The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in 1946 and began operations as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL), absorbing the latter's teams and rebranding as the NBA; the 1949–50 NBA season marked the first following the merger. NBA win–loss records include the wins and losses recorded during a team's playing time in the BAA. Defunct BAA/NBA franchises are also accounted for. However, NBA win–loss record do not include the wins and losses recorded during a team's playing time in the American Basketball Association (ABA), despite the 1976 ABA–NBA merger.

In the regular season, the Celtics have the highest win–loss percentage, with (). Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have the lowest win–loss record percentage, with (). The Celtics also lead NBA teams in games played, with 6,278. Conversely, the New Orleans Pelicans have played the fewest games, with 1,932. The Celtics 3,751 wins are also a regular season record; meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have recorded the most losses, with 3,359. The Pelicans have also recorded both the fewest wins (878) and losses (1,054) in the regular season history. Since the 2023–24 NBA season, the NBA has hosted its NBA In-Season Tournament (IST), later dubbed the NBA Cup. Games played during the NBA Cup are included in a team's regular season results and thus, count toward a team's win–loss record, except the NBA Cup Finals.

At the end of the regular season, 12 teams (the top 6 teams in both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference standings) will have clinched an NBA playoffs berth. Meanwhile, the 7th-place through 10th-place teams in the two conferences enter an NBA play-in tournament, introduced during the 2020 NBA Bubble, to determine their playoffs seeding. Through the end of the 2026 NBA play-in tournament, the Miami Heat are the most play-in tournament games played, with seven. The Heat also have recorded the most play-in wins, with four total. The Lakers have the best NBA play-in tournament record, having won all three of their games. Conversely, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs have the worst NBA play-in tournament record, having each lost both of their two games. The records and statistics compiled during play-in games are not included in the regular season nor playoffs figures, though the NBA has included play-in statistics in separate lists on website.

As accurate through the end of the 2026 NBA Finals, the Lakers have the most NBA playoffs games played (800), wins (472), losses (328) and highest playoffs winning percentage with 472–328 (). The Hornets have the lowest NBA playoffs winning percentage with 23–40 (). The Pelicans have the fewest playoff games played (59), wins (22) and losses (37).

Active franchises Regular season + Key Best win–loss record in division ⁂ Rank Team Won Lost First NBA season Division Notes 1 Boston Celtics 6,278 3,751 2,527 1946–47 Atlantic ⁂ 2 San Antonio Spurs 4,031 2,401 1,630 1976–77 Southwest ⁂ 3 Los Angeles Lakers 6,168 3,653 2,515 1948–49 Pacific ⁂ 4 Oklahoma City Thunder 4,770 2,602 2,168 1967–68 Northwest ⁂ 5 Phoenix Suns 4,689 2,510 2,179 1968–69 Pacific 6 Utah Jazz 4,196 2,216 1,980 1974–75 Northwest 7 Milwaukee Bucks 4,689 2,469 2,220 1968–69 Central ⁂ 8 Miami Heat 3,049 1,601 1,448 1988–89 Southeast ⁂ 9 Portland Trail Blazers 4,526 2,370 2,156 1970–71 Northwest 10 Philadelphia 76ers 6,105 3,170 2,935 1949–50 Atlantic 11 Houston Rockets 4,770 2,473 2,297 1967–68 Southwest 12 Denver Nuggets 4,033 2,058 1,975 1976–77 Northwest 13 Chicago Bulls 4,844 2,453 2,391 1966–67 Central 14 Dallas Mavericks 3,707 1,862 1,845 1980–81 Southwest 15 Indiana Pacers 4,032 1,999 2,033 1976–77 Central 16 Atlanta Hawks 6,102 3,013 3,088 1949–50 Southeast 17 New York Knicks 6,269 3,078 3,191 1946–47 Atlantic 18 Golden State Warriors 6,268 3,054 3,213 1946–47 Pacific 19 Detroit Pistons 6,162 2,931 3,231 1948–49 Central 20 Cleveland Cavaliers 4,517 2,148 2,369 1970–71 Central 21 Toronto Raptors 2,474 1,172 1,302 1995–96 Atlantic 22 Orlando Magic 2,967 1,401 1,566 1989–90 Southeast 23 Sacramento Kings 6,169 2,810 3,359 1948–49 Pacific 24 New Orleans Pelicans 1,932 878 1,054 2002–03 Southwest 25 Washington Wizards 5,251 2,307 2,944 1961–62 Southeast 26 Memphis Grizzlies 2,475 1,071 1,404 1995–96 Southwest 27 Charlotte Hornets 2,877 1,237 1,640 1988–89 Southeast 28 Los Angeles Clippers 4,524 1,935 2,589 1970–71 Pacific 29 Brooklyn Nets 4,032 1,700 2,332 1976–77 Atlantic 30 Minnesota Timberwolves 2,958 1,245 1,713 1989–90 Northwest This list is accurate through the end of the 2025–26 NBA season.

