The Longest Losing Streaks in NBA History: A Complete Ranking

Critical Consensus: Ranking the Longest NBA Losing Streaks

This critical consensus table show cases the ranking of teams based on the number of games in which the consecutive losses occured, in one or multiple seasons. 

SportsBoom MetaScale: Ranking the Longest NBA Losing Streaks

MetaScale calculation is a cumulative score of each of the following metrics. Each team’s MetaScale score is presented in the table below.

• Games Lost (50%): Weighted based on the total number of games lost during the streak.
• Season Context (30%): Points awarded based on whether the streak was contained to one season or spanned across multiple seasons.
• Impact on Team Performance (20%): Evaluation of the team's performance before and after the streak.

1. Detroit Pistons (2023-24) – 28 Games

The 2023/24 season was a terrible season for the Detroit Pistons, following a brutal stretch of losses (28) that stand out as the most in NBA history. The season began in a typical challenging feat that would later develop into a non-redeemable record. 

The Pistons was marred by consistency issues in both defense and offense. Among other most evident issues were an inexperienced roster, injuries, and poor closing of games. They had a share of promising, youthful players like Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham, yet they faced a tough time establishing a winning strategy. 

The 28 game-losing streak is the longest single-season losing streak in the history of NBA; not even franchises that have struggled significantly have made such a devastating, losing stretch. Although the Pistons finally waded themselves out of the muddy, losing skid, the damage was irreversible and the season remains the worst for the Detroit players and fan community. 

2. Philadelphia 76ers (2014-15 and 2015/2016) – 28 Games

The Philadelphia 76ers of the 2014/2015 season suffered the same fate as the 2023/2024 Detroit Pistons, losing 28 games. However, theirs was different because the loss happened in two different, but consecutive seasons. At the time, the 76ers were in a rebuild process that anchored attention toward the future of the team, as opposed to their present. 

The then-general Manager Sam Hinkie, in his ‘misplaced’ endeavors, established a roster that barely reflected talent. The team’s front office invested more on building young players and gathering draft assets, which ultimately led to an ill-equipped roster. The only thing the precisely-built roster delivered were consecutive losses that sparked critical debates and high-level scrutiny among analysts and fans. 

When the drought elapsed, the damage was extensive and the team’s misplaced priority of deliberately fronting a subpar squad became the subject for debate. However, all was not lost in the high-value draft picks made at the time; later in the years, star players like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (though he was traded to Brooklyn Nets), proved significant to the team’s future progress. 

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-11) – 26 Games

The departure of Lebron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers offset the team, throwing them into a frustrating loss of 26 consecutive games in the 2010-2011 season. Lebron was the team’s pillar and during his tenure, the Cavaliers were perennial contenders. The lack of a superstar identity crumbled the entire franchise, transforming it into an afterthought on the league’s standings. 

Moreover, injuries to major players such as Anderson Varejão worsened the team’s challenges and an inexperienced J.J Hickson and an aging Antawn Jamison became the new cornerstones. Therefore, the Cavaliers lost traction and direction. They were unable to achieve offensive milestones or close out games. 

The 26-game losing streak highlighted Lebron James’ invaluable input at the Cavaliers and his absence unmasked the team’s deficiencies and loopholes. The victories that the team secured after the streak experience were insufficient to save Cleveland from its sorry state at the bottom of the standings for the remaining part of the season. The franchise’s resurgence came later on, with the drafting of Kyrie Irving. 

4. Philadelphia 76ers (2013-14) – 26 Games

The 2013/2014 season saw another tanking of the 76ers, following a 26-game losing streak that was majorly rooted in the front office poor roster strategies. In the pursuit of long-standing success, the team clustered its roster with temporary place holders and unestablished talent. The 76ers had placed much hope on the then rookies, Nerlens Noel and Mike Carter-Williams, who were expected to make turnaround performances amidst a losing crisis.

