Detroit Now Has The Longest Single-Season Losing Streaks In NBA And NFL History

A 118-112 defeat at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night meant the Detroit Pistons set the new record for most consecutive losses in a single season with 27. The city of Detroit now has the misfortune of being the only one to have teams with the longest single-season losing streaks in NBA and NFL history.

In 2008, the Detroit Lions became the first team ever to go 0-16 in an NFL season. It was just the second time that a team had gone winless since the NFL-AFL merger, after the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were an expansion team. The NFL season was just 14 games long at the time, though, which meant the Bucs only went 0-14.

The Lions soon got some company, however, as the 2017 Cleveland Browns also went 0-16. The reason I mention that, is because the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers had set the previous NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season with 26. So, Cleveland had held both of these records for a few years, but they are now finally off the hook for one of them.

The Pistons Might Cause Detroit To Have Another Unwanted Distinction

The 2023-24 Pistons have the worst winning percentage in NBA history at this point, at 6.7%. The current lowest for a completed season was set by the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who went 7-59 (10.6%).

If the Pistons don't manage to win more than eight games this season, they will set a new record and it would leave Detroit with quite an unwanted distinction. The Lions in the NFL, the Detroit Tigers in the MLB, and the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL currently hold the record for worst winning percentage in a season in the 21st century in their leagues.

The Tigers went 43-119 in 2003, for a winning percentage of just 26.5%. The Red Wings then had a 17-49-5 record in 2019-20, for a winning percentage of 23.9%. I already mentioned the 2008 Lions and the Pistons could end up completing the set in 2024. For the sake of Detroit sports fans, I hope it doesn't happen.

The Pistons Are Two Losses Away From Setting The New Record For Most Consecutive Losses

While the Pistons have now set the new single-season record, they can still avoid setting the new record for most consecutive losses in NBA history. The Philadelphia 76ers hold that record, having lost 28 games in a row from the end of the 2014-15 season to the start of the 2015-16 one.

You never say never, but I don't see how the Pistons don't end up tying the record, as they face the Boston Celtics next on Thursday night. After that, though, they get to play the Toronto Raptors at home on Saturday, and that looks like a winnable game.

The Raptors have started 3-9 on the road this season and would be on the second night of a road back-to-back, as they play the Celtics in Boston the night before. You couldn't ask for much more to finally end that losing run, but we had said the same about the Pistons' clash with the Utah Jazz earlier this month. 

The Jazz were on the second night of a road back-to-back when they played the Pistons on December 21. Utah was also severely undermanned, as Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, and Talen Horton-Tucker were all out.

They still somehow managed to beat the Pistons 119-111, though. That was the 25th straight loss for the Pistons and led to fans chanting "Sell the team". I can't imagine how bad things might potentially be if they do end up setting the new record in front of their fans on Saturday.