ESPN.com · Oct 23, 2025
Ranking ringless NBA teams by chances to win their first title by 2031
As we noted in this space last year, the NBA has been notoriously stingy about letting new teams into its championship club. Before the Toronto Raptors broke through in 2019, only 11 different franchises had combined to win the previous 39 titles (dating back to 1980) -- and just six of those crowned a first-time champion.
In a league long defined by dynasties, parity seemed like a distant dream for so long. But that 2019 season turned out to be a pivotal point, with seven different teams hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in as many seasons since -- the only seven-year stretch in league history that featured seven unique champions.