Jump to content

List of all-time NBA win–loss records

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Soulbust (talk | contribs) at 17:45, 19 January 2021 (→‎Notes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, who have the best all-time win-loss record percentage in the NBA

The following is a listing of all 30 current National Basketball Association (NBA) teams ranked by win-loss record percentage, accurate as of the end of the 2019–20 NBA season. The records include wins and losses recorded by a team's playing time in the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[a] Defunct BAA/NBA franchises are also listed, provided they played at least one season, beginning with the 1949–50 NBA season, which was the first season following the merger between the BAA and the National Basketball League (NBL).[b] Additionally, the records do not count wins and losses recorded by a team's playing time in the American Basketball Association (ABA), despite the 1976 ABA–NBA merger.[2]

The San Antonio Spurs have the highest win-loss record percentage, with .618.[3] The Minnesota Timberwolves have the lowest win-loss record percentage, with .396.[3] The Boston Celtics have recorded the most wins, with 3,426; the Sacramento Kings have recorded the most losses with 3,094.[3] The Boston Celtics lead the association with the most played games, with 5,796.[3] Conversely, the Pelicans have played the least overall games, with 1,450.[3]

Active franchises

Regular season

The following listing is accurate through the end of the 2019–20 NBA season.[4]

Kevin Garnett during tenure with the Boston Celtics, the team with the most recorded wins in NBA history.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team with the lowest all-time win-loss record percentage in NBA history.
Best win-loss record in division
Rank Team Won Lost Pct. First NBA season Total games Division
1 San Antonio Spurs 2,194 1,355 .618 1976–77 3,549 Southwest
2 Los Angeles Lakers 3,385 2,301 .595 1948–49 5,686 Pacific
3 Boston Celtics 3,426 2,370 .591 1946–47 5,796 Atlantic
4 Oklahoma City Thunder 2,327 1,961 .543 1967–68 4,288 Northwest
5 Utah Jazz 2,008 1,706 .541 1974–75 3,714 Northwest
6 Portland Trail Blazers 2,169 1,875 .536 1970–71 4,045 Northwest
7 Houston Rockets 2,269 2,019 .529 1967–68 4,288 Southwest
8 Phoenix Suns 2,220 1,987 .528 1968–69 4,207 Pacific
9 Miami Heat 1,338 1,229 .521 1988–89 2,567 Southeast
10 Milwaukee Bucks 2,185 2,022 .519 1968–69 4,207 Central
11 Philadelphia 76ers 2,900 2,723 .515 1949–50 5,623 Atlantic
12 Chicago Bulls 2,227 2,135 .511 1966–67 4,362 Central
13 Indiana Pacers 1,789 1,761 .504 1976–77 3,550 Central
14 Dallas Mavericks 1,615 1,610 .501 1980–81 3,225 Southwest
15 Denver Nuggets 1,749 1,802 .493 1976–77 3,551 Northwest
16 Atlanta Hawks 2,766 2,853 .492 1949–50 5,619 Southeast
17 Detroit Pistons 2,753 2,927 .485 1948–49 5,680 Central
18 New York Knicks 2,799 2,988 .484 1946–47 5,787 Atlantic
19 Golden State Warriors 2,787 2,998 .482 1946–47 5,785 Pacific
20 Toronto Raptors 955 1,037 .479 1995–96 1,992 Atlantic
21 Orlando Magic 1,191 1,294 .479 1989–90 2,485 Southeast
22 New Orleans Pelicans 673 777 .464 2002–03[c] 1,450 Southwest
23 Cleveland Cavaliers 1,867 2,168 .463 1970–71 4,035 Central
24 Sacramento Kings 2,593 3,094 .456 1948–49 5,687 Pacific
25 Washington Wizards 2,153 2,616 .451 1961–62 4,769 Southeast
26 Charlotte Hornets 1,050 1,345 .438 1988–89[c] 2,395 Southeast
27 Brooklyn Nets 1,485 2,065 .418 1976–77 3,550 Atlantic
28 Memphis Grizzlies 826 1,167 .414 1995–96 1,994 Southwest
29 Los Angeles Clippers 1,659 2,383 .410 1970–71 4,042 Pacific
30 Minnesota Timberwolves 980 1,496 .396 1989–90 2,476 Northwest

Playoffs

The following playoff listing is accurate through the end of the 2020 NBA Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers have the most post-season wins (454), most post-season games played (755), and highest post-season winning percentage (.601) out of any NBA team. The Minnesota Timberwolves have the fewest post-season wins (18) and the lowest post-season winning percentage (.346). The New Orleans Pelicans have the fewest post-season games played (49).

