Most Successful Era in the History of Every NBA Team

With the exception of a few NBA teams, almost every franchise has had a successful period in its history. 

Some of these outstanding eras have lasted longer than others, but all have been filled with great players and differing amounts of success. 

Teams like the Chicago Bulls have pretty obvious eras of success, but the rest of the franchises don't have answers that are quite as clear. 

Read on to discover which era was the most successful in the history of each and every NBA team. 

Atlanta Hawks: High-Flying Days of Dominique Wilkins

If there's one player in the history of the Atlanta Hawks that everyone remembers, it's Dominique Wilkins. Even if you feel Bob Pettit is the greatest player in the history of this franchise, as I do, Nique is simply more memorable. 

It's only fitting that Nique ushered in the most successful era in Atlanta history, even if he wasn't able to win a title like Pettit was back in the early days of the NBA. 

The Human Highlight Film spent most of his career in Atlanta, ranging from the time he was drafted by the Utah Jazz and sent across the country to the Hawks in 1982 until he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers during the 1993-1994 season.

During that time period, the Hawks failed to make the playoffs just three times. They never made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but the combination of excitement and success was unmatched in Hawks history.

Boston Celtics: Bill Russell's Championships

Not only was Bill Russell's run of championships unprecedented in all of Boston Celtics history, but it was also unparalleled in the history of the entire NBA. On top of that, this was the most successful era in the history of any of the major American sports.

Russell took home the title at the end of his rookie season and retired 13 years later after winning once more. In between those dates (1956 and 1969), Russell won a record 11 titles. The C's were even successful in the few seasons they didn't win.

In 1957-1958, the Celtics lost in the NBA Finals to the St. Louis Hawks. In 1966-1967, they were eliminated in the Eastern Division Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, who would go on to win the championship.

Red Auerbach smoked quite a few victory cigars during this era.

Charlotte Bobcats: None

The Charlotte Bobcats played their first game in 2004 and thus have only been around for a grand total of seven seasons.

Charlotte only advanced to the playoffs in 2009-2010 and was swept by the Orlando Magic. Since the Bobcats have yet to record a single postseason win, I refuse to say they've ever had a successful era.

Chicago Bulls: Duh

In one of the most famous sustained stretches of dominance, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to two three-peats.

The first came in 1991-1993, and the second was shortly thereafter from 1996 to 1998.

With Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and plenty of other high-quality players forming Jordan's supporting cast, the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s were nothing short of a dynasty.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Back When They Loved LeBron

From the second the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted hometown hero LeBron James with the first pick of the 2003 NBA draft up until the fateful Decision in the summer of 2010, this franchise enjoyed its most successful era.

Before LeBron, Cleveland had been to the Eastern Conference Finals just once, back in 1992, but No. 23 carried them all the way to the NBA Finals in 2007.

Even though the city almost universally despises him now, what James did for the tortured sports city cannot simply be forgotten.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk and the Flamingo Shots

Note: The reason for the title is that I'm still trying to get everyone to call Dirk Nowitzki's one-legged fadeaway "The Flamingo Shot." Please join me in this movement. 

The Dallas Mavericks won the first NBA title in the franchise's history this past season after taking down the Miami Heat, but that's not the only reason for this modern era's inclusion.

Over the last decade—really, ever since Dirk was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the Mavs for Robert "Tractor" Traylor—the Mavericks have been at the top of the totem pole in the NBA. They haven't missed the playoffs since the turn of the century.

Denver Nuggets: The ABA Days

Carmelo Anthony made a pretty strong argument for a more recent selection, but it's hard to argue with Dan Issel, David Thompson and the rest of the short-shorts-wearing members of the Denver Rockets and the ABA version of the Denver Nuggets.

In the "other" league back in the late 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, the Denver-located franchise was always at the top half of the league. It never won a championship (neither has the NBA version of the franchise), but it never missed the playoffs either.

Detroit Pistons: Bad Boys

Once general manager Jack McCloskey got to work his magic on the Detroit Pistons franchise, it transformed from a team that would always let down its fans into a perennial contender.

Playing a tough brand of basketball that earned them the "Bad Boys" moniker, the Pistons improved and improved until they lost in the 1988 NBA Finals. After that season, they were on a mission to win a championship.

With Isiah Thomas at the helm and Joe Dumars proving to be a very solid Robin, the Pistons took home the next two titles before Michael Jordan took over the world.

Golden State Warriors: Back in the Philly Days

From 1947 to 1962, this franchise was located in Philadelphia and reached a level of success that not even Run TMC was able to match.

