Detroit Pistons
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox basketball club The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena, located in Midtown Detroit.
The team was founded as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, a semi-professional company basketball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1937. The club would turn professional in 1941 as a member of the National Basketball League (NBL), where they won two NBL championships (1944 and 1945). The Pistons later joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948. The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949, and the Pistons became part of the merged league.<ref name="Founded" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1957, the franchise moved to Detroit. The Pistons have won three NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004.
History
[edit]1937–1957: Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons
[edit]Fred Zollner owned the Zollner Corporation, a foundry that manufactured pistons, primarily for car, truck, and locomotive engines in Fort Wayne, Indiana.<ref name=Name/> In 1937, Zollner sponsored a semi-professional company basketball team called the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons after he received a request from his workers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1941, the Zollner Pistons shed their works team roots and joined the National Basketball League (NBL).<ref name="Founded" /> The Zollner Pistons were NBL champions in 1944 and 1945.<ref name="Founded" /> They also won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1944, 1945 and 1946.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons and jumped to the Basketball Association of America (BAA).<ref name=Name/> In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table.<ref name=Name>Template:Cite web</ref>
There are suggestions that Pistons players conspired with gamblers to shave points and throw various games during the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. In particular, there are accusations that the team may have intentionally lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the decisive Game 7, the Pistons led 41–24 early in the second quarter before the Nationals rallied to win the game.<ref name="1955 NBA Finals">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Nationals>Template:Cite web</ref> The Nationals won on a free throw by George King with 12 seconds left in the game.<ref name="1955 NBA Finals"/><ref name=Nationals/> The closing moments included a palming turnover by the Pistons' George Yardley with 18 seconds left, a foul by Frank Brian with 12 seconds left that enabled King's winning free throw, and a turnover by the Pistons' Andy Phillip in the final seconds which cost them a chance to attempt the game winning shot.<ref name="1955 NBA Finals"/><ref name=Nationals/> In the following season, the Pistons made it back to the NBA Finals. However, they were defeated by the Philadelphia Warriors in five games.<ref name="1956 Finals">Template:Cite web</ref>
1957–1981: Decades of struggles
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Though the Pistons enjoyed a solid local following, Fort Wayne's small size made it difficult for them to be profitable, especially as other early NBA teams based in smaller cities started folding or relocating to larger markets.<ref name="Founded" /> After the 1956–57 season, Fred Zollner decided that Fort Wayne was too small to support an NBA team and announced the team would be playing elsewhere in the coming season. He ultimately settled on Detroit.<ref name="Founded" /> Although it was the fifth largest city in the United States at the time,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Detroit had not seen professional basketball in a decade.<ref name="Founded" /><ref name=Gems>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Falcons>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=DSN>Template:Cite web</ref> They lost the Detroit Eagles due to World War II, both the Detroit Gems of the NBL (who became the Minneapolis Lakers) and the Detroit Falcons of the BAA in 1947, and the Detroit Vagabond Kings in 1949.<ref name="Founded" /><ref name=Gems/><ref name=Falcons/><ref name=DSN/> Zollner decided to keep the Pistons name, believing it made sense given Detroit's status as the center of the automobile industry.<ref name="Founded" /><ref name=Name/> George Yardley set the NBA single-season scoring record in the Pistons' first season in Detroit, becoming the first player to score 2,000 points in a season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pistons played in Olympia Stadium (home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the time) for their first four seasons, then moved to Cobo Arena beginning in the 1961–62 season.<ref name=DSN/><ref name=Arenas>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Pistons were characterized by talented players including George Yardley, Bailey Howell, Dave Debusschere, Dave Bing, and Bob Lanier, questionable trades, and frequent coaching changes.<ref name=Arenas/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Thomas>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=DeBusschere>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At one point, DeBusschere was the youngest player-coach in the history of the NBA.<ref name=DeBusschere/> Then a trade during the 1968–69 season sent DeBusschere to the New York Knicks for Howard Komives and Walt Bellamy, both of whom had their best seasons behind them.<ref name=DeBusschere/> DeBusschere became a key player in leading the Knicks to two NBA titles.<ref name=DeBusschere/> Howell had previously been dealt to the Baltimore Bullets in 1964 and former Pistons guard Gene Shue, who was the head coach of the Bullets at the time, assessed the Pistons thusly: "Detroit has the worst management in the league."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Howell would go to win two championships as a member of the Boston Celtics. Yardley, Lanier, and Bing all ended their Pistons tenure being traded away, frustrated with the direction and opportunities with Detroit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1974, Zollner sold the team to glass magnate Bill Davidson, who remained the team's principal owner until his death in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Davidson>Template:Cite web</ref>
