The 2023-24 NBA season officially tipped off Tuesday night featuring four of the top championship contenders. After receiving their 2023 NBA championship rings, the Denver Nuggets continued their dominance over their Western Conference Finals foes Los Angeles Lakers with a 119-107 win. The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, spoiled the Golden State Warriors debut of their former star point guard Chris Paul with a 108-104 win as Kevin Durant played his first game back at The Bay Area since departing in 2019.

Those four squads, along with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the two best odds to win the 2024 NBA championship, represent the six teams with the best and most realistic chances to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy next June. Nonetheless, there are always teams on the outside looking in who always have a shot to win it all should everything go their way in the postseason. Throughout the course of NBA history, a number of unlikely championship teams have emerged and made special runs to the Finals. The 2019 Toronto Raptors, 2011 Dallas Mavericks, and 2004 Detroit Pistons come to mind.

All the championship spotlight is on the super six teams — Nuggets, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, Lakers, and Warriors. But it wouldn't be smart to count out these three teams in the title hunt. Led by the Los Angeles Clippers, here are three dark horse NBA championship contenders that nobody is really talking about.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers' luster has finally worn off. They have always been within the top-tier contenders group since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George arrived in the summer of 2019. But after another early round playoff exit due to injuries to their two stars, the Clippers are no longer part of that elite group.

One of the main hallmarks of a championship team is health. Both Leonard and George just haven't been able to stay healthy together throughout the course of a playoff run over the last three years, which has derailed the Clippers' chances to win their first-ever NBA title.

In 2021, the Clippers made the Western Conference Finals, but they were without Leonard, who tore his ACL in their conference semi-finals matchup versus the Utah Jazz.  They missed the postseason in 2022 due to Leonard sitting out the entire campaign while recovering from a torn right ACL, while PG played just 31 games due to various injuries.

In Los Angeles' 2023 playoff run, Leonard missed the Clippers' final three games after tearing his meniscus in Game 2, while George was already ruled out due to a knee sprain.

The Leonard-George era has not gone as planned for the Clippers. Each failed campaign is slowly pulling their championship window down to the point where it is nearly shut. Nonetheless, it's hard to count out a team with two two-way stars, who, when healthy, could still be the best tandem in the NBA. The Clippers also have a pretty solid cast surrounding their two stars, not to mention a championship-caliber coach in Tyronn Lue.

A lot of things need to go right for the Clips to finally bring a championship to their side of Los Angeles, and that begins with the availability of Leonard and George. Perhaps the Clippers may even need to pull off a trade or two. If those two can stay healthy throughout the course of a playoff run, the Clippers should be dark horse contenders to win the 2024 NBA championship.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the season tied with the Memphis Grizzlies with the seventh-best odds (+2400) to win the 2024 NBA championship. Despite a disappointing first round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Knicks following a 51-win regular season, the Cavaliers are still strong contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland had a strong offseason that kicked off with the signing of Georges Niang, Max Strus, and Ty Jerome to address some weaknesses such as  perimeter shooting and bench playmaking. They also brought back big man and 2016 NBA champion Tristan Thompson, the only other 30-plus year old apart from Niang, to bring a veteran presence to this young squad.

The Cavaliers also struck gold in the 2023 NBA Draft by taking Emoni Bates, who had a strong Las Vegas Summer League stint. Taken 49th overall, Bates helped lead Cleveland to the Summer League crown while averaging 17.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.

While the offseason additions were great, Cleveland's championship chances still largely hinge on its core led by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. The Cavaliers are one of the few teams that trot out two big men in their starting lineup. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have proven to be a fearsome defensive tandem for the Cavs.

Though the Mitchell-Garland backcourt tandem spearheads the team, Mobley's growth and development this season will determine if Cleveland is a dark horse contender. If the 2021 No. 3 overall pick is able to take a massive leap in Year 3, the Cavaliers should be a team to be reckoned with this season.

Philadelphia 76ers

Dealing with adversity even before the start of the season is never ideal for teams looking to contend for a championship. With the James Harden saga still clouding the franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers' chances to win a title are murky at best. Harden's time in Philly is all but over. But the Sixers should still get a decent return for Harden and we know Daryl Morey won't settle for anything less.

Nonetheless, Harden's departure should give Tyrese Maxey a huge opportunity to step into a bigger role as the No. 2 option beside Embiid. Maxey will need to make a magnanimous jump — potentially to All-Star level — if the Sixers still want to remain competitive for a title.

The East is a two-way race between Boston and Milwaukee as the two real contenders. The Sixers are on a tier below and now more so because of this Harden dilemma.

Like the Clippers, NBA fans must be tired of placing any kind of championship stock on the Sixers — and for good reason. Philadelphia has failed to make it past the second round in the Joel Embiid era. Each exit has been as disappointing as the next considering the Sixers, on paper, have had the personnel and star power to compete and at least make an Eastern Conference Finals run.

Still, anything can happen in the NBA. Embiid is still the reigning MVP. Though the track record shows his level of play has dropped in the postseason, one special playoff run could turn it all around.

A lot of things must go right for the Sixers if they want to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy next June. Nonetheless, as long as a special talent like Embiid is on the team, Philadelphia should remain a dark horse NBA championship contender.