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#3 Chicago Stags
The Chicago Stag’s lifetime in the BAA and the NBA was similar to that of the St. Louis Bombers. They played three seasons with the former and then one season with the latter before disbanding.
The biggest difference between the two was that the Stags were the more successful team. They never missed the postseason throughout their basketball life and even reached the 1947 BAA Finals where they lost to the Philadelphia Warriors.
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In their last season called as the “Stags,” they lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in the Division Finals. In June 1950, the franchise was purchased by Abe Saperstein, who owned the famous Harlem Globetrotters. He renamed the team the Chicago Bruins.
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A controversial disagreement with then NBA Commissioner Maurice Podoloff ended the deal with the Bruins. It wasn't until 1961 that an NBA franchise returned to Chicago when the Packers were born.
LeBron James was in his third season when the Chicago Bulls wore retro Stags jerseys as part of the league’s “Hardwood Classics.”
#2 Washington Capitols
The Washington Capitols started as part of the BAA from 1946-47 to 1948-49. With the merger of the BAA and the NBL, they became part of the NBA from 1949-1950 to 1950-51.
They reached the postseason for four straight years and appeared in the 1949 finals where they lost to the Minneapolis Lakers, who had George Mikan. Unknown to many, the team was coached by the legendary Red Auerbach from 1946-49.
Auerbach led the Capitols to a 17-game winning streak in the BAA’s inaugural season. It was a record that stood until 1969.
Washington wasn't represented in the NBA until 1973 by the Baltimore Bullets, who became the Washington Bullets and eventually the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards lost to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in three straight postseason matchups. From 2005-06 to 2007-08, Washington won a total of four games during three playoff series.
#1 Baltimore Bullets
The Baltimore Bullets started in the American Basketball League (ABL) where they made the finals for three straight years. They won the ABL championship in 1946. The Bullets joined the BAA before the start of the 1947-48 season.
In their inaugural appearance in the BAA, they promptly bagged the crown by beating the Philadelphia Warriors, making them the only defunct NBA championship team.
As great as they were in the ABL and the BAA, they couldn’t replicate their success after the merger starting the 1949-50 season. They only reached the playoffs in 1953 when they lost to the New York Knicks.
They folded after the 1954-55 season. The Chicago Zephyrs moved to Baltimore in 1963 and resurrected the Bullets. They kept that name even when they moved to Washington in 1973.
