A closer look at the worst single-game defeats in the careers of 20 of the greatest players in NBA history.
This past weekend, we saw one of the greatest players in NBA history, Stephen Curry, take the worst of his career when the Boston Celtics trounced the Golden State Warriors 140-88. The 52-point loss was by far the largest margin of defeat in the four-time champion’s 15-year career. This led us to dive into the worst losses of the 20 greatest players in NBA history to see how these defeats stack up against one another. From Michael Jordan and LeBron James to Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, this is a rare look into the worst games from NBA superstars of both the past and present.
Former Warriors GM Bob Myers Gets Emotional AfterSpecial Video TributeRead MoreT1. Stephen Curry: -52 Points
Warriors vs. Celtics 88-140 (March 3, 2024)
We start things off with the aforementioned Celtics blowout win over the Warriors this past Sunday. Now, heading into the game, Curry was questionable to play with a knee injury. Like the warrior he is, he suited up and hit the court. Once the game was out of hand and their strategy of letting Jaylen Brown shoot the ball completely backfired, Curry went to the bench having played 16 minutes and scoring just 4 points on 2-13 shooting. Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 56 points on 20-32 shooting to lead the blowout.
T1. Kevin Durant: -52 Points
SuperSonics vs. Nuggets 116-168 (March 16, 2008)
Stephen Curry isn’t the only current superstar to have suffered a 52-point loss in his career. Kevin Durant suffered a familiar fate back in 2008 as a rookie just getting acclimated to the league. As a member of the Seattle SuperSonics in their final season, Durant led a 16-50 team on the road against the 39-20 Denver Nuggets. Durant was decent in the game, scoring 23 points on 8-12 shooting. However, the trio of Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Kenyon Martin could not be stopped, each finishing with 23 points or more.
The Nuggets would also get 74 points from their bench including 19 from both J.R. Smith and Chucky Atkins. Their 168 points in the game are still tied for the ninth-most by a team in NBA history.
T1. Charles Barkley: -52 Points
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Sixers vs. Hornets 84-136 (February 27, 1992)
During his eighth and final season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1991-92, Charles Barkley would also suffer a historic 52-point loss. Sitting 26-30 headed into a matchup with the 19-36 Charlotte Hornets, Barkley and the 76ers laid an egg with the All-Star power forward shooting just 3-10 in 30 minutes of action, finishing with 7 points and 10 rebounds. The bulk of Charlotte’s scoring would come from their bench with Dell Curry leading all scorers with 22 points on 9-13 shooting and Anthony Frederick with 20 points on 9-16 shooting. Barkley and the 76ers would go 35-47 that season, missing the NBA playoffs which ultimately resulted in Barkley’s trade to Phoenix in the offseason.
4. Wilt Chamberlain: -51 Points
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Warriors vs. Celtics 102-153 (March 7, 1962)
The legendary battles between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell will live on forever in the annals of NBA history as some of the greatest competition that game has ever seen. However, on one night in 1962, a 51-point blowout loss likely tipped the scales of the 1962 MVP race when Chamberlain’s Warriors were dealt a beatdown courtesy of Russell’s Celtics. In the game, Russell held Chamberlain to 13-30 shooting from the floor although he would finish with 30 points and 27 rebounds on the night. Russell finished with 21 points and 23 rebounds of his own in the resounding victory.
5. Kobe Bryant: -48 Points
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Lakers vs. Jazz 75-123 (March 28, 2016)
Kobe Bryant’s final season in the NBA in 2015-16 was a forgettable one outside of his 60-point performance in his final game against the Utah Jazz. Just two weeks before that final game, Bryant took the court in Utah one final time where he was handed the worst loss of his career, 123-75 courtesy of the Jazz. Bryant was abysmal in his performance, shooting 1-11 from the floor in 27 minutes of play and finishing with 5 points. For Utah, Rodney Hood led all scorers with 30 points as he shot a scorching 11-13 overall and 8-9 from three.
