The Pistons are on the cusp of one of the worst—and most difficult—achievements in NBA history. Detroit hasn’t won a game since Oct. 30 and has somehow managed to thrust itself into the conversation of worst NBA team of all time. Of course, there’s some atrocious competition.
The Pistons are currently riding a 20-game losing streak, making them just the 14th team in the history of the association to reach this pit of despair. If they continue to play as poorly as they have, they could very well have the worst losing streak in league history by the new year.
The longest stretch of games an NBA team has gone without winning a game is 28. Perfectly, Detroit has nine games left in the year—making it possible that the team could very well reach it’s 29th straight loss on Dec. 30 against the Raptors. Before that, let’s take a look at its predecessors.
Lon Horwedel/USA TODAY Sports
Here are the five worst losing Streaks in NBA history:
76ers (March 27 to Nov. 29, 2015): 28 Games
These 76ers teams’ losing streak spanned across two seasons. Philadelphia ended the 2014–15 season with 10 losses in a row and started the next campaign with 18 more defeats to boot. The hapless squad would go on to finish the season 10–72 and was awarded the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft for its troubles—selecting Ben Simmons.
Cavaliers (Dec. 20, 2010 to Feb. 9, 2011) and 76ers (Jan. 31 to March 27, 2014): 26 Games
The post-LeBron James era was a dark time for the Cavaliers. Immediately after his departure for Miami, Cleveland couldn’t do anything right on the court and lost 26 games in a row, finishing the year with a 19–63 mark. The franchise was awarded the No. 1 pick, though, selecting Kyrie Irving.
The infamous tanking Philadelphia days seem like a lifetime ago. But for losing 26 games in a row and finishing the season 19–63, the 76ers were able to select Joel Embiid with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft.
Cavaliers (March 19 to Nov. 5, 1982): 24 Games
This losing streak also spanned two seasons, with the Cavaliers ending the 1981–82 season on a 19-game lull. Next year’s squad carried the torch for five more losses in a row and finished the year 23–59.
Grizzlies (Feb. 16 to April 2, 1996), Nuggets (Dec. 9, 1997 to Jan. 23, 1998), Bobcats (March 19 to April 26, 2012): 23 Games
It’s a three-way tie for the No. 4 spot on the not-so coveted list of NBA franchises. The 1995–96 Vancouver Grizzlies ended the year with just 15 wins while the 1997–98 Nuggets finished 11–71.
The infamous 2011–12 Bobcats are widely considered to be the worst team in NBA history. There’s a bit of an asterisk, though. The squad played a shortened season due to the lockout and finished the year 7–59 but are remembered for having the worst winning percentage in any NBA season.
Pistons (March 7 to Oct. 22, 1980): 21
As luck would have it, the Pistons close out the top five with 21-straight losses. This iteration of the franchise started its losing streak during the 1979–80 season with 14 losses in a row and continued that pace for seven more games the very next year.
