Top 10 worst starts in NBA history — spoiler alert, it’s a Sixers-heavy list

The 76ers’ dreadful 3-12 start to the NBA season has been rife with injury and instability. Joel Embiid and Paul George are on an injury management plan, Tyrese Maxey missed substantial time for a hamstring issue, and their vaunted role players have struggled to step into increased roles.

That said, the facts are the facts, and the circumstances of the 2024-25 season won’t change the fact that this will go down as one of the worst starts in Sixers franchise history. With those many struggles in mind, The Inquirer decided to take a glimpse back at some of the worst starts in NBA history at large. Spoiler alert: It’s a Sixers heavy list.

The 2002-03 Memphis Grizzlies had an impressive roster and a coach who is a national treasure. But sometimes things don’t line up at the right time. So despite having Shane Battier, Jayson Williams, Pau Gasol, and Mike Miller, they were 0-13 out the game and finished the season 28-54. Battier, Gasol and Miller would walk away with a lesson and go on to win titles with other franchises.

There aren’t many photos of this franchise, but Kenny Sailors, pictured here as part of his obit, averaged 17.3 points despite his team’s struggles in the National Basketball League. The original Denver Nuggets eventually folded into the Basketball Association of America, which still has six teams in operation.

These Cavaliers were 15-67 and did not make the playoffs in their first year as an expansion franchise. This conclusion was made easier to see by their 0-15 start.

The 1972-73 Sixers still hold a piece of history. They hold the worst record in NBA history over 82 games at 9-73. Their .110 win percentage is still only topped by the Charlotte Bobcats, who landed at 7-53 (.106) in a shortened season. These Sixers are farther down the list than one would expect given their final record.

The Los Angeles Clippers are known as a downtrodden franchise, and it should be no surprise that this is not their only appearance on the list. They started the year 0-16 with a roster that devoid of talent. Led by Loy Vaught and Pooh Richardson, they weren’t going to get far.

The Miami Heat started their 1988-89 season with an 0-17 record. And the hits just kept coming. By the end of the season, the Heat had a 15-67 record. All was not lost, however. That tough season helped them land Michigan star Glen Rice in the 1989 NBA draft.

Starting the season with an 0-17 record is damning no matter the circumstance. But it was particularly devastating for the Clippers during a lockout-shortened season. The Clippers finished that year with a 9-41 record, picking nearly 50% of their record before ever winning a game.

The Process years were rough, man. That much is clear by the recent comments of Michael Carter-Williams, one of the players who endured the Sixers' 0-17 schedule before being shipped to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. Williams recently revealed that it hurt when he was shipped. That moment served as confirmation that he was not part of The Process, even though he had the scars to show it.

Brook Lopez found a second lease on life with the Milwaukee Bucks as a deep shooter on a title team. He won an NBA championship in 2001 as a key cog and continues to serve an important role in his 17th season. But before he could reach this stage, Lopez had to trudge through lean years with the New Jersey Nets. Back then he was a second-year player as his team got off to an 0-18 start and finished the season at only 12-70.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to find a team from The Process era topping this list. The 2015-16 team was a shoo-in after creating a bit of dubious history, with their 0-18 record tying the worst start in NBA history. Of course, that was actually a 28-game losing streak dating back to the 2014-15 season. Prolific in the loss column, the franchise would finish 10-72.