FOLLOWING A SIX-POINT loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Detroit Pistons had just set the all-time mark for consecutive losses in a single season in NBA history, dropping 27 in a row. It was Dec. 26, 2023. Inside the locker room, the mood was somber and quiet -- apathy a constant threat to seep into a season well on pace to becoming the worst in NBA history. Cade Cunningham, the team's 22-year-old cornerstone, spoke first.
"Don't jump off the boat," he said. " Right now is the easiest time to stand off and be on your own, but we need to continue to lean on each other and continue to push each other and hold each other accountable more than ever now.