The Philadelphia Warriors won the inaugural BAA championship in 1947 before losing in the finals the next year. After four years of making the playoffs, the Warriors went through a bit of a dry spell before Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston resuscitated the franchise, winning the NBA Finals in 1956.

Wilt Chamberlain joined the team shortly thereafter, and the team was always a contender, even when it moved to San Francisco.

Houston Rockets: A Dream of an Era

The Houston Rockets can lay claim to just two titles in their franchise's lengthy history, one in 1994 and the other in 1995. Both of those titles were earned by teams led by Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon.

Using his famous Dream Shake, Olajuwon established himself as one of the best players of all time on both ends of the court.

The Rockets ended a playoff drought in his rookie season, and he took them to the NBA Finals the very next year. In the 17 seasons he spent playing for the franchise, he only watched the postseason from home three times.

Indiana Pacers: George McGinnis, Mel Daniels and the ABA Teams

I was tempted to put the Reggie Miller years here because they're the most famous in Indiana Pacers history, but the second-best three-point shooter of all time never reached the same level of success that George McGinnis and Mel Daniels did during the ABA years.

The Pacers were arguably the best team in the ABA when you look at the league as a whole from 1967 to 1976. They made the ABA Finals five times, winning three of those series, and never failed to make the playoffs.

Los Angeles Clippers: The Future

The Los Angeles Clippers franchise goes all the way back to the days of the Buffalo Braves in the 1970s but can still only claim seven postseason appearances. On top of that, it's only won four playoff series, one each in the years from 1974 to 1976 and another in 2007.

Unlike the Charlotte Bobcats, though, there is hope in L.A. because of quite a few promising players.

Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and the rest of the young Clippers are going to be successful in the near future and will become the most successful era in the franchise's history almost by default.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Entire History

Have the Los Angeles Lakers ever been bad for an extended period of time? Would you believe me if I told you that the answer to that question is no?

The Lakers have only failed to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons once since they first joined the BAA as the Minneapolis Lakers in 1948. That forgettable stretch came from 1974 to 1976.

So which era do you pick for the purple and gold?

George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers, the same team that formed the NBA's first dynasty and won five titles in six years?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson's time in L.A., when the Lakers were always good and added five more titles?

Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor's seasons on the West Coast, an era marked by one title and teams that were always in contention but barely falling short?

Kobe Bryant's recent stretch of dominance, one that saw him add five championship banners to the rafters of the Staples Center?

How about all of them?

Memphis Grizzlies: None with a Tentative 'Future'

Until last year, the Memphis Grizzlies had never won a single postseason series. In fact, they've advanced to the playoffs just four times since the franchise's inauguration in 1995.

I'm not as pessimistic about Memphis' future as I am Charlotte's, but I'm also not as optimistic as I am about Oklahoma City.

That's why I'm hesitant to give a definitive "future" as an answer to the question posed way back at this slideshow's beginning.

Miami Heat: The Future

The Miami Heat have been a playoff fixture ever since they first made the playoffs after the 1991-1992 season, the fourth one to take place since they were added to the NBA. They even won a title when Dwyane Wade carried the team in 2006.

But I still think the near future will prove to be the best era for the Miami Heat. After all, the trio of LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh made the NBA Finals in just their first season together.

There's no telling how many titles those three will bring to South Beach. My guess is that it will be at least a couple.

Milwaukee Bucks: Before Kareem Decided He Wanted To Leave

Drafted out of UCLA in 1969, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made an immediate impact from the very beginning of his rookie season for the Milwaukee Bucks. He didn't stop helping out the team until he decided that the city of Milwaukee didn't fulfill his cultural needs and requested a trade in 1975.

The Bucks made the playoffs in all but Abdul-Jabbar's last year with the franchise. Once Oscar Robertson joined the cause, Milwaukee won the 1971 NBA title and made the finals once more during the six-year stretch.

That 1971 title remains the only championship in the franchise's history.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett Days

The Minnesota Timberwolves were first introduced in 1989 but didn't make the playoffs until 1997. After that season, one in which they lost in the first round of the playoffs, the Wolves were playoff mainstays until 2005, when they fell just short.

During that run of postseason appearances, Minnesota only managed to go anywhere just once. That season, 2003-2004, it was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and barely missed an NBA Finals appearance.

The one common factor in all of those teams was Kevin Garnett, by far the most dominant player in franchise history.

New Jersey Nets: High-Flying Days of Dr. J

Julius Erving spent just three years in a New York Nets jersey back when the franchise was a part of the ABA, but those three seasons were quite special.

In Dr. J's first season, he led the Nets to the franchise's first title as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The next year, his team fell a bit short of a championship, losing in the Eastern Division Semifinals. But one year before he was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers, Erving led the Nets back to the championship and took home a second title in three years.

