There are currently 30 teams in the NBA. 29 of them are based in the United States, and one is in Canada (go Raptors!).
For your easy reference, here are some lists of every NBA teams names sorted in various ways:
- List of NBA teams in alphabetical order
- List of NBA teams in alphabetical order by team name (i.e. “Lakers”)
- List of NBA teams by Conference
- List of NBA Teams by Division
- List of NBA Teams with Championships
- and…
I have also included an NBA Teams Map, a sortable/searchable team data table, and other interesting facts about NBA teams.
Enjoy!
List of NBA Teams Names in Alphabetical Order
Here is a list of all current NBA teams sorted alphabetically by their city’s/location’s name (i.e. Atlanta → Washington):
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
Plain text format
Here is a plain text format for easier copy/paste:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
List of NBA teams in Alphabetical Order by Team Name
This is a list of all current NBA teams sorted by their team name only (i.e. 76ers → Wizards):
- 76ers
- Bucks
- Bulls
- Cavaliers
- Celtics
- Clippers
- Grizzlies
- Hawks
- Heat
- Hornets
- Jazz
- Kings
- Knicks
- Lakers
- Magic
- Mavericks
- Nets
- Nuggets
- Pacers
- Pelicans
- Pistons
- Raptors
- Rockets
- Spurs
- Suns
- Thunder
- Timberwolves
- Trail Blazers
- Warriors
- Wizards
Plain text format
76ers
Bucks
Bulls
Cavaliers
Celtics
Clippers
Grizzlies
Hawks
Heat
Hornets
Jazz
Kings
Knicks
Lakers
Magic
Mavericks
Nets
Nuggets
Pacers
Pelicans
Pistons
Raptors
Rockets
Spurs
Suns
Thunder
Timberwolves
Trail Blazers
Warriors
Wizards
List of NBA Teams by Conference
Here is a list of teams sorted by conferences (i.e. Eastern and Western). Each conference has 15 teams.
The teams are ordered alphabetically inside each conference:
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
Western Conference
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Utah Jazz
List of NBA Teams by Division
There are a total of six divisions in the NBA (three in each conference). Each division has five teams.
The Eastern Conference includes the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast Divisions.
The Western Conference includes the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest Divisions.
Divisions were originally based by the teams locations, although it got messed up when teams moved around (e.g. Seattle to Oklahoma City). Check out the NBA teams map further down the page.
Atlantic Division
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
Central Division
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
Northwest Division
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
Pacific Division
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
Southeast Division
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
Southwest Division
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- San Antonio Spurs
List of NBA Teams With Championships
This is a table of NBA teams that have won at least one championship. This also includes championships won by the team when they were located in a different city/state (e.g. Los Angeles Lakers includes Minneapolis Lakers championships).
Updated as of May 2023. Sorted by most championships to least:
| Team Name | Championships | Years Won | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 17 | 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 | 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 | Includes Minneapolis Lakers (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954) |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 | 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018 | Includes Philadelphia Warriors (1947, 1956); San Francisco Warriors (1975) |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 | |
| Detroit Pistons | 3 | 1989, 1990, 2004 | Includes Fort Wayne Pistons (1989) |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 2006, 2012, 2013 | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 1955, 1967, 1983 | Includes Syracuse Nationals (1955) |
| Houston Rockets | 2 | 1994, 1995 | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 1971, 2021 | |
| New York Knicks | 2 | 1970, 1973 | |
| Atlanta Hawks | 1 | 1958 | as St. Louis Hawks |
| Baltimore Bullets | 1 | 1948 | Team folded in 1954. Not related to Washington Bullets/Wizards |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 2016 | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 1 | 2011 | |
| Denver Nuggets | 1 | 2023 | |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 1 | 1979 | as Seattle SuperSonics |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1 | 1977 | |
| Sacramento Kings | 1 | 1951 | as Rochester Royals |
| Toronto Raptors | 1 | 2019 | |
| Washington Wizards | 1 | 1978 | as Washington Bullets |
NBA Teams Map
Here is a nice visual map I created of each NBA’s team’s approximate location:
NBA Teams Data Table
This table includes all the data above, plus others like the team’s abbreviation, state/province, and founding year.
The table is sortable and searchable. Enjoy!
