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Teams

NBA franchise histories, championships, retired jerseys, dynasties, and the defining decades of each team.

Editorial tile: Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

A close history of the Atlanta Hawks. The 1946 founding as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, the 1951 Milwaukee relocation, the 1955 St. Louis move…

Editorial tile: Boston Celtics, 18 championship banners, parquet floor

Boston Celtics

Eighteen NBA championships, the most in league history. A full history of the Boston Celtics: the 1946 BAA founding, Red Auerbach's hiring i…

Editorial tile: Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets

A full history of the Brooklyn Nets: the 1967 founding as the New Jersey Americans, the 1968 Long Island move as the New York Nets, the 1974…

Editorial tile: Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets

A full history of the Charlotte Hornets: the 1988 expansion founding under George Shinn, the teal-and-purple era, the Mourning and Zo and Ri…

Editorial tile: Chicago Bulls, six championships, Chicago skyline

Chicago Bulls

Six NBA championships in eight years behind Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and head coach Phil Jackson. A full history of the Chicago Bulls…

Editorial tile: Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers

A full history of the Cleveland Cavaliers: the 1970 expansion founding, the 1976 Miracle of Richfield, the Mark Price and Brad Daugherty lat…

Editorial tile: Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

A close history of the Dallas Mavericks. The 1980 expansion franchise founded under Don Carter, the long playoff wilderness of the 1980s and…

Editorial tile: Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

A full history of the Denver Nuggets: the 1967 ABA founding as the Denver Rockets, the 1974 Nuggets rebrand, the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, the Da…

Editorial tile: Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

A full history of the Detroit Pistons: the 1941 founding as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the 1957 Detroit relocation, the Dave Bing and B…

Editorial tile: Golden State Warriors, seven championships, Golden Gate Bridge

Golden State Warriors

Seven NBA championships, from the 1947 Philadelphia title under Joe Fulks to the 2022 ring with Stephen Curry as Finals MVP. A full history …

Editorial tile: Houston Rockets, back-to-back champions 1994 and 1995

Houston Rockets

Two NBA championships behind Hakeem Olajuwon, four Finals appearances, and a Daryl Morey-era analytics rebuild that set the league's modern …

Editorial tile: Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

A full history of the Indiana Pacers: the 1967 ABA charter founding, three ABA championships (1970, 1972, 1973) under Slick Leonard, the 197…

Editorial tile: Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers

A close history of the Los Angeles Clippers. The 1970 founding of the Buffalo Braves, the 1978 relocation to San Diego, the 1984 relocation …

Editorial tile: Los Angeles Lakers, 17 championships, sunset over Hollywood

Los Angeles Lakers

Seventeen NBA championships, tied for most in league history. Four distinct dynasties: the Minneapolis Mikan years, the Showtime era under M…

Editorial tile: Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

A full history of the Memphis Grizzlies: the 1995 Vancouver expansion founding, the six losing seasons in British Columbia, the 2001 relocat…

Editorial tile: Miami Heat

Miami Heat

A close history of the Miami Heat. The 1988 expansion franchise owned since 1995 by Micky Arison and run by Pat Riley, the team that drafted…

Editorial tile: Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

A full history of the Milwaukee Bucks: the 1968 expansion founding, the 1969 Lew Alcindor first overall pick, the 1971 NBA championship, the…

Editorial tile: Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

A full history of the Minnesota Timberwolves: the 1989 expansion founding, the struggling pre-Garnett years, the 1995 Kevin Garnett draft, t…

Editorial tile: New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans

A full history of the New Orleans Pelicans: the 1988 Charlotte Hornets expansion origins, the 2002 New Orleans relocation, the 2005-07 Hurri…

Editorial tile: New York Knicks

New York Knicks

A close history of the New York Knicks. The 1946 charter member of the Basketball Association of America (precursor to the NBA), the 1970 an…

Editorial tile: Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder

A full history of the Oklahoma City Thunder: the 1967 Seattle SuperSonics founding, the 1979 Seattle championship under Lenny Wilkens, the 2…

Editorial tile: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

A full history of the Orlando Magic: the 1989 expansion founding, the three first-overall draft picks (Shaq 1992, Webber 1993, Howard 2004),…

Editorial tile: Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

A full history of the Philadelphia 76ers: the 1946 founding of the Syracuse Nationals, the 1955 NBA championship, the 1963 Philadelphia move…

Editorial tile: Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

A full history of the Phoenix Suns: the 1968 expansion founding, the 1976 Sunderella triple-overtime Game 5 Finals run, the 1989-95 Kevin Jo…

Editorial tile: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

A full history of the Portland Trail Blazers: the 1970 expansion founding, the 1974 Bill Walton first overall pick, the 1977 NBA championshi…

Editorial tile: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings

A full history of the Sacramento Kings: the 1923 founding as the Rochester Seagrams, the 1951 NBA championship in Rochester, the relocations…

Editorial tile: San Antonio Spurs, five championships, Texas lone star

San Antonio Spurs

Five NBA championships under Gregg Popovich in sixteen years, twenty-two consecutive playoff appearances, and the most continuous operationa…

KeyArena in Seattle, home of the SuperSonics from 1967 to 2008 and site of their 1979 championship season

Seattle SuperSonics

The Seattle SuperSonics played 41 seasons in Seattle, won the 1979 NBA Championship behind Lenny Wilkens and Dennis Johnson, reached the Fin…

Editorial tile: Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

A full history of the Toronto Raptors: the 1995 expansion founding, the Damon Stoudamire and Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter years, the 2001 …

Editorial tile: Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz

A full history of the Utah Jazz: the 1974 New Orleans founding, the Pete Maravich years, the 1979 Salt Lake City relocation, the 1984 Stockt…

Rogers Arena in Vancouver, formerly General Motors Place, home of the Vancouver Grizzlies from 1995 to 2001

Vancouver Grizzlies

A close history of the Vancouver Grizzlies. The 1995 expansion franchise that played six seasons at General Motors Place, drafted Bryant 'Bi…

Editorial tile: Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards

A full history of the Washington Wizards: the 1961 Chicago Packers founding, the Baltimore Bullets relocation, the 1974 Washington move, the…