Play-in tournament

During the 2020 NBA Bubble, the NBA introduced a play-in tournament in the 2019–20 NBA season to compensate for the suspension of the regular season and a difference in the number of games played between teams, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2019–20 NBA season, if a conference's 9th-place team was within 4 games back of the 8th-place team in the standings, a play-in matchup between the two seeds would be triggered. To clinch the 8th seed in the playoffs, the 8th-place team would need to win one game, while the 9th-place team would need to win two in the matchup. Ultimately, the Western Conference's Blazers and Grizzlies would face off in a play-in game.

The future of the NBA play-in tournament was then explored, with many reports concurring that it would indeed become a permanent fixture in the NBA. Due to the success of the NBA play-in tournament and the COVID-19 pandemic persisting into the 2020–21 NBA season, the league installed an NBA play-in tournament involving both conference's 7th-place through 10th-place teams in the standings upon the end of the regular season, without regard to games back. The format of the NBA play-in tournament, still in place as of the 2026 season, involves the 7th-place team plays a home game against the 8th-place team, with the winner clinching the 7th seed in their respective conference's playoff bracket. Meanwhile, the 9th-place team plays a home game against the 10th-place team, with the loser being eliminated from playoffs contention. Then, the winner of the 9th-10th place team plays on the road, visiting the loser of the 7th-8th place matchup. The winner of this game clinches the 8th seed, with the loser being eliminated.

24 teams of the NBA's 30 teams have played at least one play-in game; the 6 teams yet to participate are the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.

+ Key Best win–loss record in division ⁂

Team Won Lost Division Los Angeles Lakers 3 3 0 Pacific ⁂ Portland Trail Blazers 2 2 0 Northwest ⁂ Philadelphia 76ers 2 2 0 Atlantic ⁂ Boston Celtics 1 1 0 Atlantic ⁂ Brooklyn Nets 1 1 0 Atlantic ⁂ New Orleans Pelicans 4 3 1 Southwest ⁂ Orlando Magic 3 2 1 Southeast ⁂ Minnesota Timberwolves 3 2 1 Northwest Memphis Grizzlies 5 3 2 Southwest Miami Heat 7 4 3 Southeast Atlanta Hawks 6 3 3 Southeast Indiana Pacers 2 1 1 Central ⁂ Phoenix Suns 2 1 1 Pacific Oklahoma City Thunder 2 1 1 Northwest Washington Wizards 2 1 1 Southeast Dallas Mavericks 2 1 1 Southwest Chicago Bulls 5 2 3 Central Golden State Warriors 6 2 4 Pacific Sacramento Kings 3 1 2 Pacific Charlotte Hornets 4 1 3 SoutheastToronto Raptors 1 0 1 Atlantic Cleveland Cavaliers 2 0 2 Central Los Angeles Clippers 2 0 2 Pacific San Antonio Spurs 2 0 2 SouthwestThis list is accurate through the end of the 2026 NBA play-in tournament.

Playoffs

+ Key Best win–loss record in division ⁂Champion ★ Qualified for most recent playoffs ✔ Team in playoff drought †