| Full Name | Team Name | City | State | Conference | Division | Founded | Championships | Team Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | Hawks | Atlanta | Georgia | Eastern | Southeast | 1946 | 2 | ATL |
| Boston Celtics | Celtics | Boston | Massachusetts | Eastern | Atlantic | 1946 | 17 | BKN |
| Brooklyn Nets | Nets | New York City | New York | Eastern | Atlantic | 1967 | 0 | BOS |
| Charlotte Hornets | Hornets | Charlotte | North Carolina | Eastern | Southeast | 1988 | 0 | CHA |
| Chicago Bulls | Bulls | Chicago | Illinois | Eastern | Central | 1966 | 6 | CHI |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Cavaliers | Cleveland | Ohio | Eastern | Central | 1970 | 1 | CLE |
| Dallas Mavericks | Mavericks | Dallas | Texas | Western | Southwest | 1980 | 1 | DAL |
| Denver Nuggets | Nuggets | Denver | Colorado | Western | Northwest | 1967 | 1 | DEN |
| Detroit Pistons | Pistons | Detroit | Michigan | Eastern | Central | 1937 | 3 | DET |
| Golden State Warriors | Warriors | San Francisco | California | Western | Pacific | 1946 | 7 | GSW |
| Houston Rockets | Rockets | Houston | Texas | Western | Southwest | 1967 | 2 | HOU |
| Indiana Pacers | Pacers | Indianapolis | Indiana | Eastern | Central | 1967 | 0 | IND |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Clippers | Los Angeles | California | Western | Pacific | 1970 | 0 | LAC |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Lakers | Los Angeles | California | Western | Pacific | 1947 | 17 | LAL |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Grizzlies | Memphis | Tennessee | Western | Southwest | 1995 | 0 | MEM |
| Miami Heat | Heat | Miami | Florida | Eastern | Southeast | 1988 | 3 | MIA |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Bucks | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | Eastern | Central | 1968 | 2 | MIL |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves | Minneapolis | Minnesota | Western | Northwest | 1989 | 0 | MIN |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Pelicans | New Orleans | Louisiana | Western | Southwest | 2002 | 0 | NOP |
| New York Knicks | Knicks | New York City | New York | Eastern | Atlantic | 1946 | 2 | NYK |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Thunder | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Western | Northwest | 1967 | 1 (as Seattle SuperSonics) | OKC |
| Orlando Magic | Magic | Orlando | Florida | Eastern | Southeast | 1989 | 0 | ORL |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Eastern | Atlantic | 1946 | 3 | PHI |
| Phoenix Suns | Suns | Phoenix | Arizona | Western | Pacific | 1968 | 0 | PHX |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Trail Blazers | Portland | Oregon | Western | Northwest | 1970 | 1 | POR |
| Sacramento Kings | Kings | Sacramento | California | Western | Pacific | 1923 | 1 | SAC |
| San Antonio Spurs | Spurs | San Antonio | Texas | Western | Southwest | 1967 | 5 | SAS |
| Toronto Raptors | Raptors | Toronto | Ontario (Canada) | Eastern | Atlantic | 1995 | 1 | TOR |
| Utah Jazz | Jazz | Salt Lake City | Utah | Western | Northwest | 1974 | 0 | UTA |
| Washington Wizards | Wizards | Washington, DC | District of Columbia | Eastern | Southeast | 1961 | 1 | WAS |
FAQ
Here are some other interesting facts and questions you may have about NBA teams:
Which teams have won the most championships?
The Lakers and Celtics are currently tied for the most championships with 17.
The Warriors are second with 7 championships.
The Bulls are third with 6 championships.
Which state has the most NBA teams?
California has the most teams with four (Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings).
Texas has the second most with three (Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs).
New York (Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks) and Florida (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic) both have two teams.
How many US states do not have an NBA Team?
29 states do not have an NBA team.
Which team is not based in the US?
Only the Toronto Raptors are not based in the US. They are based in Canada.
There used to be one other NBA team in Canada called the Vancouver Grizzlies, but they moved to Memphis in 2001.
What is the oldest existing NBA team?
The Sacramento Kings are technically the oldest NBA team.
The team was founded in 1923 (before the NBA started) as the Rochester Seagrams (in Rochester, New York). They moved to Cincinnati, then Kansas City/Omaha, and eventually to Sacramento.
What NBA team changed their name?
Many teams have changed their names over the years. Below is a full list.
This list does not include teams that moved cities but kept the same team name (e.g. Vancouver Grizzlies -> Memphis Grizzlies). It also only includes names officialy used in the NBA (not ABA, NBL, etc.)
| Current Name | Previous Name(s) |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949-1951) |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Buffalo Braves (1970-1978) |
| Charlotte Hornets* | Charlotte Bobcats (2004-2014) |
| New Orleans Pelicans* | New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets (2002-2013) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Seattle SuperSonics (1967-2008) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Syracuse Nationals (1949-1963) |
| Sacramento Kings | Rochester/Cincinnati Royals (1948-1972) |
| Washington Wizards | Chicago Packers (1961-1962) Chicago Zephyrs (1962-1963) Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1963–1997) |
What are the original NBA teams?
The NBA was founded in 1949, and originally had 17 teams. Many of them went defunct soon after. Here are the original teams (in alphabetical order):
- Anderson Packers
- Baltimore Bullets
- Boston Celtics
- Chicago Stags
- Denver Nuggets
- Fort Wayne Pistons
- Indianapolis Olympians
- Minneapolis Lakers
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia Warriors
- Rochester Royals
- Sheboygan Red Skins
- St. Louis Bombers
- Syracuse Nationals
- Tri-Cities Blackhawks
- Washington Capitols
- Waterloo Hawks
Did I miss anything?
What else would you like to know about NBA teams and their names?
Let me know in the comments below!
