The Detroit Pistons achieved a historic feat on Tuesday night, setting a new NBA record with their 118-112 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
This marked the 27th consecutive defeat for the Pistons in the current season, triggering passionate “sell the team” chants from disappointed fans at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons’ last victory came on Oct. 28 against the Chicago Bulls, making it their second win in the first three games of the 2023-24 campaign. However, this triumph occurred nearly two months ago, predating the conclusion of the World Series and the commencement of the college basketball season.
The team’s prolonged losing streak stands among the most severe in American professional sports, surpassing records in MLB, the NHL, the WNBA, and the post-merger NFL. Only in college football (Northwestern’s 34 consecutive losses from 1979-82) and women’s college basketball (Chicago State’s 59 straight losses from 2016-18) have worse streaks been recorded.
Although the situation in Detroit is grim, the Pistons have not yet reached the NBA’s all-time losing streak record, held by the Philadelphia 76ers, who endured a 28-game losing streak over two seasons. This occurred when the team closed the 2014-15 season with 10 consecutive losses and then started the next season with 18 straight defeats.
To read more stories like this, click sports.