The team had a winning season in 1971, having spent the 1960s below .500, and then had a brief period of sustained success in the mid-1970s, qualifying for the playoffs in four straight seasons (1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hope was then placed in Dick Vitale in 1978, the former head coach at the University of Detroit, but he was fired the following season, and the team limped into the 1980s with a 16–66 record in 1979–80.<ref name=1980s>Template:Cite web</ref> The 1979–80 team lost its last 14 games of the season which, when coupled with the seven losses at the start of the 1980–81 season, constituted a then-NBA record losing streak of 21 games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Over time, Davidson became displeased with Cobo Arena, but opted not to follow the Red Wings to the under-construction Joe Louis Arena next door. Instead, in 1978, he moved the team to the suburb of Pontiac, where they played in the 82,000 capacity Silverdome, a structure built for professional football (and the home of the Detroit Lions at the time).<ref name=Arenas/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1981–1994: The Isiah Thomas era
[edit]The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when they drafted point guard Isiah Thomas from Indiana University.<ref name=Thomas/> In November 1981, the Pistons acquired Vinnie Johnson in a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They later acquired center Bill Laimbeer in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 1982.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another key move by the Pistons was the hiring of head coach Chuck Daly in 1983.<ref name=Daly>Template:Cite web</ref>
Initially, the Pistons had difficulty moving up the NBA ladder. In 1984, the Pistons lost a tough five-game series to the underdog New York Knicks, 3–2.<ref name="JLA">Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1985 playoffs, Detroit won its first-round series and faced the defending champion Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals. Though Boston prevailed in six games, Detroit's surprise performance promised that a rivalry had begun.<ref name=1980s/> In the 1985 NBA draft, the team selected Joe Dumars 18th overall, a selection that proved to be very wise.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also acquired Rick Mahorn in a trade with the Washington Bullets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the team took a step backwards, losing in the first round of the 1986 playoffs to the more athletic Atlanta Hawks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the series, changes were made in order to make the team more defensive-minded.<ref name=1980s/>
1986–1992: The Bad Boys
[edit]Prior to the 1986–87 season, the Pistons acquired more key players: John Salley (drafted 11th overall), Dennis Rodman (drafted 27th) and Adrian Dantley (acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team adopted a physical, defense-oriented style of play, which eventually earned them the nickname "Bad Boys".<ref name="Holmes">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1987, the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. After pushing the defending champions to a 2–2 tie, the Pistons were on the verge of winning Game 5 at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining.<ref name=Bird>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Celtics' rivals">Template:Cite web</ref> After a Celtics turnover, Isiah Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball and missed Chuck Daly's timeout signal from the bench. Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.<ref name=Bird/><ref name="Celtics' rivals"/> While the Pistons did win Game 6 in Detroit, they lost the series in a tough Game 7 back in Boston.<ref name=Bird/><ref name="Celtics' rivals"/>
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Motivated by their loss to the Celtics, the Pistons, aided by midseason acquisition James Edwards, improved to a then-franchise-record 54 victories and the franchise's first division title in 32 years.<ref name=1980s/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the postseason, the Pistons avenged their two previous playoff losses to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating them in six games and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Detroit.<ref name=1980s/>
The Pistons' first trip to the Finals in 32 years saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.<ref name="1956 Finals"/><ref name=1980s/> After taking a 3–2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6. In that game, Isiah Thomas scored an NBA Finals record 25 points in the third quarter while playing on a severely sprained ankle.<ref name="Game 6">Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Lakers won the game, 103–102, on a pair of last-second free throws by Abdul-Jabbar following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer, referred to by many as a "phantom foul".<ref name="Game 6"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With Thomas unable to compete at full strength, the Pistons narrowly fell in Game 7, 108–105, as the Lakers became the first back-to-back NBA Champions since the 1969 Boston Celtics.<ref name="Game 6"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Prior to the 1988–89 season, the Pistons moved to Auburn Hills to play at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the first NBA arena financed entirely with private funds.<ref name="SBD">Template:Cite web</ref> The 1989 Pistons completed the building of their roster by trading Adrian Dantley for Mark Aguirre, a trade that Pistons fans criticized heavily initially, but later praised.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team won 63 games, shattering their one-year-old franchise record, and steamrolled through the playoffs and into an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. This time, the Pistons came out victorious in a four-game sweep to win their first NBA championship. Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP.<ref name="1989 Pistons">Template:Cite web</ref>
