5 longest losing streaks ever in NBA history 

The 2023-24 NBA season features several talented teams, but not all are doing well. The rebuilding Detroit Pistons, especially, have been struggling heavily to get in the win column. Despite hiring a proven coach in Monty Williams and boasting a plethora of blue-chip prospects, Detroit went winless in November.

Led by 2021's No.1 pick, Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are off to a 2-16 start. They are on a 16-game losing streak. The Pistons could be on track to make it among the five teams with longest losing streaks in NBA history at this rate.

They have already been there twice. The Pistons had a losing streak of 21 games in 1979-80 and 1980-81, tied for the fifth-longest losing streak. Here's a look at the full list, featuring five teams with the longest losing streaks in NBA history.

#5 Detroit Pistons: 1979-80 & 80/81, 21 Games

Injuries and a disgruntled superstar led to this disaster of a stretch for the Pistons. Mired in mediocrity during the late 70s, Bob Lanier asked for a trade during the 1979-80 season and the Pistons got next to nothing in exchange. Further, injuries to Bob McAdoo and John Long in the 2nd half of the season badly derailed the Pistons.

They started off poorly and were 14-37 and another sub-par season seemed insights. Instead, things got much worse. From that point onwards, Detroit went 2-29 which included a 13 and a 14-game losing streak to end a campaign in which they finished 16-66. They wouldn't be much better the following season either and a 7 game losing streak to start the season combined with the 14 game losing run meant they set the then NBA record for the longest losing streak.

They finally ended the streak with a 112-109 win over the Rockets. Pistons fans wouldn't suffer for long, however, as in the 1981 NBA draft, they drafted Isiah Thomas which marked the beginning of the Bad Boys era and the most successful run in franchise history.

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