Current:Home > reviewsWhat is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record -FundTrack
What is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record
View
Date:2025-04-25 14:26:18
No pressure, it's just perfection.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have raced out to a perfect 13-0 mark this season under new coach Kenny Atkinson, becoming the sixth team in NBA history to win their first 13 games of the season. The Cavaliers are the NBA's second-rated offense (120.9) and most accurate 3-point shooting team (41.2%). Cleveland ranks second in point differential (11.7), behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder (12.7).
Yet, the Cavaliers are nowhere near the NBA's most prolific start, with five teams still ahead. The good news for Cleveland is that of the five previous teams that won their first 13 games to start a regular season, four made it to the NBA Finals.
Here's everything you need to know about the best starts in NBA history.
What is the record for best start in NBA history?
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, the team that went on to set the record for most regular season victories in a single season (73), also set the mark for best start to a season in NBA history.
All things Cavaliers: Latest Cleveland Cavaliers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
The Warriors opened their season 24-0 before picking up their first loss of that season on Dec. 12 against the Bucks. It obliterated the previous NBA record for best start to a season, when the 1993-94 Houston Rockets went 15-0.
Interestingly, it wasn't coach Steve Kerr who led the team to that remarkable start. Kerr underwent back surgery and was sidelined for the first 43 games of the season. Assistant coach Luke Walton served as the interim coach and led Golden State to that 24-0 start and eventually led the team to a 39-4 mark before Kerr returned.
The 2015-16 Warriors lost in the NBA Finals in seven games to the Cavaliers.
Where do the Cavaliers rank in best starts in NBA history?
- 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (lost NBA Finals): 24-0
- 1993-94 Houston Rockets (won NBA Finals): 15-0
- 1948-49 Washington Capitols (lost NBA Finals): 15-0
- 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks (lost Western Conference Finals): 14-0
- 1957-58 Boston Celtics (lost NBA Finals): 14-0
- 2024-25 Cleveland Cavaliers: 13-0
- 1996-97 Chicago Bulls (won NBA Finals): 12-0
- 1982-83 Seattle SuperSonics (lost first-round series): 12-0
Cleveland Cavaliers upcoming schedule
- Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Chicago Bulls
- Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. vs. Charlotte Hornets
- Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Boston Celtics
- Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. vs. New Orleans Pelicans
- Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Toronto Raptors
- Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Nov. 29 at 2:30 p.m. at Atlanta Hawks
- Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. vs. Boston Celtics
- Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. vs. Washington Wizards
- Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. vs. Denver Nuggets
- Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. at Charlotte Hornets
- Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at Miami Heat
*All times Eastern
veryGood! (59)
Related
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Tunisian president’s remarks on Storm Daniel have been denounced as antisemitic and prompt an uproar
- Bachelor Star Clayton Echard Served With Paternity Lawsuit From Alleged Pregnant Ex
- This rare Bob Ross painting could be yours — for close to $10 million
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- College football is set for historic Week 4 with seven games matching ranked opponents
- ‘ABC World News’ anchor David Muir chosen for Arizona State University’s Cronkite Award
- Nick Saban and Alabama football miss Lane Kiffin more than ever
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Sikh separatism has long strained Canada-India ties. Now they’re at their lowest point in years
Ranking
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- UK inflation in surprise fall in August, though Bank of England still set to raise rates
- Tornado kills 5 people in eastern China
- Will UAW strike increase car prices? Experts weigh in.
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- New features in iOS 17 that can help keep you safe: What to know
- An artist took $84,000 in cash from a museum and handed in blank canvases titled Take the Money and Run. He's been ordered to return some of it
- What to know about Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version),' from release to bonus songs
Recommendation
'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh agrees to plead guilty to nearly two dozen federal crimes
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence
Airbnb says it’s cracking down on fake listings and has removed 59,000 of them this year
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence
Supporters of reparations for Black residents urge San Francisco to push forward
California truck drivers ask Newsom to sign bill saving jobs as self-driving big rigs are tested