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Detroit Pistons

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Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
Founded 1941 in the NBL (Joined the NBA in 1948)
Arena The Palace of Auburn Hills
Team History Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons
(1941-1957)
Detroit Pistons
(1957-present)
Team Colors Red, White and Blue
Championships NBL: 2 (1944, 1945)
NBA: 3 (1989, 1990, 2004)
Conference Championships 5 (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005)
Division Titles NBL: 4 (1943, 1944, 1945, 1946)

NBA: 7 (1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005)

Owner William Davidson
Head Coach Flip Saunders
Mascot Hooper

The Detroit Pistons are a National Basketball Association team based in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area.


Franchise history

The franchise was founded in 1941 in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Fred Zollner, owner of a General Motors subsidiary that manufactured piston parts. Lead by star forward George Yardley, the Fort Wayne Pistons were a popular franchise and appeared in the NBA Finals in 1954 and 1955, losing both times. In 1957, Zollner moved the team to Detroit, a much larger city that did not have an NBA franchise; the Detroit Gems had folded after one season of existence. The new Detroit Pistons played in Olympia Stadium (home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings at the time) for their first four seasons, then moved to Cobo Arena. The franchise was a consistent disappointment, struggling on both the court and the box office. In 1974, Zollner sold the team to Bill Davidson, who remains the team's principal owner. Displeased with the team's location in downtown Detroit, Davidson moved it to the suburb of Pontiac in 1978, where it played in the mammoth Silverdome, a structure built for professional football (the Silverdome was the home of the NFL's Detroit Lions at the time).

Detroit Pistons old logo.
Detroit Pistons old logo.

The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when it drafted point guard Isiah Thomas out of Indiana University. In early 1982, they acquired center Bill Laimbeer in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers and guard Vinnie Johnson from the Seattle SuperSonics. The three, along with later acquisitions Joe Dumars (A 1985 Draft Pick), Rick Mahorn, and Dennis Rodman, formed the core of a team that would rise to the top of the league. With their physical, intense style of play, the Pistons gained the nickname "Bad Boys." Coach Chuck Daly took the team to the NBA Finals three consecutive years (1988-90) and won NBA championships in 1989 and 1990 (and it is wildly debated in Detroit that the Pistons should have won in 1988). The team moved into the lavish Palace of Auburn Hills in 1988 and remains there today.

Detroit Pistons old logo.
Detroit Pistons old logo.

The franchise went through a lengthy transitional period during the 1990s as key players either retired (Thomas and Laimbeer in 1994) or left (Johnson, Salley, and Rodman among others). The time period saw the team make questionable personnel decisions such as the 1994 trade of Dennis Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott, the loss of free agent Allan Houston to the New York Knicks after the 1996 season, signing free agent wash-outs Christian Laettner, Loy Vaught, Cedric Ceballos, and the late Bison Dele, drafting former Michigan State standout Mateen Cleaves, and the numerous head coaching changes (something that hasn't truly changed) from Ron Rothstein, to Don Chaney, to Doug Collins, to Alvin Gentry, to George Irvine in an eight-year span. There was even a change in team colors from Red, White, and Blue to Teal, Orange, and White in 1996 that proved to be highly unpopular. (The Team Colors Reverted back to Red, White, and Blue in 2001)

Grant Hill, who was drafted by the team in 1993, emerged as a gifted player, however was unable to win a playoff series, losing to the Orlando Magic in 1996, the Atlanta Hawks in 1997 and 1999, and the Miami Heat in 2000. In the summer of 2000, Hill indicated his intentions to leave for Orlando, and Dumars (who was appointed the franchise's president of basketball operations that year) dealt Hill to the Magic in return for a pair of largely unheralded players, Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins. Wallace would prove to be a cornerstone for the franchise's revamped roster. Under Dumars' leadership, the Pistons have since surrounded Wallace with rising stars Chauncey Billups, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince.

After two successful seasons (2001-2003) under head coach Rick Carlisle, which saw the Pistons win 100 games and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1991, Carlisle was fired and replaced by Hall of Fame inductee Larry Brown. Brown and The Pistons were a good team that eventually turned into a champion with the February 2004 acquisition of Rasheed Wallace from the Atlanta Hawks. The Pistons eventually won 54 games, their most since 1996. In the Playoffs, After defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, they defeated the then-defending conference champion New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 7 games (Coming back from a 3-2 deficit in the process). Detroit then defeated the Indiana Pacers (coincidentally coached by Rick Carlisle) in the Eastern Conference Finals in six tough games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1990. The Pistons won the 2004 NBA championship in dominating fashion over the heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

As the franchise returned to the league's elite level, the local support of the Pistons correspondingly increased. From the mid-1990s until 2001, Pistons games were rarely sold out, even during Playoff games. Now, despite playing in the league's largest arena, Pistons home games routinely sell out, thus regularly making the Pistons the league leaders in fan attendance, and the raucous Palace crowd one of the most formidable for opposing teams to play before in the NBA.

Detroit Pistons old logo.
Detroit Pistons old logo.

On November 19, 2004, the Detroit Pistons were involved in a massive brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills during a losing home game against the Indiana Pacers. After fouling Pistons' Ben Wallace, Pacer Ron Artest was hit by a cup while lying down on the scorer's table. This caused Artest to rush into the stands and attack some fans. Other Pacers such as Jermaine O'Neal fought with fans who had walked onto the court. A month later, five Pacers and seven fans were charged after being involved in the "basketbrawl."

See also: The Malice at The Palace.

The Pistons were considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005. Seeded second in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 and then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers 4-2. In the conference finals, the Pistons again fell behind, three games to two, but then won the final two games to defeat the Miami Heat and become Eastern Conference Champions. In the process, the Pistons became the first team to win a game 7 on the road since the Los Angeles Lakers did so against the Sacramento Kings in 2002.

The Pistons played in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. After splitting the first six games, the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 1994 was played. There, however, the Pistons lost a hard-fought game to the Spurs, who clinched their third championship.

The Pistons franchise headed into the offseason with all five starters plus key reserve Antonio McDyess under contract for 2005-06. On July 18, the Pistons decided to buy out the remaining 3 years left on Larry Brown's contract, officially ending his coaching days in Detroit. He was replaced by Flip Saunders who previously coached the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brown subsequently signed a deal to coach the New York Knicks.

The Pistons Have Started the 2005-2006 season as currently the only undefeated team in the NBA with a 7-0 record.

Players of note

Basketball Hall of Fame Members:

Not to be forgotten:

Retired numbers:

Current Roster

Franchise Leaders

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