35-5

With their win over Memphis last night, the Pistons improved their record to 36-5. I'm always on the look-out for teams in any sport that manage to amass a 35-5 record to start the season. The reason for this is my beloved 1984 Detroit Tigers, who set the record for baseball's best record after 40 games at 35-5 en route to a World Series championship. I figured that the Pistons, who have now matched the Tigers' feat and followed it up with another win, would easily have the record for the best start in NBA history. After all, Major League Baseball's regular season is almost twice as long as the NBA's regular season. As it turns out, the best record 40 games into the NBA season is a stunning 37-3, a mark that has been reached by three different teams (da Bulls in 1995-96, The Lakers in 1971-72, and the Sixers in 1966-67). Every NBA that has amassed a record of 35-5 or better at the start of the season has gone on to win the NBA title (so far).