Talk about a perfect start.
With the 2024 NBA regular season nearly three weeks old, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain undefeated, having won their first 12 games. Their latest victory came Monday with a 119-113 road win over the Chicago Bulls, making them just the eighth team in league history to start a season 12-0.
Of the seven previous teams to do so, five went on to advance to the NBA Finals that season, with two winning the championship, per NBA.com.
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Impressive as the Cavs' start has been, they are still only halfway to matching the league's record for most consecutive victories to open a season.
Here's a look back at the NBA's best unbeaten starts.
What's the best start in an NBA season?
It didn't seem like the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors would ever lose.
NBA
They won their first 24 games of the regular season, breaking the previous record of 15-0 starts set by the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets and 1948-1949 Washington Capitols.
How many NBA teams have started 12-0?
Here are the best starts to a season in NBA history, per Land of Basketball:
- 24-0 -- Golden State Warriors, 2015-2016 (lost in Finals)
- 15-0 -- Houston Rockets, 1993-1994 (won championship)
- 15-0 -- Washington Capitols, 1948-1949 (Lost in Finals)
- 14-0 -- Dallas Mavericks, 2002-2003 (Lost in conference finals)
- 14-0 -- Boston Celtics, 1957-1958 (lost in Finals)
- 12-0 -- Cleveland Cavaliers, 2024-2025 (TBD)
- 12-0 -- Chicago Bulls, 1996-1997 (won championship)
- 12-0 -- Seattle SuperSonics, 1982-1983 (lost in first round)
- 11-0 -- Atlanta Hawks, 1997-1998 (lost in first round)
- 11-0 -- Los Angeles Lakers, 1997-1998 (lost in conference finals)
- 11-0 -- Portland Trail Blazers, 1990-1991 (lost in conference finals)
- 11-0 -- Boston Celtics, 1964-1965 (won championship)
- 10-0 -- Philadelphia 76ers, 2000-2001 (lost in Finals)
- 10-0 -- Seattle SuperSonics, 1993-1994 (lost in first round)
- 10-0 -- Boston Celtics, 1972-1973 (lost in conference finals)
What is the best record in NBA history?
The 2015-2016 Warriors also went on to set an NBA record for wins in a season, finishing 73-9. That topped the previous record of 72-10 set by the 1996-1997 Chicago Bulls.
The Warriors were unable to cap their historic season with a championship. They surrendered a 3-1 series led in the NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and lost in seven games.
What is the longest winning streak in NBA history?
The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for longest winning streak in NBA history at 33 games. Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain guided the team to a 69-13 finish and an NBA championship.
The 2012-2013 Miami Heat came closest to reaching the record, winning 27 straight games during their championship season.
The only other NBA teams to win 20 or more straight games in a single season are the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors (24 games), the 2007-2008 Houston Rockets (22 games) and the 1970-1971 Milwaukee Bucks (20 games).