The Brooklyn Nets have 10 wins through their first 20 games of the 2019-20 season, placing them seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. A .500 start isn’t exactly earthshattering for the Nets. Some might even consider 10-10 a disappointment.
Ten years ago, Nets fans would’ve been plenty happy with a 10-10 start. Ten years ago, the Nets were the worst team in the NBA — and Monday marked the anniversary of the record they set in 2009-10.
Prior to 2009-10, two teams had lost 17 consecutive games to start a season in the history of the NBA: the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1998-99 Los Angeles Clippers (lockout season).
Twenty-one seasons after the Heat set their record, the New Jersey Nets broke it on December 2, 2009 when they lost their 18th game in a row in a 117-101 finish against the Dallas Mavericks.
On that December night in New Jersey, Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points for the Mavs and ex-Nets point guard Jason Kidd scored 16, had 10 assists, grabbed eight rebounds and finished with five steals.
For New Jersey, Chris Douglas-Roberts led with 24 points. Devin Harris had 17 and Brooke Lopez scored 16.
The Nets would snap their losing streak with a 97-91 win over the Charlotte Bobcats two nights later.
New Jersey would finish 2009-10 with a 12-70 record, the worst finish in franchise history.
Six years later, the Philadelphia 76ers would tie the Nets for the worst start to a season in NBA history.