Finals?

Has a team with a losing record ever made the NBA Finals the next season?

Worst NBA Regular Season Records To Make NBA Finals

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