Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and the Longest Time Between Western Conference Finals Appearances

	TEAM	SPAN (SEASONS IN BETWEEN)	PREVIOUS CONF. FINALS APP. (OR FIRST SEASON*)	LAST CONF. FINALS APP.	NOTES
1.	Los Angeles Clippers	45	1970-71*	Active	Includes Buffalo Braves (1970-71 thru 1977-78) and San Diego Clippers (1978-79 thru 1983-84)
2.	Golden State Warriors	38	1975-76	2014-15
3.	Denver Nuggets	23	1984-85	2008-09
4.	Sacramento Kings	20	1980-81	2001-02	Includes Kansas City Kings (1980-81 thru 1984-85)
4.	Toronto Raptors	20	1995-96*	Active
6.	Houston Rockets	18	1996-97	Active
7.	Memphis Grizzlies	17	1995-96*	2012-13	Includes Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-96 thru 2000-01)
7.	Utah Jazz	17	1974-75*	1991-92
7.	Utah Jazz	17	1997-98	Active
10.	Sacramento Kings	16	1963-64	1980-81	as Cincinnati Royals (1963-64 thru 1971-72), Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-73 thru 1974-75) and Kansas City Kings (1975-76 thru 1980-81)
11.	Portland Trail Blazers	15	1999-00	Active
12.	Dallas Mavericks	14	1987-88	2002-03
12.	Minnesota Timberwolves	14	1989-90*	2003-04
12.	Oklahoma City Thunder	14	1995-96	2010-11	Includes Seattle SuperSonics (1995-96 thru 2007-08)
15.	New Orleans Pelicans	13	2002-03	Active	Includes New Orleans Hornets (2002-03 thru 2004-05, 2007-08 thru 2012-13) and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005-06 thru 2006-07)
15.	Sacramento Kings	13	2001-02	Active
17.	Portland Trail Blazers	12	1976-77	1989-90
18.	Minnesota Timberwolves	11	2003-04	Active
18.	Phoenix Suns	11	1992-93	2004-05
18.	San Antonio Spurs	11	1982-83	1994-95
21.	Oklahoma City Thunder	10	1967-68*	1977-78	as Seattle SuperSonics

Atlanta Hawks and the Longest Time Between Eastern Conference Finals Appearances

	TEAM	SPAN (SEASONS IN BETWEEN)	PREVIOUS CONF. FINALS APP. (OR FIRST SEASON*)	LAST CONF. FINALS APP.	NOTES
1.	Atlanta Hawks	44	1969-70	2014-15	1969-70 Hawks were in Western Div. Finals
2.	Washington Wizards	36	1978-79	Active	Includes Washington Bullets (1978-79 thru 1996-97)
3.	Brooklyn Nets	25	1976-77*	2001-02	as New Jersey Nets
3.	Charlotte Hornets	25	1988-89*	Active	Includes Charlotte Bobcats (2004-05 thru 2013-14)
5.	Detroit Pistons	24	1961-62	1986-87	1961-62 Pistons were in Western Div. Finals
6.	Toronto Raptors	20	1995-96*	Active
7.	New York Knicks	18	1973-74	1992-93
8.	Indiana Pacers	17	1976-77*	1993-94
9.	Cleveland Cavaliers	15	1975-76	1991-92
9.	New York Knicks	15	1952-53	1968-69
9.	New York Knicks	15	1999-00	Active
9.	Philadelphia 76ers	15	1984-85	2000-01
13.	Cleveland Cavaliers	14	1991-92	2006-07
13.	Milwaukee Bucks	14	1985-86	2000-01
13.	Milwaukee Bucks	14	2000-01	Active
13.	Philadelphia 76ers	14	2000-01	Active
17.	Boston Celtics	13	1987-88	2001-02
17.	Chicago Bulls	13	1974-75	1988-89
19.	Brooklyn Nets	12	2002-03	Active	Includes New Jersey Nets (2002-03 thru 2011-12)
19.	Chicago Bulls	12	1997-98	2010-11
19.	Orlando Magic	12	1995-96	2008-09
22.	Detroit Pistons	11	1990-91	2002-03

Summer Olympics Tennis: Roger Federer, Serena Williams and All-Time Singles Gold Medal Winners

Serena Williams Won Her First Singles Gold. Will Roger Federer?

Roger Federer may have 17 tennis majors in his pocket to Rafael Nadal‘s 11, but Nadal has one thing Federer does not, and that’s a singles Olympic gold medal – well, not yet at least.

Federer will be facing off against hometown hero Andy Murray on Sunday at Wimbledon’s Centre Court at 9AM EST in the gold medal match. Later in the day (11 AM EST) Murray will be going for another gold, with partner Laura Robson in the mixed doubles finals. That’s a tough schedule. Makes you hope he wins at least one gold.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams won her first singles gold today, destroying Russia’s Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1. She joins sister Venus as a fellow singles gold medal winner. Tomorrow, the Williams sisters will be going for more gold in the women’s doubles gold medal match at 7AM EST.

Both Federer and Serena (and Venus) Williams have won gold in men’s and women’s doubles, respectively, before.

Tennis has not always been an Olympic sport. In fact, it was only recently reinstated in 1988 after a 64-year self-imposed exile. Tennis was there in the first Olympic Games in 1896 and through 1924, but because the International Olympic Committee had such a strict definition of what an “amateur” was, the International Tennis Federation, a partner in the event, refused to allow the game to be official. Sadly, that meant so many greats – from Jimmy Connors to John McEnroe and Chris Evert to Martina Navratilova – never had the opportunity to vie for a gold medal like the players of today.

Take a look at all the tennis singles gold medal winners below. Note that in 1908 and 1912, there were two separate events, indoor and outdoor tennis, hence the two gold medals.

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MEN

2012	TBD: August 5th Roger Federer (Switzerland)  vs. Andy Murray (Great Britain)
2008	Rafael Nadal	Spain
2004	Nicolás Massú	Chile
2000	Yevgeny Kafelnikov	Russia
1996	Andre Agassi	USA
1992	Marc Rosset	Switzerland
1988	Miloslav Mecír	Czechoslovakia
1924	Vinnie Richards	USA
1920	Louis Raymond	South Africa
1912	André Gobert (Indoor)	France
	Charles Winslow (Outdoor)	South Africa
1908	Arthur Wentworth Gore (Indoor)	Great Britain
	Josiah Ritchie (Outdoor)	Great Britain
1906	Max Décugis	France
1904	Beals Wright	USA
1900	Laurie Doherty	Great Britain
1896	John Pius Boland	Great Britain

WOMEN

2012	Serena Williams	USA
2008	Yelena Dementyeva	Russia
2004	Justine Henin-Hardenne	Belarus
2000	Venus Williams	USA
1996	Lindsay Davenport	USA
1992	Jennifer Capriati	USA
1988	Steffi Graf	West Germany
1924	Helen Wills	USA
1920	Suzanne Lenglen	France
1912	Edith Hannam (Indoor)	Great Britain
	Marguerite Broquedis-Billout (Outdoor)	France
1908	Gladys Eastlake-Smith (Indoor)	Great Britain
	Dorothy Lambert Chambers (Outdoor)	Great Britain
1906	Esme Simiriotis	Greece
1900	Charlotte Cooper	Great Britain

Photo: blog.zap2it.com / nydailynews.com