The 29 most hopeless fan bases in professional sports

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 13, 2015: Cleveland Browns fans hold up signs reading 'HELP' during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 13, 2015 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won 24-10. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

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Jan 19, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

28. Minnesota Timberwolves

Last championship: never

Last winning season: 2004-2005

While the Timberwolves feature one of the NBA’s best young cores, it’s a silver lining that’s taken years to show itself. Since joining the league in 1989 (along with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Charlotte Hornets), the T-Wolves are the only team of the expansion era to not to reach the NBA Finals.

And while it’s expected for an expansion franchise to have some bumps along the way, the Wolves’ have mostly sputtered in their attempts to get into gear. Minnesota struck gold by effectively launching the high school-to-pros era in 1996, selecting Kevin Garnett in the NBA Draft. Garnett went on to become the 2004 Most Valuable Player and helped lead the team to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons. The aforementioned 2004 season was by far the best in the franchise’s history, as the Wolves won 58 games, finished with the best record in the Western Conference, and advanced to the Conference Finals.

However, the overall lows have been much more substantial than the relative highs for the Wolves. Before the Garnett era, the Wolves averaged 21 wins per season. Since he left after the 2007-08 season, they regressed back to a 24-win level for the next nine years.

Over 27 years, the Timberwolves are carrying a .391 winning percentage, heightened by losses in eight of 10 playoff series. So this is a franchise run whose success — even in the most relative of terms — has been fleeting. No appearances in the NBA Finals, combined with losing records in 11 consecutive seasons currently, makes Minnesota hoops an easy mark for seemingly endless hopelessness.

Next: 27. Brooklyn Nets