The NBA Just Set the Wrong Kind of Record, and It Exposes a Bigger Problem
The NBA spent the better part of the last year trying to get ahead of a growing perception problem, one that strikes at the core of competitive integrity.
Tanking, long an open secret around the league, became more blatant, more widespread, and harder to ignore. Commissioner Adam Silver has publicly vowed to put a "full stop" to it, with the league exploring draft lottery reforms, financial penalties, and structural changes aimed at discouraging teams from losing on purpose.
But just as those conversations were gaining momentum, the 2025–26 season delivered a statistic that may force the issue into overdrive.
For the first time in league history, eight teams finished with 55 or more losses, an unprecedented concentration of losing that includes the Wizards (17-65), Pacers (19-63), Nets (20-62), Jazz (22-60), Kings (22-60), Grizzlies (25-57), Mavericks (26-56), and Pelicans (26-56).
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According to recent reporting, nearly a third of the league effectively embraced losing down the stretch, often deploying weakened lineups to improve draft positioning.
This wasn't subtle tanking, it was systemic.
The six worst teams alone posted a combined .187 win percentage after the All-Star break, routinely getting blown out in games that barely resembled NBA-level competition.
What’s even worse is that this surge in losing coincides with a period where the NBA is already navigating issues with viewership.
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NBA games were reportedly averaging around 1.8 million viewers across major partners heading into the 2026 NBA All-Star break, up roughly 16% year-over-year, thanks to expanded broadcast distribution.
But dig deeper, and the picture becomes more fragmented.
Certain marquee windows, like ABC's Saturday primetime slate, are down 21% and coming off its least-watched season since 2016, signaling inconsistency in audience engagement.
Meanwhile, recent seasons have seen dips in traditional TV ratings, including reported declines of around 5% at the midway point in the 2025-26 season, and broader long-term erosion compared to past decades.
At the same time, the league is expanding onto streaming (Amazon Prime Video, Peacock) and digital channels, where viewership and engagement are surging, while social media alone generated 30B+ views by November 2025.
However, while total reach is expanding due to streaming and new media deals, engagement is becoming more selective.
Fans are tuning in for stars, storylines, and meaningful games, not mid-March matchups between two teams actively trying to lose.
And when that happens across nearly a third of the league, it stops being isolated and becomes a league-wide identity issue.
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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 10:20 AM.