Throughout the course of league history, certain franchises have had more success than others.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are among the best in terms of nightly triumph, but there are other surprising teams also atop the list. On the other hand, at the bottom are most of the usual suspects when it comes to historical ineptitude.
Below, you can find every team ranked by their win percentage since joining the NBA.
1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: 62.1 PERCENT
34 winning seasons in 42 years
As far as game-to-game success, no one touches the San Antonio Spurs. Under Gregg Popovich, San Antonio has only had one losing season. In fact, in non-lockout years, the fewest regular-season games they’ve won is 47. The Spurs also boast five championships to their name, all of which have come in the last 21 years.
2. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 59.6 PERCENT
53 winning seasons in 70 years
The team with the second-most championships ever at 16, the Los Angeles Lakers have been the model of success since their inception back in 1948-49. Prior to 2013-14, the Lakers had only missed the playoffs five times(!) in their first 65 years as a franchise.
3. BOSTON CELTICS: 59.0 PERCENT
51 winning seasons in 72 years
The franchise with the most NBA titles ever (17), the Boston Celtics have had multiple dynastic runs throughout their illustrious history, from the legendary Bill Russell teams of the 1960s to the Larry Bird-led teams of the 80s.
4. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 54.1 PERCENT
31 winning seasons in 51 years
Despite only having won one championship as a franchise (which came back in 1978-79), the Oklahoma City Thunder (previously the Seattle SuperSonics) have been one of the league’s most consistent teams historically. They haven’t always been elite, but they’re usually – at worst – good. Oklahoma City have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine years.
5. UTAH JAZZ: 53.7 PERCENT
28 winning seasons in 44 years
They may have zero championships in their history, but, like Oklahoma City, the Jazz have almost always fielded a tough team. Utah had a 20-year stretch from 1983-84 to 2002-03 where they made the playoffs every single season. Karl Malone and his running-mate John Stockton might have just had something to do with that.
