Unbelievable NBA Teams That Went Decades Without a Playoff Win—Will History Repeat?

With the iconic teams come the duality of the NBA: those who have long suffered through playoff disappointment. We go through them all.

Throughout its history, the NBA has been a league of the haves and the have-nots. The have-nots have suffered through some of the longest playoff droughts in NBA history.

The Boston Celtics have won a record 18 championships and the Los Angeles Lakers are right behind with 17. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and any team with LeBron James dominated the 2010s.

But with the iconic teams come the duality of the NBA: those who have long suffered through playoff disappointment.

Here are the longest playoff droughts in NBA history.

Longest Active Postseason Droughts

1. Charlotte Hornets: 10 Seasons (Last Playoff Appearance 2015-16)

The Hornets were agonizingly close to getting back to playoffs in the 2025-26 season, finishing with their best record (44-38) since 2015-16 as a participant in the NBA Play-In Tournament. But that is considered a separate event and not part of the official playoffs, so after the Hornets defeated the Miami Heat in their first Play-In game, they next lost to the Orlando Magic and fell short of earning the eighth and final playoff seed.

2. Washington Wizards: 5 Seasons (2020-21)

The Wizards have been in a dreadful period – they didn’t even have a winning record (going 34-38) when they last appeared in the postseason. They got there through the NBA Play-In Tournament, then fell in five games in a first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Extending outward, they’ve gone eight straight seasons below .500 and nine without a playoff series win.

Longest Active Series Win Droughts

T-1. Sacramento Kings: 22 Seasons (Last Series Win 2003-04)

The Kings last won a postseason series in 2003-04, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. In the semifinals, they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. Sacramento reached the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, but lost in the first round both times. They came close against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in 2023, but lost Game 7 of their first-round series on their own floor.

T-1. Charlotte Hornets: 22 (2001-02)

The Hornets have had first-round exits in their last three playoff appearances. The last time Charlotte won a playoff series, the franchise left for New Orleans for the following season (and rattled off two more consecutive playoff appearances). That year, 2001-02, the Charlotte Hornets clinched their third consecutive playoff berth, this time as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Orlando Magic in four games (back when the first round of the NBA playoffs was a five-game series) before losing to the New Jersey Nets in five games.

Longest Active Conference Finals Droughts

1. Washington Wizards: 47 Seasons (Last Appearance 1978-79)

The Wizards havenât made the conference finals since the 1970s. For context, Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States, a gallon of gas cost $0.86 and “Apocalypse Now” was released in theaters. Thatâs how long itâs been since Washington has been within even four games of reaching the NBA Finals. That year, after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the Eastern Conference finals, the Wizards lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in five games in the NBA Finals after having defeated the Sonics in seven games in the Finals the year before.

2. Charlotte Hornets: 36 (Never)

The Hornets are one of two NBA teams to never appear in a conference final (the New Orleans Pelicans are the other, which is a coincidence to say the least). In 2000-01, Charlotte took a 3-2 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals before losing the final two games of the series.

Longest Active NBA Finals Droughts

1. Sacramento Kings: 75 Seasons (Last Appearance 1950-51)

Seriously, go hug your local Kings’ fan. The Kings havenât reached the NBA Finals since they were called the Royals and played in Rochester, New York. Since then, they moved to Cincinnati for 15 seasons, changed their name to the Kings and split time between Kansas City and Omaha for three seasons, then permanently moved to Kansas City for 10 seasons before finally relocating to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season. Got all that?

2. Atlanta Hawks: 65 (1960-61)

The Hawks are quietly a tortured franchise. They last appeared in an NBA Finals when the franchise was in St. Louis. They moved to Atlanta seven years later in 1968 and have never returned to glory.

3. Los Angeles Clippers: 56 (Never)

Having missed the NBA playoffs for much of their existence, the Clippers qualified for them 12 times in a 15-year span through the 2025-26 season. But they’ve never reached the NBA Finals.

Longest Active NBA Title Droughts

1. Sacramento Kings: 75 Seasons (Last Title 1950-51)

Our sincere apologies, Sacramento. You deserve better.

2. Atlanta Hawks: 68 (1957-58)

The Hawks won the NBA Finals as the St. Louis Hawks in 1958.

3. Phoenix Suns: 58 (Never)

The Suns were so close in 2020-21. They reached their third NBA Finals in franchise history, and held a 2-0 series lead before losing four straight to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns also lost the NBA Finals in six games in 1976 to the Boston Celtics and in 1992 to the Chicago Bulls.

Longest Postseason Droughts â All Time

1. Sacramento Kings: 16 (2006-07 to 2021-22)

Naturally when the Kings ended their postseason drought in the 2022-23 season, they were eliminated in the first round.

2. Los Angeles Clippers: 15 (1976-77 to 1990-91)

Before the Lob City era, which began in 2011-12 with the arrival of Chris Paul, the Clippers were the poster child for poorly run sports franchises.

Longest Series Win Droughts â All Time

1. Los Angeles Clippers: 29 Seasons (1976-77 to 2004-05)

While the Clippers didnât even make the playoffs for 15 seasons from 1977-91, the franchise didnât win a postseasons series again until 2006 when it beat the Denver Nuggets in five games. Elton Brand and Corey Maggette led the way, averaging 17.8 and 17.0 points, respectively, in the series. In the next round, the Clippers and Phoenix Suns alternated wins, as the Suns won Games 1, 3, 5 and 7 to win the series.

T-2. Washington Wizards: 22 (1982-83 to 2003-04)

Are you sensing a theme here? Many of the teams on this list appear multiple times, as the NBA is so often dominated by a small handful of teams in every era of the league. After defeating the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the 1982 NBA playoffs, Washington lost seven consecutive postseason series. In the 2005 playoffs, the Wizards finally broke through again, defeating the Chicago Bulls in the first round behind Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes.

T-2. Sacramento Kings: 22 (2004-05 to 2025-26)

Well, the Kings know the theme as well. last won a postseason series in 2003-04, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.