Going 15-0 to start the NBA season is a mean feat and in the league’s 77 years of existence, only four teams have accomplished this.
Founded in1946, the Washington Capitols was a charter member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the forerunner of the NBA. It folded in January 1951 but with its brief existence, two remarkable winning streaks were made.
Coached by the legendary Red Auerbach, the Capitols recorded 17 straight wins in 1946 which remained the NBA’s longest until the New York Knicks eclipsed it with 18 consecutive wins in 1969. The Capitols won 15 straight games to start the 1948-1949 season.
Prior, the Capitols won their last 5 games of the 1947-1948 season and carried over to the following season with their 15-0 start, they are tied at 5th with the 1970-1971 Milwaukee Bucks with 20 straight wins.
Led by eventual season MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets tied the Capitol’s record by winning their first 15 games. The Rockets won the NBA championships in 7 games over the Knicks. Hakeem became the first player to win the regular season MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
The 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors recorded the league’s best win-loss record of 73-9, bettering that of the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls record of 72-10. Throughout this season, GSW broke more than 25 NBA records and more than 10 franchise records which included the most wins ever recorded with 88, regular and post season combined.
Enroute to that next to impossible regular season win-loss record, the Warriors broke the Capitols and the Rockets’ previous best season start with a 24-0 run. Steve Kerr was named Coach of the Year and Stephen Curry won the regular season MVP for the second straight year.
Leading 3-1 in the Finals, they failed to defend the championship against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and thus became the first team in league history to throw away a 3-1 Finals series lead.
This time without LBJ, it’s Cleveland’s turn with a 15-0 start. Are the Cavs for real? It’s too early to tell but things are looking good for them. Led by Donovan Mitchell (25.6 ppg, 4.1 apg), Darius Garland (21.4 ppg, 7 apg) Evan Mobley (18.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Jarrett Allen (14.5 ppg, 11 rpg), they take on the Boston Celtics today, their biggest stumbling block to win number 16.