6. Karl Malone: -46 Points
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Jazz vs. Lakers 67-113 (February 4, 2000)
A few seasons before he joined the Lakers as a free agent, former MVP Karl Malone was dealt the worst loss of his career from the team that was just beginning their ascent to the top of the NBA mountain. In the middle of their 2000 championship season, the Lakers would run the Jazz off the Staples Center floor with a 113-67 win. Malone shot just 5-11 from the floor and finished with 14 points in the loss. Shaquille O’Neal led all scorers in the win with 25 points and 5 blocks while Glen Rice also added 20 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
T7. Michael Jordan: -44 Points
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Wizards vs. Nets 67-111 (January 16, 2002)
When Michael Jordan returned to the NBA in 2001-02 with the Washington Wizards, he was already considered the greatest player that ever lived. On January 16, 2002, against the Nets, his comeback was met with the worst performance and loss of his career, putting a temporary stain on his return. In the game, Jordan would finish with just 10 points on 4-14 shooting as the Nets went on to win big, 111-67. The Nets got a big night from Keith Van Horn who finished with 27 points on 9-13 shooting and 10 points and 12 assists from Jason Kidd.
T7. LeBron James: -44 Points
Lakers vs. 76ers 94-138 (November 27, 2023)
In eerily similar fashion to Michael Jordan, LeBron James also suffered a 44-point loss in his career. Even more unbelievable is the fact that LeBron James’ loss came when he was 38 years and 332 days old. Michael Jordan was just one day older at 38 years and 333 days old. James’ loss came earlier this season at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers who defended their home court proudly. James finished with 18 points and 5 assists but was no match for 61 combined points from Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
The reigning MVP Embiid would also finish with a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the rout of the Lakers.
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Nets vs. Trail Blazers 80-124 (February 26, 2014)
Kevin Garnett often refers to the one season he spent with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 as the most miserable of his career, and he wasn’t lying. During this forgettable season, Garnett and the Nets were handed the worst loss of his career at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. Garnett would see just 14 minutes of playing time as a starter, shooting 2-3 and finishing with 6 points and 7 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Portland got 41 points off the bench from Mo Williams and Will Barton. Combined, they shot 16-26 from the floor and were perfect from the free-throw line. Garnett would be traded the following season back to where it all started with the Minnesota Timberwolves before retiring in 2016.
10. Oscar Robertson: -43 Points
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Royals vs. Bullets 108-151 (March 3, 1965)
In the fast-paced era of the 1960s, it wasn’t abnormal to see a 40-50-point blowout here more often than not. Despite his dominance, Oscar Robertson ended up on the wrong end of many of these games with the Cincinnati Royals in his career. None worse than in 1965 when the Baltimore Bullets handed him a 43-point loss. Robertson played 36 minutes and finished 7-17 shooting for 20 points and 4 rebounds in the loss. Teammate Jerry Lucas also added 20 points while Jack Twyman and Adrian Smith each added 15.
The Bullets were simply more dominant on this night with Walt Bellamy leading the way recording 32 points and 16 rebounds on 15-24 shooting. Don Ohl also added 27 points while Bailey Howell contributed 20.
T11. Shaquille O’Neal: -42 Points
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Heat vs. Bulls 66-108 (October 31, 2006)
The opening night of the 2006-07 season was supposed to be a celebration in South Beach as the Heat were set to receive their franchise’s first set of championship rings following their run in 2006. The Chicago Bulls came in with other plans, shutting down the duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade and spoiling their big night. O’Neal struggled mightily from the floor, going 3-100 for just 7 points and 5 rebounds. O’Neal would go on to have an All-Star season with Miami, averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
T11. Dwyane Wade: -42 Points
Heat vs. Bulls 66-108 (October 31, 2006)
Also suffering the worst loss of his career that night would be O’Neal’s teammate, Dwyane Wade. Fresh off a Finals MVP performance in 2006, Wade opened up the season as seemingly the only member of the Heat to show up on Ring Night. He would finish the contest with 25 points on 10-15 shooting in 34 minutes. The rest of the Heat would shoot just 15-50 from the floor combined. Kirk Hinrich led the blowout for Chicago with 26 points while Chris Duhon added 20 off the bench on 7-8 shooting.
T11. Bill Russell: -42 Points
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Celtics vs. 76ers 96-138 (October 29, 1966)
Just as Bill Russell handed Wilt Chamberlain the worst loss of his career, Chamberlain would return the favor later on in 1967. Russell and the Celtics were coming off their eighth straight NBA title heading into the season. Their first matchup with Philadelphia would not go well with Russell Struggling. He shot just 4-11 from the floor and finished with only 12 points and 19 rebounds. Chamberlain dominated the paint, grabbing 31 rebounds and dishing out 9 assists while scoring just 13 points to lead the Sixers to the win.
