NBA
Which teams have lost the most NBA Finals?
As the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukie Bucks do battle in the 2021 NBA Finals, we take a look back on which teams have the poorest record in the finals.
Last year the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals following a 4-2 series win.
The victory saw the Lakers draw level with first-placed Boston Celtics in number of NBA Championships, with both teams boasting 17 titles each.
It was the Lakers first final appearance since 2010 when they beat the Celtics 4-3. The Celtics last Championship win came two years earlier in 2008.
Lakers have lost most NBA finals
Considering the Lakers have appeared in 32 NBA finals -- significantly more than any other team -- it comes as no huge surprise that the LA franchise is also the team that has suffered the most final defeats and by a long margin.
Those 15 losses came in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004 and 2008. This century, the Lakers have appeared in eight finals, winning six and losing two. Overall, with 17 wins and 15 losses in 32 appearances, that puts the Lakers win ratio at 53.1%
In comparison, the Boston Celtics, the team with the second highest number of final appearances in history with 21, has recorded 17 wins and 4 losses, putting its win ratio at a significantly higher 80.9%.
Chicago Bulls have never lost a final
Of the 11 teams that have played in five finals or more, the Celtics have the third best win ratio behind the San Antonio Spurs on 83% (five wins and one defeat from six appearances) and Chicago Bulls on 100% (six wins from six final appearances, all of which came in the 1990s). In fact, out of all 21 teams that have made two NBA final appearances or more, the Bulls are the only side to have never lost a final.
Behind the Lakers, two teams share second spot in terms of number of final losses with six each: the Philadelphia 76ers (nine total appearances) and the New York Knicks (eight total appearances). In third place is the Golden States Warriors with five defeats (11 total appearances) and in joint fourth with four defeats each are the Celtics, the Detroit Pistons (seven total appearences) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (five total appearences).
Teams with most NBA final losses
| Team | Losses | Total Appearances |
| LA Lakers | 15 | 32 (17 wins) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 6 | 9 (3 wins) |
| New York Knicks | 6 | 8 (2 wins) |
| Golden State Warriors | 5 | 11 (6 wins) |
| Boston Celtics | 4 | 21 (17 wins) |
| Detroit Pistons | 4 | 7 (3 wins) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 4 | 5 (1 win) |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 6 (3 wins) |
| Atlanta Hawks | 3 | 4 (1 win) |
| Washington Wizards | 3 | 4 (1 win) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 3 | 4 (1 win) |