Atlantic Division (NBA)
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional basketball |
| Founded | 1970 |
Area served | Eastern Conference, National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Products | Basketball competition among member franchises |
Number of employees | 5 teams |
The Atlantic Division represents one of the three divisions within the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). This division consists of five franchises: the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors. Except for the Raptors, all are located along the East Coast of the United States. The Toronto franchise has traditionally fostered rivalries with teams from the Northeastern U.S., frequently competing in shared divisions with Boston and New York clubs across other prominent leagues such as Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.
Formed during the NBA's expansion in the 1970–71 season, when the league grew from 14 to 17 teams, the Atlantic Division originally included four teams: the Celtics, the Buffalo Braves, the Knicks, and the 76ers. The Celtics, Knicks, and 76ers transitioned from the previous Eastern Division.
Leading the division with 26 titles, the Celtics have also claimed seven NBA championships while part of this division. The Knicks, 76ers, and Raptors have each earned one NBA championship; all but the 1972–73 Knicks secured their titles as division winners. A remarkable occurrence took place in the 1983–84 season, when every Atlantic Division team qualified for the playoffs. Additionally, in the 1982–83 season, all five teams finished with winning records above .500.
Starting with the 2021–22 season, victors of the Atlantic Division are awarded the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy, a tribute to Hall of Famer Nathaniel Clifton.
2025–26 standings
Notes
- y – Secured division championship
- x – Secured playoff berth
Teams
- Notes
- indicates a franchise originating from the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Former teams
| Team | City | Year | From | Year | To | Current division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joined | Departed | |||||
| Buffalo Braves (currently known as the Los Angeles Clippers) | Buffalo, New York | Template:Nbay | —† | Template:Nbay | Pacific Division (as San Diego Clippers) |
Pacific Division |
| Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Template:Nbay | —† | Template:Nbay | Midwest Division | Southeast Division |
- Notes
- denotes a franchise established as an expansion team.
Team Timeline
| Indicates a team currently active in the division | |
| Indicates a team that has exited the division |
<timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:1970 till:2021 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:20 bottom:20 top:0
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
PlotData =
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Boston Celtics (1970–present) bar:2 color:tan2 from:1970 till:1978 text:Buffalo Braves (1970–1978) bar:3 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:New York Knicks (1970–present) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Philadelphia 76ers (1970–present) bar:5 color:tan1 from:1976 till:end text:New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (1976–present) bar:6 color:tan2 from:1978 till:2004 text:Washington Bullets/Wizards (1978–2004) bar:7 color:tan2 from:1988 till:1989 text:Charlotte Hornets (1988–1989) bar:8 color:tan2 from:1989 till:2004 text:Miami Heat (1989–2004) bar:9 color:tan2 from:1991 till:2004 text:Orlando Magic (1991–2004) bar:10 color:tan1 from:2004 till:end text:Toronto Raptors (2004–present)
</timeline>
Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy
Beginning with the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division titleholder is awarded the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy. This accolade honors Nathaniel Clifton, among the NBA's pioneering African American players who joined the New York Knicks in 1950. The trophy is distinguished by a crystal ball element.
Division champions
| ^ | Indicates team with either the best or tied for best regular season record |
Championships by Franchise
| ^ | Indicates franchises that no longer compete in this division |
Annual Performance
| ^ | Represents the team that secured the List of NBA champions#NBA Finals |
| Marks the team that won the NBA Conference finals but was defeated in the NBA Finals |
| Indicates teams that qualified for the NBA Playoffs |
| Shows teams that earned a spot in the NBA play-in tournament |
| Denotes teams that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season resumption |
See also
Notes
- The 1998–99 NBA lockout led to a delayed season commencement on February 5, 1999, with all 29 teams competing in a reduced 50-game schedule.
- The 2011 NBA lockout postponed the season's start until December 25, 2011, resulting in a shortened 66-game campaign for all 30 teams.
- In response to the Boston Marathon bombing, the NBA canceled the April 16 matchup between the Celtics and Pacers; this game was not rescheduled as it had no impact on playoff positioning.
References
Specific
General
External links
| Season | Teams (records) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | 5th place | 6th place | 7th place | |