Chamberlain and the 76ers would go on to break the Celtics’ championship streak later that season, capturing the NBA title while taking out Boston in the Eastern Division Finals along the way.
T11. Dirk Nowitzki: -42 Points
Mavericks vs. 76ers 74-116 (March 17, 2017)
St. Patrick’s Day 2017 would mark the day that the greatest shooting big man in NBA history would suffer the worst loss of his career. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks were all but eliminated from playoff contention heading into a matchup with the 76ers and by the end, their hopes would be completely gone. Nowitzki tried to keep the Mavericks afloat with 10 points in 18 minutes but 34.5% shooting overall, as well as 52.5% shooting from the Sixers, led to a historic 42-point rout. Nowitzki would retire two seasons later after 21 seasons in the NBA.
T11. Giannis Antetokounmpo: -42 Points
Bucks vs. Heat 95-137 (October 21, 2021)
The Milwaukee Bucks would open up their road schedule for the 2021-22 season against the Miami Heat after eliminating Miami in the playoffs the previous season en route to their first championship since 1971. Coming off a Finals MVP performance, Giannis Antetokounmpo was on top of the world. Miami made sure to send the pressure once play began, never forgetting what he did to them just a few months prior.
Thanks to Miami’s defensive efforts, Giannis finished with just 15 points on 4-11 shooting. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro would combine for 68 points in the beatdown, sending a message to Milwaukee and the rest of the league that there would be no pushovers in 2021-22.
16. Hakeem Olajuwon: -40 Points
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Rockets vs. Trail Blazers 71-111 (March 7, 1999)
Hakeem Olajuwon also joins the list of players who suffered their worst defeat in the latter stages of their careers. Olajuwon’s infamous night would come during his age-36 season in 1998-99 with the Rockets while sharing the floor with both Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen. On this night, Olajuwon led the Rockets with 16 points on 6-10 shooting but J.R. Rider’s 21 points as well as Jim Jackson’s 14 off the bench led Portland to a 40-point victory over Houston.
17. Tim Duncan: -38 Points
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Spurs vs. SuperSonics 67-105 (April 18, 2001)
In a rare occurrence on this list, legendary power forward Tim Duncan had his worst career loss during the prime of his career. It came in an April 2001 meeting with the Seattle SuperSonics. Duncan played just under 20 minutes in the contest as it got out of hand, finishing with 9 points and 4 rebounds on the night. Seattle’s Gary Payton was the best player on the court on this night, leading Seattle to a rout of San Antonio with 31 points and 8 assists on 12-23 shooting. Desmond Mason also added 25 points off the bench for Seattle, going 11-19 from the floor.
18. Allen Iverson: -37 Points
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76ers vs. Pistons 78-115 (December 20, 1997)
Allen Iverson was famous for his explosive scoring performances and handing opponents devastating losses as a result. However, early on in his career in 1997-98, Iverson would receive the worst defeat of his career thanks to the Detroit Pistons. In just his second season, Iverson went just 5-13 on the night shooting the ball in 35 minutes played. He finished with 12 points and finished as a -30. Detroit’s bench dominated the contest, getting 56 points combined from Jerome Williams, Jerry Stackhouse, and Malik Sealy.
19. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: -36 Points
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Bucks vs. Braves 109-145 (February 19, 1974)
In what would be his second to last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, dominant giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would suffer the largest defeat of his career thanks to the Buffalo Braves. In their February meeting, Kareem had a typical night for himself with 38 points and 11 rebounds. However, 1975 MVP Bob McAdoo also stepped up with 36 points while Jack Marin added 20 points off the bench in the blowout victory.
20. Magic Johnson: -28 Points
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Lakers vs. Spurs 109-137 (April 3, 1984)
As incredible as it may seem, legendary point guard Magic Johnson never suffered a 30-point loss in his career. Johnson’s worst defeat came early on in his career in 1983-84 thanks to the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson’s low point came on a night he played 30 minutes and shot just 3-7 from the floor, finishing with 6 points and 10 assists. The Spurs poured in 137 points led by Mike Mitchell’s 28 on 12-20 shooting and George Gervin’s 23 on 9-17 shooting. The loss marked just one of two losses of 25 points or more Johnson would have in his career.
