10 Longest losing streaks in NBA history
The Detroit Pistons' losing streak has reached 28 games. With one more loss - they host the Toronto Raptors tonight (Dec. 30) - they'll set the record for the longest run of consecutive failures in NBA history.
But how long do the league's most epic losing streaks last? And do the Portland Trail Blazers find an unfortunate spot on the list?
The 10 Longest losing streaks in NBA history
The only other team to lose 28 straight games was The Process Philadelphia 76ers, but even a team losing on purpose needed to drop games across the 2014-15 and '15-16 seasons. The Sixers again and a pair of Cleveland Cavaliers teams, including the one left barren after LeBron James' Decision to join the Miami Heat, join the Pistons atop the list of longest losing streaks in NBA history.
Here are the top 10:
- 10. 2014-2016 Philadelphia 76ers: 28 games
- 9. 2023-24 Detroit Pistons: 28 games
- 8. 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers: 26 games
- 7. 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers: 26 games
- 6. 1980-82 Cleveland Cavaliers: 24 games
- 5. 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies: 23 games
- 4. 1997-98 Denver Nuggets: 23 games
- 3. 2011-13 Charlotte Bobcats: 23 games
- 2. 1979-81 Detroit Pistons: 21 games
- 1. 5 teams tied with 20-game losing streaks: 1973 Philadelphia 76ers; 1984-86 New York Knicks; 1993 Dallas Mavericks; 1993-95 LA Clippers; 2020-22 Houston Rockets
What is the longest losing streak in Portland Trail Blazers history?
The longest losing streak in Blazers history isn't so bad: 14 games between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
The more embarrassing futility record for Portland is that the franchise owns two of the top 10 longest playoff losing streaks in NBA history. The Trail Blazers lost 10 straight postseason games on two different occasions: across four seasons from 2015-16 to 2018-19 and three seasons from 1999-00 to 2002-03.
manual