Opponents leveraged on the 76ers’ visible struggles and counted on their inexperienced roster. Intentional rebuilding tactics proved inefficient and detrimental to the game’s integrity. Unfortunately, the damaging defeat did not deter the 76er’s leadership from digressing, even a bit, from its original plan of accumulating draft assets as opposed to building victories. 

Although a foundation for future success had been grounded through the thoughtful draft picks, the frustration-filled season remains a historical account that cannot be erased. 

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (1981-82) – 24 Games

Cleveland Cavaliers endured darkness in the 1987/82 season, after recording one of the worst record in the franchise’s history. The team’s 24-game losing streak emanated a non-cohesive and low-talented roster. The Cavaliers was unsettled on head coaches and would interchange them effortlessly. Further struggles were exacerbated by front-office shake-ups that extended to both on-and off-court operations. 

The lack of a star to anchor the team exposed the team’s poor roster formation. While the opponents boasted of superior stars and adequately-equipped players, the Cavaliers could not maintain consistent offensive productions and defensive strategies. Ultimately, the team was destined to lose but making more than 24 losses in a row was unfathomable. 

By the time the team interrupted the streak, the burden had proven unbearable, with the players exhibiting a demoralized atmosphere and the fans registering frustrations. The only notable record the team was able to maintain that season was that of the longest losing streak. 

6. Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-96) – 23 Games

In the 1995-1996 season, the Vancouver Grizzlies (currently the Memphis Grizzlies) had a frustrating inaugural season, after joining the NBA as an expansion team. Being in the league for the first time, the Grizzlies were expected to have a challenging season but the long skid of losses was unanticipated. A myriad of issues led the team to the dismal record, amongst them being an inexperienced roster and poor chemistry.

Compared to their competitors, the Grizzlies started on a clean sheet, since they did not have prior foundation on which to anchor their game. They had to withstand the poor performance of their young, inexperienced talent, besides managing a roster filled with cast-off players. The losing streak was a brutal initiation into the NBA, proving the struggles associated a new franchise seeking to thrive in the league. 

7. Denver Nuggets (1997-98) –23 Games

The Denver Nuggets’ 1997/1998 season was one of the most heartbreaking in the franchise’s history, owing to their 23-game losing streak. The team had dispensed some of its key players and was heavily reliant on a wanting, under-experienced roster. The rebuild process was not paying off as expected–instead, it was driving the team downhill. On-court leadership was ineffective, as it would not execute its tasks competently. 

Ultimately, the Nuggets became sterile in the court and would simply not compete with their opponents. As they struggled to re-calibrate their future, loses were raining heavily on the team. A row of defeats turned the team into a mediocre and it took them a couple of seasons to paddle through the losses. 

8. Charlotte Bobcats (2011-12) – 23 Games

In the 2011/2012 campaign, the Charlotte Bobcats (presently the Charlotte Hornets), posted their worst record (7-59) in NBA history, following consecutive losses in 23 games. In this season, the Bobcats showcased poor competitiveness and lacked a superstar privilege. They heavily relied on Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker, who in the end became overpowered by the load. 

Due to limited talent and an inexperienced roster, the Bobcats succumbed to every contest in 23 games in a row. They could not contain their opponents and equally couldn’t cope with their offensive incapability, making it difficult to score. Generally, the Bobcats were a poorly structured team that delivered one of the worst seasons in NBA history. 

Not long after, the franchise rebranded to the Hornets, and in a bid to redeem their reputation, they established a more solid team by building a formidable roster. 

9. Detroit Pistons (1979-80) – 21 Games

The Detroit Pistons of the 1979/80 season suffered a humiliating 21-game losing streak that badly exposed their struggles and inefficiencies. At the time, the Pistons were in a rebuilding phase hence they were directionless. With an underperforming roster, the Pistons were not making even the slightest move to secure wins. Both offense and defense struggles were just making the situation worse, which left the franchise leadership and fans looking for concrete answers.

Due to the losing streak, the Pistons closed the season with an embarrassing 16-66 record, making it one of their lowest campaign in NBA history. In the latter years, the Pistons were able to restore their glory after restructuring their acquisitions.