The Maurice Podoloff Trophy is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 2022–23 season to the team with the best overall record at the end of the regular season. The award is named after Maurice Podoloff, who served as the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA from 1946 until 1963.
Prior to 2021, the Podoloff Trophy was given to the most valuable player of the NBA regular season. However, this was changed in 2022 when the NBA renamed the MVP trophy after Michael Jordan, and a new Podoloff Trophy was unveiled to reward a team's regular season performance. Ever since 2022, the team who wins the Maurice Podoloff Trophy clinches home-court advantage throughout the entire NBA playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks became the first winners of the trophy on April 5, 2023, with their victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the most recent winners on the trophy, which they clinched on April 12, 2026. The Thunder made history in 2026 by winning the trophy in back-to-back seasons, and became the first team to do so.
Maurice Podoloff Trophy winners *Team won the NBA championship. ^Team lost in the NBA Finals.Eventual championIndicates the series winner won (or went on to win) the championship.
+ Winners of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy Year Winners Wins Losses Playoff result Milwaukee Bucks 58 24 Lost First Round (MIA) Boston Celtics 64 18 Won NBA Finals* Oklahoma City Thunder 68 14 Won NBA Finals* Oklahoma City Thunder 64 18 Lost Conference Finals (SAS)
Earlier best records For reference, the following are teams that finished with the best records in the NBA for each season between and .
BAA (1946–1949) Year Winners Wins Losses Playoff result Washington Capitols 49 11 Lost Semifinals (CHI)St. Louis Bombers2919 Lost Semifinals (PHI)Rochester Royals4515 Lost Division Finals (MIN)
NBA (1950–2022) Year Winners Wins Losses Playoff result Syracuse Nationals 51 13 Lost NBA Finals (MIN)^Minneapolis Lakers4424 Lost Division Finals (ROC)Rochester Royals4125 Lost Division Finals (MIN)Minneapolis Lakers4822 Won NBA Finals*Minneapolis Lakers4626 Won NBA Finals*Syracuse Nationals4329 Won NBA Finals* Fort Wayne Pistons Lost NBA Finals (SYR)^Philadelphia Warriors4527 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics4428 Won NBA Finals* Boston Celtics 49 23 Lost NBA Finals (STL)^Boston Celtics5220 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics5916 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics5722 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics6020 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics5822 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics5921 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics6218 Won NBA Finals*Philadelphia 76ers5525 Lost Division Finals (BOS)Philadelphia 76ers6813 Won NBA Finals*Philadelphia 76ers6220 Lost Division Finals (BOS)Baltimore Bullets5725 Lost Division Semifinals (NYK)New York Knicks6022 Won NBA Finals*Milwaukee Bucks6616 Won NBA Finals*Los Angeles Lakers6913 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics6814 Lost Conference Finals (NYK) Milwaukee Bucks 59 23 Lost NBA Finals (BOS)^Boston Celtics6022 Lost Conference Finals (WAS)Golden State Warriors5923 Lost Conference Finals (PHX)Los Angeles Lakers5329 Lost Conference Finals (POR)Portland Trail Blazers5824 Lost Conference Semifinals (SEA) Washington Bullets 54 28 Lost NBA Finals (SEA)^Boston Celtics6121 Lost Conference Finals (PHI)Boston Celtics6220 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics6319 Lost Conference Finals (PHI)Philadelphia 76ers6517 Won NBA Finals*Boston Celtics6220 Won NBA Finals* Boston Celtics 63 19 Lost NBA Finals (LAL)^Boston Celtics6715 Won NBA Finals*Los Angeles Lakers6517 Won NBA Finals*Los Angeles Lakers6220 Won NBA Finals*Detroit Pistons6319 Won NBA Finals*Los Angeles Lakers6319 Lost Conference Semifinals (PHX)Portland Trail Blazers6319 Lost Conference Finals (LAL)Chicago Bulls6715 Won NBA Finals* Phoenix Suns 62 20 Lost NBA Finals (CHI)^Seattle SuperSonics6319 Lost First Round (DEN)San Antonio Spurs6220 Lost Conference Finals (HOU)Chicago Bulls7210 Won NBA Finals*Chicago Bulls6913 Won NBA