Timberwolves Stand Alone With a Chance to Make NBA History

We are in the era of parity in the NBA, though the Oklahoma City Thunder are attempting to destroy it by becoming the first repeat champion in nearly a decade, last accomplished by the Steph Curry and Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors.

And although the NBA is more wide-open than it has been in previous decades, only a single team left in the NBA playoffs has a chance to make history by winning its first league championship: the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Sunday’s elimination of the Orlando Magic, who fell in Game 7 to the No. 1 Eastern Conference seed Detroit Pistons, Minnesota are the only franchise left in the postseason without a ring to their name.

It’s nothing new for the state of Minnesota, which might have the most depressing history in all of professional sports.

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The Minnesota Wild have never even made the Stanley Cup Finals. The Minnesota Vikings have never won the Super Bowl. And although the Minnesota Twins have won the World Series, it’s been over 30 years since, and most of that time has been plagued by postseason futility.

If the Timberwolves want to break that streak of in-state failure, though, they will need to do it without their superstar player, Anthony Edwards.

Edwards will be out at least the first few games of the Western semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs due to a bone bruise on his knee, which kept him out of Minnesota’s series-clinching win over the Denver Nuggets in the opening round.

Aside from the ‘Wolves, here are the other current franchises in the NBA without a title: New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and the Phoenix Suns.

The Timberwolves, along with the Clippers, Hornets, Grizzlies, and Pelicans, have never even made the NBA Finals in their history.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 8:17 PM.