’73 Sixers Clinging on to Loss Record

According to the irrepressible Fred “Mad Dog” Carter, you gotta take pride in your shame. Or something: “In 1972-73, Carter was the leading scorer for the fantastically awful Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 20 points, his best season to that point. The 76ers went 9-73, which stands as the worst record in N.B.A. history. The mark is in mortal danger. The Nets — a hapless team trapped between eras, abandoned by fans and its own management — have won just three times in 39 games, for a sickly winning percentage of .077. They are on pace for six victories. They are threatening to steal Carter’s perverse sense of pride. ‘It’s our record,’ Carter insisted in a recent telephone interview. ‘And we earned it, one way or the other.’ The record has survived two serious assaults. The Dallas Mavericks went 9-71 before winning their final two games in 1993. The 1997-98 Denver Nuggets got their 10th win in their 77th game and also finished 11-71.”