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The Pistons successfully defended their title in 1990, despite losing Rick Mahorn to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the expansion draft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="1990 Finals">Template:Cite web</ref> After winning 59 games and a third straight division title, the Pistons cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs before playing a tough Eastern Conference Finals series against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Chicago Bulls. Facing each other for the third straight season, the Pistons and Bulls split the first six games before the Pistons finished the series with a decisive 93–74 victory in Game 7.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="1990 ECF">Template:Cite web</ref> Advancing to their third consecutive NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the Portland Trail Blazers.<ref name="1990 Finals"/> After splitting the first two games at The Palace, the Pistons went to Portland, where they had not won a game since 1974, to play Games 3, 4 and 5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons won all three games in Portland, becoming the first NBA team to sweep the middle three games on the road.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The decisive game came down to the final second. Trailing 90–83 with two minutes remaining, the Pistons rallied to tie the game, then took a 92–90 lead when Vinnie Johnson sank a 15-foot jumper with 00.7 seconds left in the game; this shot earned Johnson a new nickname in Detroit, "007", to go with his original, "The Microwave".<ref name="1990 Finals"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Isiah Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP.<ref name="1990 Finals"/>
The Pistons' championship run came to an end in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, as they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls in four games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most critical injury during this time belonged to Isiah Thomas, who had suffered a wrist injury a few months prior to the NBA playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Conference Finals is best remembered for the Pistons walking off the court in the last game just before it ended, willingly letting the final seconds tick away, unwilling to shake hands with the Bulls. After the series, Michael Jordan said, "You see two different styles with us and them. The dirty play and the flagrant fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. Hopefully, that will be eliminated from the game. I think we play clean basketball. We don't go out and try to hurt people and dirty up the game. You never lose respect for the champions. But I haven't agreed with the methods they used. I think people are happy the game will get back to a clean game [with a Bulls triumph] and away from the 'Bad Boy' image."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was later revealed that the real reason the Pistons walked off the court without shaking hands with the Bulls was due to comments said by Jordan in a pre-game interview before Game 4, where he said, "The Pistons are undeserving champions. The Bad Boys are bad for basketball."<ref name="Goodwill">Template:Cite web</ref>
After getting swept by the Bulls, the Pistons traded James Edwards and waived Vinnie Johnson during the off-season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1991–92 season, the Pistons finished with a 48–34 record.<ref name=1990s>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the first round of the 1992 NBA playoffs, the Pistons were defeated by the New York Knicks in five games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chuck Daly resigned as head coach after the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following Daly's departure, the Pistons went through a transitional period, as key players were either traded (Salley and Rodman) or retired (Laimbeer in 1993 and Thomas in 1994).<ref name=Thomas/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They bottomed out in the 1993–94 season, finishing with a 20–62 record.<ref name=1990s/>
1994–2000: The Grant Hill era
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Following the 1993–94 season, they were able to draft Grant Hill, a promising small forward, with the third overall pick.<ref name=1990s/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, this period also saw the team make numerous questionable personnel decisions, such as the loss of free agent Allan Houston to the New York Knicks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the signing of free agent washouts Loy Vaught and Bison Dele;<ref name="Disappointing">Template:Cite web</ref> and head coaching changes from Ron Rothstein to Don Chaney to Doug Collins to Alvin Gentry to George Irvine in an eight-year span.<ref name=1990s/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Teal Era">Template:Cite web</ref> Of these coaches, only Collins had any sort of success with the Pistons, winning 54 games in the 1996–97 season.<ref name=1990s/> The franchise even changed its team colors in 1996 from its traditional red and blue to teal, burgundy, gold and black in what proved to be a highly unpopular move with fans.<ref name="Teal Era"/><ref name="1996 Logo">Template:Cite web</ref> The only color that did not change was white.<ref name="1996 Logo"/> This period has become known, often derisively, as the "teal era".<ref name="Teal Era"/>
2000–2008: "Goin' to Work" era
[edit]2000–2002: Building a contender
[edit]After being swept by the Miami Heat in the 2000 playoffs, Joe Dumars, who had retired following the 1998–99 season, was hired as the team's president of basketball operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He quickly faced what appeared to be a setback for the franchise, as Grant Hill elected to leave for the Orlando Magic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Dumars worked a sign and trade with Orlando that brought the Pistons Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in exchange for Hill.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both quickly entered the Pistons' starting lineup. Wallace in particular developed into a defensive stalwart in the coming years.<ref name="Teal Era"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Hill played only 47 games in the following three seasons due to a recurring ankle injury.<ref name="Teal Era"/>
The Pistons suffered through another tough season in 2000–01, going 32–50 despite Jerry Stackhouse averaging 29.8 points a game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the season, the Pistons fired George Irvine as head coach and hired Rick Carlisle, a widely respected assistant coach who had been a contributor for the Celtics during the mid-1980s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The franchise also returned to its traditional red, white, and blue colors.<ref name="Teal Era"/>
