The Detroit Pistons will knock on the door of historic ineptitude Tuesday night. Losers of 26 straight games, the Pistons are one loss away from having their name etched in record books as the sole owners of the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. Detroit will take its last swing at preventing infamy as it hosts the Brooklyn Nets at Little Caesars Arena, mere miles from where the franchise hoisted Larry O’Brien trophies in three straight decades. While those tough-nosed teams earned the right to be circled on opponents’ calendars, the 2023-24 Pistons’ calendar has looked far different — the team hasn’t won a game since Oct. 28.
But Detroit hasn’t been an innovator of incredible incompetence. With tonight’s loss, they would join a pantheon of legendary losers from around the world. Here are the longest losing streaks in sports history. Take solace, Pistons faithful, bigger losers have been here before.
NFL: Chicago Cardinals, 29 games If 27 basketball games in an 82-game schedule sounds bad, then how about 29 football games in an era of 10-game schedules? Before the AFL-NFL merger, the Chicago Cardinals started the 1942 season 3-2 when they fell to the Cleveland Rams in Week 6. Philadelphia Eagles legend Steve Van Buren scores against the Chicago “.