Finals* Utah Jazz 62 20 Lost NBA Finals (CHI)^San Antonio Spurs3713 Won NBA Finals*1999–00Los Angeles Lakers6715 Won NBA Finals*San Antonio Spurs5824 Lost Conference Finals (LAL)Sacramento Kings6121 Lost Conference Finals (LAL)San Antonio Spurs6022 Won NBA Finals*Indiana Pacers6121 Lost Conference Finals (DET)Phoenix Suns6220 Lost Conference Finals (SAS)Detroit Pistons6418 Lost Conference Finals (MIA)Dallas Mavericks6715 Lost First Round (GSW)Boston Celtics6616 Won NBA Finals*Cleveland Cavaliers6616 Lost Conference Finals (ORL)Cleveland Cavaliers6121 Lost Conference Semifinals (BOS)Chicago Bulls6220 Lost Conference Finals (MIA)Chicago Bulls5016 Lost First Round (PHI)Miami Heat6616 Won NBA Finals*San Antonio Spurs6220 Won NBA Finals*Golden State Warriors6715 Won NBA Finals* Golden State Warriors 73 9 Lost NBA Finals (CLE)^Golden State Warriors6715 Won NBA Finals*Houston Rockets6517 Lost Conference Finals (GSW)Milwaukee Bucks6022 Lost Conference Finals (TOR)Milwaukee Bucks5617 Lost Conference Semifinals (MIA)Utah Jazz5220 Lost Conference Semifinals (LAC)Phoenix Suns6418 Lost Conference Semifinals (DAL)
There was no tiebreaker. Two teams with the best record received a first-round bye in the playoffs. Despite having the same record as the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics clinched top seed by virtue of having a better conference record (34–12 vs. Washington's 32–14). The teams split their regular season series 2–2. Despite having the same record as the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics clinched top seed by virtue of having a better division record (19–5 vs. Philadelphia's 15–9). The teams split their regular season series 3–3. Despite having the same record as the Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz clinched top seed by virtue of winning their regular season series 2–0. Despite having the same record as the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs clinched top seed by virtue of winning their regular season series 2–1. Despite having the same record as the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs clinched top seed by virtue of having a better conference record (36–16 vs. Dallas's 34–18). The teams split their regular season series 2–2. Despite having the same record as the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls clinched top seed by virtue of their only regular season meeting between them, a 96–89 victory by the Bulls on February 29, 2012.
Records Maurice Podoloff Trophy winners Team Winners Year(s) won Oklahoma City Thunder 2 2024–25, 2025–26 Boston Celtics 1 2023–24 Milwaukee Bucks 1 2022–23
Combined pre-trophy / trophy era best records Team Best record Year(s) won Boston Celtics 19 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 2007–08, 2023–24 Los Angeles / Minneapolis Lakers 9 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1971–72, 1976–77, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1999–2000 Philadelphia 76ers / Syracuse Nationals 6 1949–50, 1954–55, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1982–83 Chicago Bulls 5 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2010–11, 2011–12 San Antonio Spurs 5 1994–95, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2013–14 Golden State / Philadelphia Warriors 5 1955–56, 1975–76, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 Milwaukee Bucks 5 1970–71, 1973–74, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23 Detroit / Fort Wayne Pistons 3 1954–55, 1988–89, 2005–06 Oklahoma City Thunder / Seattle SuperSonics 3 1993–94, 2024–25, 2025–26 Phoenix Suns 3 1992–93, 2004–05, 2021–22 Sacramento Kings / Rochester Royals 3 1948–49, 1951–52, 2001–02 Washington / Baltimore Bullets 2 1968–69, 1978–79 Portland Trail Blazers 2 1977–78, 1990–91 Cleveland Cavaliers 2 2008–09, 2009–10 Utah Jazz 2 1997–98, 2020–21 Washington Capitols 1 1946–47 St. Louis Bombers 1 1947–48 New York Knicks 1 1969–70 Indiana Pacers 1 2003–04 Dallas Mavericks 1 2006–07 Miami Heat 1 2012–13 Houston Rockets 1 2017–18
See also
List of NBA teams by single season win percentage Presidents' Trophy (National Hockey League's equivalent) Supporters' Shield (Major League Soccer's equivalent)
Notes
References