It’s almost impossible to take a thorough journey through basketball history and not stumble across the impact of the Detroit Pistons NBA team. Whether it was their involvement as one of the first teams in the National Basketball Association, their ascension as a championship team during one of the most competitive eras of the league, or their re-emergence in the 21st century, the Pistons’ legacy is intimately intertwined with the NBA’s timeline.
Fort Wayne Pistons History: The Early Years
While the franchise is now synonymous with Michigan sports, the roots of the team were actually put down in Indiana. Fred Zollner was the original owner, who created the team in 1937 in Fort Wayne. They were initially called the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, and played in a league that pre-dated the NBA. The NBL, or National Basketball League, is where the Pistons played until 1948.
Zollner was a successful businessman, and his company manufactured pistons, which are parts of cars. It was a practical decision for a team name at the time, but one that would fit perfectly when the Fort Wayne Pistons moved to one of America’s automobile capitals in Detroit in 1957.
Zollner’s contributions extend far beyond the inception of the iconic franchise. He was a central figure in the merger of the NBL and Basketball Association of America(BAA), which eventually became the NBA. He was also the first owner to purchase a plane to more efficiently get his team to and from road games. It is hard to imagine teams commuting to games by bus or by train exclusively in 2022, but that was the standard for teams back in the early 1950’s. The team would officially move from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957, and have remained in the Motor City ever since.
Why did the Pistons move to Detroit?
Zollner thought that Fort Wayne was too small of a city for the Pistons to compete in. Since Detroit was one of the major cities in the USA, he decided that he would move there. The name was still fitting as Detroit was nicknamed the Motor City due to it being the heart of America’s automotive industry.
Reflecting On Bob Lanier’s Life And Career
In May 2022, the NBA family unfortunately lost a legend. Detroit Pistons legend and NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier passed away at the age of 73. Although many other players from his era are mentioned before him, Lanier’s impact for the Pistons during the 1970’s was substantial.
He was an eight time All-Star, who averaged over 22 points a game and nearly 12 rebounds per game in 10 seasons with Detroit. He was also a solid 77 percent free throw shooter with Detroit. During the first three years of Lanier’s career, blocks were not recognized as an official statistic, which makes it hard for fans of this era to totally understand his impact.
However, in 1973-1974 (the first year blocks were recorded), he averaged three rejections per game. Especially as a young player, we can conclude that Lanier’s defense was just as special as his offensive ability. Detroit retired Lanier’s number 16 in January 1993.
Well after he retired, Lanier was a valued representative for the NBA, and made a tremendous impact in the community. Through initiatives in collaboration with the league office, he was front and center with messages trying to get kids to read and stay in school. Lanier also led a lot of efforts in his hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Why are pistons called the Bad Boy Pistons?
There are certain teams that need no introduction throughout the course of NBA history. Jordan’s Bulls, the Showtime Lakers and Russell’s Celtics are among that hallowed group. But right up there are the Detroit Pistons squads of the 1980’s and early 1990’s, nicknamed the Bad Boys.
We’ll get into why they had that reputation throughout the league, but it would surprise many people to learn that Detroit did not play the same way early in the 1980’s as they did towards the end of the decade.
It all started with the selection of future Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas in the 1981 NBA Draft, out of Indiana University. When he got to Detroit, the roster featured a few gifted scorers, and the former Hoosier star was asked to facilitate scoring opportunities for a high octane offense. Veterans Kelly Tripucka and John Long both averaged over 21 points per game during Thomas’ rookie year, and that core of players would be involved in the highest scoring game in NBA history in 1983.
In fact, the Pistons finished at least eighth or higher in team points per game average during Thomas’ first seven seasons in the NBA. Detroit had some great years during that stretch, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1986-1987, and the NBA Finals in 1987-1988. But in order to get over the hump, they needed to play to the strength of their personnel, which had drastically changed over the course of Thomas’ career.
Through savvy transactions, Detroit had acquired hard nosed, physical players who were not easily intimidated. Enter Dennis Rodman, whose defensive tenacity early in his career gave opposing perimeter players nightmares.
Although not as vocal, guard Joe Dumars was as tough as nails coming out of McNeese State, and was a perfect fit coming out of college with a veteran team. Center Rick Mahorn was acquired in a trade in 1985 from the Washington Bullets, and made his presence felt in the paint.
Last but not least, was Bill Laimbeer, who had been with Thomas for most of the decade, but unlocked a layer of toughness that made him one of the faces(and villains) of the league.
Coinciding with their move into the Palace of Auburn Hills, the Detroit Pistons transformed into the Bad Boys, and were no longer interested in running and gunning their way to victories. Their pace of play slowed way down, but their victory total soared to new heights.
In 1988-1989, they finished 16th in the league in points per game, while finishing the regular season with a 63-19 record. That was due in large part to their defensive transformation, as they were second in the NBA in points per game allowed. Opposing players who took the ball to the basket would think twice about doing it again, as the Pistons would strategically commit some hard fouls as a deterrent.