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who have recorded both the highest postseason win–loss percentage, and the most postseason wins in NBA history.
Best win-loss record in division
Team active in playoffs
Rank Team Won Lost Pct. Last playoff
appearance		 Total games Division
1 Los Angeles Lakers 454 301 .601 2020 755 Pacific
2 Boston Celtics 381 289 .569 2020 670 Atlantic
3 Miami Heat 138 107 .563 2020 239 Southeast
4 San Antonio Spurs 222 181 .551 2019 403 Southwest
5 Cleveland Cavaliers 125 104 .546 2018 229 Central
6 Golden State Warriors 190 159 .544 2019 349 Pacific
7 Chicago Bulls 186 158 .541 2017 344 Central
8 Philadelphia 76ers 228 219 .510 2020 447 Atlantic
9 Detroit Pistons 188 182 .508 2019 370 Central
10 New York Knicks 186 189 .496 2013 375 Atlantic
11 Oklahoma City Thunder 164 167 .495 2020 331 Northwest
12 Houston Rockets 158 164 .491 2020 322 Southwest
13 Phoenix Suns 133 141 .485 2010 274 Pacific
14 Milwaukee Bucks 126 140 .479 2020 266 Central
15 Indiana Pacers 115 126 .477 2020 241 Central
16 Toronto Raptors 55 62 .470 2020 117 Atlantic
17 Utah Jazz 127 148 .462 2020 275 Northwest
18 Dallas Mavericks 93 109 .460 2020 202 Southwest
19 Orlando Magic 59 74 .444 2020 133 Southeast
20 Portland Trail Blazers 117 151 .437 2020 268 Northwest
21 Atlanta Hawks 153 202 .431 2017 355 Southeast
22 Los Angeles Clippers 53 70 .431 2020 123 Pacific
23 Sacramento Kings 80 107 .428 2006 187 Pacific
24 Washington Wizards 98 134 .422 2018 232 Southeast
25 Brooklyn Nets 63 88 .417 2020 151 Atlantic
26 New Orleans Pelicans 20 29 .408 2018 49 Southwest
27 Denver Nuggets 77 118 .395 2020 195 Northwest
28 Memphis Grizzlies 29 46 .387 2017 75 Southwest
29 Charlotte Hornets 23 40 .365 2016 63 Southeast
30 Minnesota Timberwolves 18 34 .346 2018 52 Northwest

Defunct franchises

The following is a listing of the all-time win-loss records of defunct NBA franchises.[3] Amongst defunct franchises, the Chicago Stags have the highest win-loss record percentage, with .612. The Denver Nuggets have the lowest win-loss record percentage, with .177. The Baltimore Bullets have the most games played (450), wins (158), and losses (292) for a defunct NBA franchise. The Denver Nuggets, Sheboygan Red Skins, and Waterloo Hawks are tied for the fewest games played, with 62.

For the purposes of the defunct franchises win-loss records listing, teams that recorded playing time in the BAA are only included if they additionally played during at least one season following the BAA–NBL merger. For this reason, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, Indianapolis Jets, Detroit Falcons, Toronto Huskies, and Cleveland Rebels are excluded.

Regular season

Rank Team GP Won Lost Pct. First NBA season Last NBA season
1 Chicago Stags 237 145 92 .612 1946–47 1949–50
2 Washington Capitols 271 157 114 .579 1946–47 1950–51
3 Anderson Packers 64 37 27 .578 1949–50
4 St. Louis Bombers 237 122 115 .515 1946–47 1949–50
5 Indianapolis Olympians 269 132 137 .491 1949–50 1952–53
6 Sheboygan Red Skins 62 22 40 .355 1949–50
7 Baltimore Bullets[d] 450 158 292 .351 1947–48 1954–55
8 Waterloo Hawks 62 19 43 .306 1949–50
9 Denver Nuggets[e] 62 11 51 .177 1949–50

References

  1. ^ "NBA Season Recaps". National Basketball Association. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Aschburner, Steve (September 5, 2013). "We All Count Numbers But Do All Numbers Count?". Hang Time Blog. National Basketball Association. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "NBA & ABA Team Index". Basketball-Reference. Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  4. ^ "All-Time Team Records" (PDF). 2019–20 Official NBA Guide. NBA Properties, Inc. October 17, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  5. ^ Windhorst, Brian (July 19, 2013). "Charlotte Hornets back in 2014-15". ESPN. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Feldman, Dan (May 20, 2014). "Charlotte Hornets assume historical records from New [Orleans] Pelicans". ProBasketballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved July 6, 2017.

Notes

  1. ^ BAA win-loss records are included, as the NBA claims the BAA's history as its own. For example, at NBA History online its table of one-line "NBA Season Recaps" begins 1946–47 without comment.[1]
  2. ^ For the purposes of this list, NBL statistics are not included, as unlike with BAA statistics prior to the BAA-NBL merger, the NBA has not included NBL statistics when recapping their history.
  3. ^ a b The New Orleans Pelicans began play as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 NBA season, due to the original Charlotte Hornets (which began play in the 1988–89 NBA season) relocating to New Orleans. The city of Charlotte was then awarded the 30th NBA franchise, dubbed the Charlotte Bobcats, which began play in the 2004–05 NBA season. The New Orleans Hornets rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans, with the 2013–14 NBA season being their first under the Pelicans name. The Bobcats then rebranded as the Charlotte Hornets, first playing under the Hornets name in 2014.[5] This second incarnation of Charlotte Hornets retained statistics and records of the original Charlotte Hornets franchise which played from the 1988–89 NBA season to the 2001–02 NBA season—as well as the statistics and records accumulated while playing as the Bobcats—while the New Orleans Pelicans franchise was retroactively regarded as a 2002–03 season expansion franchise, maintaining the statistics and records accumulated from that season onwards.[6]
  4. ^ This team's history and records are not affiliated with the current day Washington Wizards who played as the Baltimore Bullets from 1963–64 to 1972–73.
  5. ^ This team's history and records are not affiliated with the current day Denver Nuggets team.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_all-time_NBA_win–loss_records&oldid=1001436907"