Rank Team Won Lost Last playoffappearance Division Notes 1 Los Angeles Lakers 66 800 472 328 ✘ 17 Pacific ⁂ 2 Boston Celtics 63 756 432 324 ✘ 18 Atlantic ⁂ 3 San Antonio Spurs 40 426 235 191 ✘ 5 Southwest ⁂ 4 Golden State Warriors 38 396 217 179 † 7 Pacific 5 Miami Heat 26 299 163 136 † 3 Southeast ⁂ 6 Chicago Bulls 36 349 187 162 † 6 Central ⁂ 7 Cleveland Cavaliers 26 273 144 129 ✘ 1 Central 8 Oklahoma City Thunder 35 379 197 182 ✘ 2 Northwest ⁂ 9 New York Knicks 47 441 226 215 ★ 3 Atlantic 10 Philadelphia 76ers 55 499 254 245 ✘ 3 Atlantic 11 Detroit Pistons 44 390 197 193 ✘ 3 Central 12 Indiana Pacers 29 281 138 143 † 0 Central 13 Phoenix Suns 34 328 160 168 ✘ 0 Pacific 14 Houston Rockets 36 335 163 172 ✘ 2 Southwest 15 Milwaukee Bucks 37 317 153 164 † 2 Central 16 Dallas Mavericks 25 249 118 131 † 1 Southwest 17 Utah Jazz 31 292 135 157 † 0 Northwest 18 Toronto Raptors 14 130 60 70 ✘ 1 Atlantic 19 Denver Nuggets 32 262 114 148 ✘ 1 Northwest 20 Orlando Magic 19 152 66 86 ✘ 0 Southeast 21 Los Angeles Clippers 19 160 69 91 † 0 Pacific 22 Portland Trail Blazers 37 279 120 159 ✘ 1 Northwest 23 Atlanta Hawks 50 396 170 226 ✘ 1 Southeast 24 Sacramento Kings 29 194 83 111 † 1 Pacific 25 Minnesota Timberwolves 14 106 45 61 ✘ 0 Northwest 26 Washington Wizards 30 237 99 138 † 1 Southeast 27 Brooklyn Nets 24 171 70 101 † 0 Atlantic 28 New Orleans Pelicans 9 59 22 37 † 0 Southwest 29 Memphis Grizzlies 14 102 38 64 † 0 Southwest 30 Charlotte Hornets 10 63 23 40 † 0 Southeast This list is accurate through the end of the 2026 NBA Finals.

Defunct franchises

17 BAA/NBA franchises are now defunct, although only 15 played games. Amongst defunct franchises, the Chicago Stags have the highest win–loss record percentage, with (). The Denver Nuggets have the lowest win–loss record percentage, with (). The Baltimore Bullets have the most games played (450), wins (158) and losses (292) for a defunct NBA franchise. The Cleveland Rebels, Toronto Huskies, Detroit Falcons, Indianapolis Jets and Pittsburgh Ironmen are all tied for fewest games played (60).

Only teams that recorded playing time in the BAA/NBA are included, as the NBA does not recap NBL statistics nor does it officially count ABA statistics.

Regular season Rank Team Won Lost First BAA/NBA season Last BAA/NBA season Division 1 Chicago Stags 237 145 92 1946–47 1949–50 Central⁂ 2 Washington Capitols 271 157 114 1946–47 1950–51 Eastern⁂ 3 Anderson Packers 64 37 27 1949–50 Eastern 4 St. Louis Bombers 237 122 115 1946–47 1949–50 Western⁂ 5 Cleveland Rebels 60 30 30 1946–47 Western 6 Indianapolis Olympians 269 132 137 1949–50 1952–53 Western 7 Toronto Huskies 60 22 38 1946–47 Eastern 8 Sheboygan Red Skins 62 22 40 1949–50 Western 9 Baltimore Bullets 450 158 292 1947–48 1954–55 Eastern 10 Detroit Falcons 60 20 40 1946–47 Western 11 Waterloo Hawks 62 19 43 1949–50 Western 12 Indianapolis Jets 60 18 42 1948–49 Western 13 Providence Steamrollers 168 46 122 1946–47 1948–49 Eastern 14 Pittsburgh Ironmen 60 15 45 1946–47 Western 15 Denver Nuggets 62 11 51 1949–50 Western

Playoffs Team Won Lost Division Baltimore Bullets 16 9 7 1 Eastern⁂ Anderson Packers 8 4 4 0 Eastern Washington Capitols 19 8 11 0 Eastern Chicago Stags 20 7 13 0 Central⁂ St. Louis Bombers 12 4 8 0 Western⁂ Cleveland Rebels 3 1 2 0 Western⁂ Sheboygan Red Skins 3 1 2 0 Western⁂ Indianapolis Olympians 13 4 9 0 Western Detroit Falcons 0 0 0 0 Western Waterloo Hawks 0 0 0 0 Western Indianapolis Jets 0 0 0 0 Western Toronto Huskies 0 0 0 0 Eastern Providence Steamrollers 0 0 0 0 Eastern Pittsburgh Ironmen 0 0 0 0 Western Denver Nuggets 0 0 0 0 Western

See also List of all-time WNBA win–loss records List of NBA champions List of NBA playoff series List of NBA teams by single season win percentage

Notes

References