The Philadelphia 76ers tied a franchise-worst 20 straight losses on Saturday after dropping a 103-77 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies, putting the team within striking distance of the Milwaukee Bucks for the worst record in the league.
Still, head coach Brett Brown offered a different perspective to what has been a lousy season for the 76ers.
"This is not slit-your-wrist time. This is not even close to that," Brown told USA Today. "This is about building a program and understanding the short-term pain for a lot of long-term gain. That's my vision. That's how I approach it."
The franchise also lost 20 straight outings from January 9 to February 11, 1973 during a season where they notched just nine wins. In the 2010-11 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers set the NBA record for consecutive losses with 26.
After starting the season with three straight wins including an upset of the defending champions Miami Heat, the 76ers have played so poorly. Their last win was on January 29 against the Boston Celtics. Their last home win was on January 15.
Brown, however, maintained that the rebuilding program of the Sixers will mean seasons like this. The 53-year-old coach was part of three NBA championship teams with the San Antonio Spurs. And while he is familiar with winning during his time with the Spurs, he seems not perturbed at all by the losing in Philadelphia.
"I've been asked by so many people, 'Why would you take the job and screw up your coaching percentage?'" he said. "As if I care about that. I knew what I was getting in to."
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