New Orleans Hornets: The 1990s

Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice and Baron Davis all led this era at various times.

The New Orleans Hornets—around since 1988, when they entered the league as the Charlotte Hornets—have never been more dominant than they were during the 1990s. Yes, that includes the Chris Paul years.

That said, the franchise has yet to appear in the Western Conference Finals.

New York Knicks: The Legend of Clyde

You may think that a franchise based in New York would have been more historically dominant, but the Knicks really haven't been all that successful.

Sure, the Patrick Ewing years were great, but the fact that he never led the team to a title means that his whole era was a bit of a letdown.

Instead, I'll point you towards the era when Willis Reed and Walt Frazier lined up for the New York Knicks. It was that time when the Knicks won their only two titles: one in 1970 and the other in 1973.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Future

The Seattle SuperSonics may have had some pretty impressive stretches in the past, but nothing they ever did is going to be able to match what the young members of the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to accomplish over the next decade.

With Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, James Harden and a few other young players all on the team, the sky is the limit for the Thunder.

The best is yet to come.

Orlando Magic: The Shaq Days

Back in Shaquille O'Neal's younger days, the pinstripes of the Orlando Magic uniforms actually made him look pretty skinny.

Superman began his career in Orlando after he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1992 NBA draft. He would stay with the Magic until 1996, when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

During those four seasons, the Magic were very successful. They barely missed the playoffs in his rookie season before making the postseason each of the next three years.

No season was better than the 1994-1995 campaign, when the Magic had the best record in the Eastern Conference and made it all the way to the NBA Finals.

Philadelphia 76ers: The Big Dipper

The Philadelphia 76ers have had quite a few great teams during their lengthy history, but there has never been a stretch of dominance quite like the stretch that Wilt Chamberlain helped the team to from 1965 to 1968.

Not only were those three years the only time the 76ers had the best record in the Eastern Conference for two straight years, but it was also the only time they had the best record for three straight years.

In 1966-1967, the 76ers had a 68-13 record and ended up winning the NBA Finals.

Phoenix Suns: Seven Seconds or Less

The Phoenix Suns have been to the NBA Finals twice, and both times resulted in losses. The first appearance was in 1976, and the second was 17 years later in 1993.

Even though neither of those appearances came under Mike D'Antoni and the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense, that exciting era has to also be the most successful.

Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, as the Suns had the best record in the Western Conference three times and the second-best record once. That four-year stretch was unparalleled in the history of this franchise.

Portland Trail Blazers: Fleeting Days of Bill Walton

The Portland Trail Blazers have been a consistently good team ever since they were first created in 1970. As a result, there has to be a very special moment in order for there to be a most special era.

That most special moment came in 1977, when the Trail Blazers won their first and only NBA championship. Bill Walton was absolutely sensational that year, as the Big Red-Head was in the middle of his four-year tenure with the Trail Blazers.

Sacramento Kings: Early 2000s

From 1999 to 2006, the Sacramento Kings made the playoffs each and every season. They haven't made it since, and they'd only made it one time since 1986 before the run started.

Coached by Rick Adelman, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic and the rest of the Kings put together a stretch that was unmatched by any other squad in franchise history.

They never made an NBA Finals appearance, but this era was still the most successful.

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan Days

Is there any doubt about this one?

The San Antonio Spurs have literally always been good, but they've never won a title without Tim Duncan.

Since he was drafted in 1997, the Spurs haven't missed the playoffs, have won four championships and have never finished outside the top two teams in their division.

Toronto Raptors: None

Since 1995, when the Toronto Raptors first entered the NBA, the franchise has won exactly one playoff series.

There isn't an era that has ever seen much success.

Utah Jazz: The Stockton-Malone Duo

This was another one of the easiest picks in the slideshow, as John Stockton and Karl Malone are easily the two most dominant players to ever put on a Utah Jazz uniform, and they just happened to play together.

After the duo joined forces in 1985, the Jazz didn't miss the playoffs once until 2004, by which time both Malone and Stockton had both retired.

If it wasn't for Michael Jordan, they probably would have earned a couple titles.

Washington Wizards: Baltimore/Capital/Washington Years

This franchise has had quite a few different names throughout the years: Chicago Packers, Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, Capital Bullets, Washington Bullets and Washington Wizards.

But the most successful era ranged from the end of the Baltimore Bullets through the Capital Bullets days and into the beginning of the Washington Bullets days. The specific date range I'm looking at is 1968 to 1980.

The Bullets made the playoffs during each and every one of those years, made four NBA Finals appearances and won the only title in franchise history in 1978.

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.

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