The tactic would work brilliantly for Detroit, as they rode that philosophy straight into the 1989 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Considering their recent success, it wasn’t surprising that Detroit won the NBA title that season, but it was how they did it. The Lakers wanted to play the game with an up-tempo mindset, but the Pistons’ defensive presence proved to be too much to overcome. The Bad Boy Pistons won the NBA championship by sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s usually a difficult task for NBA teams to win two championships in a row, since everyone usually gives the champions their best shot. Very few franchises in league history have accomplished the task, but the Bad Boys Pistons were one of the few teams that did.
Doubling down on the same style that won them their first title, Detroit outdid themselves in 1989-1990 by leading the league in opponents points per game allowed. Although Mahorn was not around for the repeat tour, John Salley and James Edwards combined to provide the standard level of toughness the Pistons were used to.
Their toughest challenge came from the Chicago Bulls, whom the Detroit Pistons played in the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and head coach Phil Jackson were on their way to ushering in the next dynasty in the NBA, but the Pistons delayed that dream by one more year in the spring of 1990. Deploying “the Jordan Rules,” which were designed to make Michael’s life on the court difficult, the Pistons were able to sneak by the Bulls in seven games.
Detroit would end up defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the NBA Finals, thereby putting their NBA championship teams stamp in the history books.
Winning The Lottery
As with most things in life, all good things must come to an end. The Bad Boys run in Detroit would as well, after Chicago was able to get past the Pistons the following year, and age started to catch up with Thomas and Laimbeer. After nine excellent seasons with the team, and guiding The Dream Team to a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics, head coach Chuck Daly stepped down as well.
The team would bottom out in 1993-1994, winning only 20 games. However, this put them squarely in position to draft one of the country’s most talented prospects. The Duke Blue Devils had played many big games on the collegiate stage in the early 1990’s, and forward Grant Hill was at the center of the action. He was about as pro-ready as any college player could be, bringing a well-rounded skill set and winning mentality in pressure moments. The Detroit Pistons grabbed Hill with the third pick in the 1994 NBA Draft.
He hit the ground running immediately in the NBA, winning Rookie Of The Year with averages of nearly 20 points per game, six rebounds per content, five assists and nearly two steals. Hill’s ability led fans to make gaudy comparisons about the player he could become when his career was said and done, even likening him to Jordan.
His brilliance would led an otherwise average roster to the playoffs four times in the next five years. With perhaps the most desired young player in the NBA at their fingertips, the Pistons seemed to be well situated to build around Hill and get back to contention in the Eastern Conference. However, after the 1999-2000 season, his contract was up, and he was determined to listen to offers from other teams.
He eventually decided to join the Orlando Magic, which left the Pistons feeling spurned, and wondering what would come next.
Back In The NBA Finals
Even though it was a tough pill for Pistons’ fans to swallow, general manager Joe Dumars made a sneaky move that helped usher in the next era of Detroit basketball. Since he knew Hill was gone anyway, he facilitated a trade with Orlando, sending the former top five pick over in exchange for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace.
At the time, no one thought much of that transaction, but Wallace would turn out to be one of the most important figures in team history. Having bounced around the league with Washington and Orlando, Wallace’s production was not greatly appreciated around the league. However, it was pretty clear that he had a knack for rebounding, and his effort on the defensive end was tireless.
He was just the kind of player fans of the team had gotten used to in the championship years.
No stranger to success himself as a player, Dumars would pull off some of the most intelligent additions in NBA history, considering how quickly everything came together. He added point guard Chauncey Billups and shooting guard Richard Hamilton, who like Ben Wallace, were castoffs from other teams.
He drafted Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, a super skinny forward out of the University of Kentucky. They would fall in the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals to the New Jersey Nets, but they were once again knocking on the door.
Detroit completed its makeover at the trade deadline in 2004, bringing in immensely talented but mercurial forward Rasheed Wallace. The Detroit Pistons starting lineup of five including Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace did not have the star-studded luster that some other teams had, but they would jell together immediately.
Facing massive odds in the 2004 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that this team would fall to the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. In one of the most surprising upsets in NBA history, it was the Pistons who completely overwhelmed Los Angeles, winning their third championship in franchise history.
Having won an NCAA title and NBA title, head coach Larry Brown could have stepped aside after the team won it all, but stuck around for another Finals appearance the following year against the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately for Detroit, the Pistons lost to the Spurs in seven games. Under head coach Flip Saunders, the team would make the Eastern Conference Finals in the next three years.
Building Back Up/Present Day
Since the 2000’s, the Pistons have struggled to find their footing. The most important domino in their road back will be the development of guard Cade Cunningham, who the team selected first overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Detroit will have another chance in the 2022 NBA Draft to strategically place a promising player next to Cunningham, and it will be interesting to see what type of player they decide to bring in. The decisions made in the next couple of offseasons can help get Detroit back on the way to more NBA championships.
Who owns Detroit Pistons?
Tom Gores owns Pistons. He founded Platinum Equity, a private equity firm based in Beverly Hills, California. In 2011, Gores and his firm acquired the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and he assumed sole ownership of the team in 2015.
