The history of the NBA has seen many epic teams like the Chicago Bulls of 1996, the Golden State Warriors of 2016, the Los Angeles Lakers of 2000, etc. But Today we will tell you about the NBA franchise and their worst season ever. Many of these teams were affected by injuries or some other kind of obstacle beyond their control. Some didn’t just put a team on the court that could play a decent basketball game.
Cleveland Cavaliers: 15-67 (1970-71, 1981-82 )
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team to match their worst record more than once in a season. 1970–71 was the first ever season for the Cavaliers, so it is no surprise that they were not up to the mark. They selected eleven players from different teams to form their team. John Johnson was the first All-star player in this franchise’s history. After 1970–71, the next time the Cavaliers matched their 15-win season was in 1981–82. Throughout the season, they didn’t show any good play and lost the last 19 games in a row by the end of the year. There were only two players who tried to keep the team alive: Ron Brewer and Mike Mitchell. When Lenny Wilkens was at the helm, that’s when the team saw a winning period in 1987–88.
Philadelphia 76ers: 9-73 (1972-73)
The Philadelphia 76ers were considered the worst NBA team during 1972–73. The fact that they set the record for most wins in a single season just six seasons prior to their biggest failure amazes many basketball fans. The team went on a 20-game losing streak and lost 15 games during that year, which included a period when they lost 34 of 35 games. Because of the 9-73 finish, the media even named them “Philadelphia 9-73ers”. The team had players with great averages that year but still failed to give a good performance. It took two years for the 76ers to make a comeback, and they ended the 1975–76 season with a record of 46–36.
Atlanta Hawks: 13-69 (2004-05)
The 2004-05 Atlanta Hawks were already not having a great season, but it turned into something worse than anyone would have expected. The team was not very good from the start and posted a 2-12 record in the month of November. As the season progressed, things got worse for them. At first, they acquired Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Al Harrington, and Kenny Amdreson. Walker was the leading scorer for them, but soon he was sent back to the Celtics, and Kenny was released. The Hawks finished the season by losing 32 of their final 35 games.
Brooklyn Nets: 12-70 (2009-10)
During the 2009-10 season, the Brooklyn Nets had the worst franchise record. The team included players such as Brook Lopez, Rafer Alston, and Devin Harris. That year, the Brooklyn Nets lost the first 18 games of the season and became the first team in NBA history to create this record. They lost 28 of their first 30 games, which turned into 40 of their first 43 games. They registered their first win in a long time on December 4. The team’s head coach, Lawrence Frank, was fired after only 16 games as the Nets started the season without wins. Kiki Vandeweghe and Dale Harris were the new coaches of the team, but the results remained roughly the same. The team failed to register even one win against 20 out of 29 franchises that season. In 2006, the Nets doubled their win record to 24-58 but did not win again until the 2012-13 season.
Golden State Warriors: 12-57 (1952-53)
1952–53 was the worst season for this franchise. The team’s owner, coach, and general manager positions were all held by the same person, Edward Gottlieb, and he did not do his job well during the 1952–53 season. The season in 1953 was only 69 games long. During the season, the team suffered four separate losing streaks of 10 games or more. Neil Johnston was the only star of the team and finished the year with an average of 22.3 and 13.9. The other three players with good averages were Joe Folks, Andy Philips, and Danny Finn. They won 29 games in the next season and achieved their next winning season in 1955–56 after the arrival of Paul Arizzin.
Los Angeles Lakers : 17-65 (2015-16)
The last game of Kobe Bryant’s career was in 2016. Everyone gave a huge farewell to one of the greatest basketball players in history. One thing very few people know is that his departure came amid the worst season in the Lakers history. That season, this franchise had the worst offence and finished last in the offensive rating. Kobe played 66 games that year and had an average of 17.6. Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams also had double-digit averages, but the team still finished that season 17-65. After three seasons, the Lakers were completely rebuilt when they signed LeBron James and nabbed Anthony Davis in a trade a year later. Under the leadership of these two players, the team won the NBA championship in 2020.
Miami Heat :15-67 (1988-89 ,2007-08)
The Miami Heat have also equaled their worst franchise record twice in history. 1988-89 was the inaugural season for this franchise, so it would be obvious if a team didn’t have a good year. They started the season 0-17, which could be a nightmare for any team. The Miami Heat were coached by Ron Rothstein in their debut season, and their leading scorers were Kevin Edwards and Rory Sparrow, who had averages of 13.8 and 12.5, respectively. The 2007-08 Miami Heat were just two years away from winning the NBA Championship, yet they found themselves at the bottom in 2008. The team secured only eight wins in the first two months of the season. The MVP of the 2006 Finals, Dwayne Wade, struggled with injuries throughout the season and missed the final 21 games of the season. Wade was the team’s leading scorer in the 51 games he played, but he watched the team fall down while standing for the rest of the game.
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