What is the best start in NBA history? Cavaliers are now 12-0

We’ve only witnessed three weeks of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and we already have a clear favourite to go all the way for the title. Cleveland have managed to remain undefeated so far, as they’ve conquered their first 12 games, with their latest win on the road in Chicago. 

After beating the Bulls 119 to 113, the Cavaliers have become only the eighth club in league history to begin a campaign with a 12-10 start. Out of the other seven previous franchises to achieve this, only five of them ended reaching the NBA Finals that same year, with two going all the way to earn the championship.

Even though Cleveland have been impressive these past three weeks, they are only halfway to match the league’s record for most consecutive wins to open a calendar year. So this leaves us with the question, which team has the current record for the best unbeaten run at the start of a campaign?

YOUR 12-0 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 🔥🔥🔥

DG WITH THE DAGGER pic.twitter.com/tK90TZpx8Y

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 12, 2024

Here are the best starts to a season in NBA history:

• 24-0 — Golden State Warriors, 2015-2016 (lost in Finals)
• 15-0 — Houston Rockets, 1993-1994 (won championship)
• 15-0 — Washington Capitols, 1948-1949 (Lost in Finals)
• 14-0 — Dallas Mavericks, 2002-2003 (Lost in conference finals)
• 14-0 — Boston Celtics, 1957-1958 (lost in Finals)
• 12-0 — Cleveland Cavaliers, 2024-2025 (TBD)
• 12-0 — Chicago Bulls, 1996-1997 (won championship)
• 12-0 — Seattle SuperSonics, 1982-1983 (lost in first round)
• 11-0 — Atlanta Hawks, 1997-1998 (lost in first round)
• 11-0 — Los Angeles Lakers, 1997-1998 (lost in conference finals)
• 11-0 — Portland Trail Blazers, 1990-1991 (lost in conference finals)
• 11-0 — Boston Celtics, 1964-1965 (won championship)
• 10-0 — Philadelphia 76ers, 2000-2001 (lost in Finals)
• 10-0 — Seattle SuperSonics, 1993-1994 (lost in first round)
• 10-0 — Boston Celtics, 1972-1973 (lost in conference finals

Cleveland as a team have performed as the NBA’s best clutch-time offense with a 122 offensive rating, and their coach Kenny Atkinson strongly believes Darius Garland has set the example for the rest of his teammates.

“He’s gonna keep playing like this,” Donovan Mitchell said about his teammate after this past weekend’s win against the Nets. “This is who he is. And for me, it’s just amazing to see. . . . It’s only 11 games, but still, you can see it. There’s just a decisiveness about it you’ve seen from him. He’s done it all year.”

Another who has been impressive is Evan Mobley, who already has three seasons under his belt and has developed a dynamic chemistry with the squad’s two All-Star guards. According to rival Lou Williams, the center’s production is unlocking his teammates’ potential.

“He’s going to be the guy, especially when you have two dynamic guards, you know, in Donovan Mitchell and (Darius) Garland,” the former Sixth Man of the Year said recently. “He’s going to be that third guy; he’s going to be that dynamic guy.”

Cleveland as a team has been the NBA’s best clutch-time offense with a 122 offensive rating, and Garland as the most clutch player

In the past, we’ve witnessed Darius Garland struggling to close out many games for Cleveland in the past. However, this hasn’t been the case at all this 2024-25 campaign, as he’s been one of the biggest keys to the Cavaliers’ unbeaten run this season, alongside his co-stars Mitchell and Mobley.

His own head coach Kenny Atkinson was one of the first to praise him this year. “It doesn’t surprise me because of the talent and the smarts and what a great passer he is and good decision maker,” he said after watching his pupil close out the match against Brooklyn this past weekend. “He’s got the shot. He’s got everything.”

He’s already closed out games four times this season for a total of 18 minutes in clutch time. During this lapse, he’s dropped 24 points on 9-12 shooting from the field, alongside going 3-5 from beyond the arc. His 24 clutch points translate as the seventh most in the current NBA, while being the only athlete within the top 10 that has played less than 20 clutch minutes in total.

“I just took my time,” Garland explained his efficiency during clutch moments this season, just as he had closed out the game against Brooklyn minutes before. “[I] got the right matchup that I wanted, and was just aggressive from there, just trying to make the right read.”