NBA Western Conference Teams With Most Playoff Appearances

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Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers on the court during a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets during the 2007-2008 NBA season.
(Wikimedia Commons/Stephanie Young Merzel)
Anatoly Pimentel @AnatolyPimentel Nov 20, 2023, 10:57 PM
  • Here’s a list of NBA Western Conference teams with the most playoff appearances.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers have the most with 62.
  • The New Orleans Pelicans are at the bottom with eight.

The competition in the NBA heats up as the playoffs inch closer this season. In fact, 10 Western Conference teams are fighting for positioning, with only two or three games separating them in the standings. These teams’ fates can change quickly as seedings hang in the balance depending on the result of the games.

Teams are upping up their game to increase their NBA championship odds and lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. But as the race to postseason contention, here’s a look at NBA Western Conference teams that have appeared in most playoff campaigns.

Leading the pack is the perennial favorite in NBA odds, the Los Angeles Lakers, which have appeared in a whopping 62 playoff runs throughout the franchise’s history. Because of these 62 playoff runs, they captured 17 NBA titles, tied with the most in the league with the Boston Celtics.

Following the Purple and Gold in the list are the San Antonio Spurs (39 playoff appearances), Portland Trail Blazers (37 playoff appearances), Golden State Warriors (36 playoff appearances) and the Houston Rockets (34 playoff appearances). Because of these successful stints in the postseason, the Spurs, Blazers, Warriors, and Rockets have a combined 14 NBA titles. 

The teams on the bottom end of this list are the Memphis Grizzlies (12), Minnesota Timberwolves (10) and New Orleans Pelicans (8). Due to these low numbers, The Grizzlies and the Timberwolves could only reach the conference finals once, while the Pelicans couldn’t get past the second round, where they made it there twice.

Below is a table of Western Conference teams and their playoff appearances. Note that these numbers are as of the 2021-22 season.

NBA Western Conference Teams With Most Playoff Appearances

RankTeamPlayoff Appearances
1Los Angeles Lakers62
2San Antonio Spurs 39
3Portland Trail Blazers37
4Golden State Warriors36
5Houston Rockets34
6Oklahoma City Thunder32
7Utah Jazz31
8Phoenix Suns31
9Sacramento Kings29
10Denver Nuggets29
11Dallas Mavericks24
12Los Angeles Clippers16
13Memphis Grizzlies12
14Minnesota Timberwolves10
15New Orleans Pelicans8

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About the Author

Anatoly Pimentel

Read More @AnatolyPimentel

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.