T3. Philadelphia 76ers (2013-14) - 26 games
As the Philadelphia 76ers embraced the tank, the 2013-14 team would go on to lose 26 straight games. During that season, the Sixers would win just 19 games and would finish with the second-best odds to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. At the NBA Draft Lottery, the Sixers would drop one spot and enter the draft with the No. 3 overall pick. Part of winning just 19 games that season, the Sixers were awarded the opportunity to draft Joel Embiid at the draft; Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker were the first two players selected.
After such a miserable season, in retrospect, the Sixers would go on to select the best player from that 2014 draft class. Whether you believed in the idea of intentionally gutting a roster in favor of losing as many games as possible, it worked at least originally for the Sixers.
If Philadelphia doesn't embrace the tanking, they probably wouldn't have end up with Embiid. And if they don't end up with Embiid, they probably aren't in as good of a position as they are heading into this season.