5 longest winning streaks to start NBA season revisited after Cavaliers improve to 13-0 

So far this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a perfect 13-0, rattling off some big wins over fierce competition to start the NBA's 2024-25 season. While their 13-0 start to the year may be an impressive feat, it still isn't enough to crack the top five list of the longest streaks to start an NBA season.

Five longest-win streaks to begin an NBA season

#5-T: 14-0 Boston Celtics (1957-58)

After winning their first NBA championship in 1957, Bill Russell and Bob Cousy led the Boston Celtics to a 14-0 start to the 1957-58 season. Despite that, the team wound up losing to the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA Finals, who they defeated the year prior.

Following the 1957-58 season, Russell, Cousy and the Celtics bounced back by winning titles in the 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1966 seasons.

#4-T: 14-0 Dallas Mavericks (2002-03)

Led by a lethal duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, the 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks got off to a hot start in the 2002-03 season by winning 14 straight. Despite their strong start to the year, the team lost to Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

It was another three years before Dallas made it back to the Western Conference finals, however, eight years later, Dirk Nowitzki was able to capture a title for the franchise.

#3: 15-0 Washington Capitals (1948-49)

The year before the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League joined forces to become the NBA, the Washington Capitals started the 1948-49 season with 15 straight wins.

Led by coach Red Auerbach, the team made it all the way to the finals after beating the Knicks in the Eastern Division finals. There, they fell to George Mikan and the Lakers, who were based out of Minneapolis at the time.

#2: 15-0 Houston Rockets (1993-94)

During the 1994-95 season, the Houston Rockets had the best player on the planet in Hakeem Olajuwon, who not only led the team to a title after a 15-0 start but also captured the MVP and DPOY awards.

The season was the first of two straight championship seasons for Olajuwon and the Rockets.

#1: 24-0 Golden State Warriors (2015-16)

This is the greatest statistical start to a season in league history. During the 2015-16 season, the Golden State Warriors rattled off 24 straight wins en route to a league-best 73-9 record.

Of course, in the finals the team lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers as the future Hall of Famer brought an end to the Warriors' dominance and ended Cleveland's championship drought.