Worst Basketball Teams To Make 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

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 Washington Bullets 1978 44-38 Won Finals
8 New York Knicks 1999 27-23 Lost Finals
9 San Francisco Warriors 1967 44-37 Lost Finals
10 New York Knicks 1951 36-30 Lost Finals
11 New York Knicks 1952 37-29 Lost Finals
12 Los Angeles Lakers 1970 46-36 Lost Finals
13 Los Angeles Lakers 1966 45-35 Lost Finals
14 St. Louis Hawks 1958 41-31 Won Finals
15 Houston Rockets 1995 47-35 Won Finals
Seattle SuperSonics 1978 47-35 Lost Finals
17 Syracuse Nationals 1954 42-30 Lost Finals
18 Boston Celtics 1969 48-34 Won Finals
Golden State Warriors 1975 48-34 Won Finals
New York Knicks 1972 48-34 Lost Finals
21 Fort Wayne Pistons 1955 43-29 Lost Finals
Syracuse Nationals 1955 43-29 Won Finals
23 New Jersey Nets 2003 49-33 Lost Finals
Portland Trail Blazers 1977 49-33 Won Finals
25 San Francisco Warriors 1964 48-32 Lost Finals
26 Miami Heat 2020 44-29 Lost Finals
27 Rochester Royals 1951 41-27 Won Finals
28 Minneapolis Lakers 1952 40-26 Won Finals
29 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
33 Boston Celtics 1957 44-28 Won Finals
34 Los Angeles Lakers 1965 49-31 Lost Finals
35 St. Louis Hawks 1960 46-29 Lost Finals
36 Boston Celtics 2022 51-31 Lost Finals
Cleveland Cavaliers 2017 51-31 Lost Finals
Houston Rockets 1986 51-31 Lost Finals
39 Philadelphia Warriors 1956 45-27 Won Finals
40 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
44 Milwaukee Bucks 2021 46-26 Won Finals
Minneapolis Lakers 1954 46-26 Won Finals
46 St. Louis Hawks 1961 51-28 Lost Finals
47 Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 53-29 Lost Finals
Golden State Warriors 2022 53-29 Won Finals
49 Detroit Pistons 2005 54-28 Lost Finals
Miami Heat 2014 54-28 Lost 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 Washington Bullets 1978 44-38 Won Finals
7 San Francisco Warriors 1967 44-37 Lost Finals
8 Los Angeles Lakers 1970 46-36 Lost Finals
9 Fort Wayne Pistons 1956 37-35 Lost Finals
10 Los Angeles Lakers 1966 45-35 Lost Finals
11 Houston Rockets 1995 47-35 Won Finals
Seattle SuperSonics 1978 47-35 Lost Finals
13 Boston Celtics 1969 48-34 Won Finals
Golden State Warriors 1975 48-34 Won Finals
New York Knicks 1972 48-34 Lost Finals
16 New Jersey Nets 2003 49-33 Lost Finals
Portland Trail Blazers 1977 49-33 Won Finals
18 San Francisco Warriors 1964 48-32 Lost Finals
19 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
23 St. Louis Hawks 1958 41-31 Won Finals
24 Los Angeles Lakers 1965 49-31 Lost Finals
25 Boston Celtics 2022 51-31 Lost Finals
Cleveland Cavaliers 2017 51-31 Lost Finals
Houston Rockets 1986 51-31 Lost Finals
28 New York Knicks 1951 36-30 Lost Finals
29 Syracuse Nationals 1954 42-30 Lost Finals
30 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
34 New York Knicks 1952 37-29 Lost Finals
35 Fort Wayne Pistons 1955 43-29 Lost Finals
Syracuse Nationals 1955 43-29 Won Finals
37 Miami Heat 2020 44-29 Lost Finals
38 St. Louis Hawks 1960 46-29 Lost Finals
39 Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 53-29 Lost Finals
Golden State Warriors 2022 53-29 Won Finals
41 Boston Celtics 1957 44-28 Won Finals
42 St. Louis Hawks 1961 51-28 Lost Finals
43 Detroit Pistons 2005 54-28 Lost Finals
Miami Heat 2014 54-28 Lost Finals
45 Rochester Royals 1951 41-27 Won Finals
46 Philadelphia Warriors 1956 45-27 Won Finals
47 Minneapolis Lakers 1952 40-26 Won Finals
48 Milwaukee Bucks 2021 46-26 Won Finals
Minneapolis Lakers 1954 46-26 Won Finals
50 New York Knicks 1999 27-23 Lost Finals

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