Carlisle helped lead the Pistons to their first 50-win season since 1997, and their first playoff series victory since 1991 by defeating the Toronto Raptors in five games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They lost, however, to the Boston Celtics in five games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003–2008: Six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals
[edit]In the 2002 off-season, Joe Dumars revamped the roster by signing free agent Chauncey Billups, acquiring Richard "Rip" Hamilton from the Washington Wizards, and drafting Tayshaun Prince from Kentucky.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons posted consecutive 50-win seasons and advanced to the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There, however, they were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite the team's improvement, Rick Carlisle was fired in the 2003 off-season. There were believed to be five reasons for the firing: first, that Carlisle had appeared reluctant to play some of the team's younger players, such as Prince and Mehmet Okur, during the regular season; second, that some of the players had not gotten along with Carlisle; third, that Carlisle's offense was thought to be conservative; fourth, that Hall of Famer Larry Brown had become available; and fifth, that Carlisle was rumored to have alienated owner Bill Davidson with his personality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brown accepted the job that summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
<imagemap> File:Pistons starting 5.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The starting five of the Pistons' 2004 championship team. (Left-to right: Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince). rect 1492 308 1895 917 Chauncey Billups rect 1962 107 2437 934 Tayshaun Prince rect 67 328 392 1000 Richard Hamilton poly 766 1002 756 654 1182 210 1300 211 1484 662 1475 1001 Rasheed Wallace rect 424 357 628 999 Ben Wallace default none Pistons' Starting five (2004). desc bottom-left </imagemap>
The Pistons' transformation into a championship team was completed with the February 2004 acquisition of Rasheed Wallace.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons now had another big man to pose a threat from all parts of the court.<ref name="2004 Pistons">Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the season 54–28, recording their best record since 1997.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/> In the 2004 playoffs, after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, they defeated the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets in seven games after coming back from a 3–2 deficit.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/> The Pistons then defeated the Pacers, coached by Rick Carlisle, in six tough games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1990.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many analysts gave the Pistons little chance to win against their opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had won three out of the previous four NBA championships and who fielded a star-studded lineup that included Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Pistons won the series in dominating fashion, defeating Los Angeles in five games for the team's third NBA championship.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref name="Game 5">Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons posted double-digit wins in three of their four victories and held the Lakers to a franchise-low 68 points in Game 3.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chauncey Billups was named NBA Finals MVP.<ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref name="Game 5"/> With the win, Bill Davidson became the first owner to win both an NBA and NHL championship in the same calendar year, as he had also won the Stanley Cup as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.<ref name=Davidson/>
Despite losing key members of their bench during the off-season (including Okur, Mike James and Corliss Williamson), the Pistons were considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They won 54 games during the regular season, their fourth consecutive season of 50 or more wins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the 2005 playoffs, they easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 and then rallied from a 2–1 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers, 4–2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons faced the Miami Heat. Once again, the Pistons fell behind.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, they ultimately won the series in seven games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the San Antonio Spurs. After the teams split the first four games of the series, the turning point came at the end of Game 5 in Detroit, which went into overtime. The Pistons were ahead 95–93 when Robert Horry sank the game-winning three-point basket for the Spurs with 5.8 seconds left in the extra session.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons fought back to win Game 6 in San Antonio, setting up the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons then lost a hard-fought, low-scoring game to the Spurs, who won their third NBA championship since 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pistons' 2004–05 season was marked by a major controversy, as well as distracting issues involving Larry Brown.<ref name="lesson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Brown>Template:Cite web</ref> In the first month of the season, the infamous Malice at the Palace erupted between the Pacers and the Pistons, one of the largest fan-player incidents in the history of American sports.<ref name="lesson"/> It resulted in heavy fines and suspensions for several players and a great deal of NBA and media scrutiny.<ref name="lesson"/> Meanwhile, Brown was forced to leave the team on two occasions due to health concerns. During this time, he was the subject of a series of rumors linking him to other job openings.<ref name=Brown/> Concerned about Brown's health and angered over his alleged pursuit of other jobs during the season, the Pistons bought out his contract soon after the 2005 NBA Finals.<ref name=Brown/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brown was promptly named head coach of the New York Knicks, while the Pistons hired Flip Saunders, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the 2005–06 season, the Pistons recorded the NBA's best overall record.<ref name="2006 preview">Template:Cite web</ref> Their 37–5 start exceeded the best start for any Detroit sports franchise in history and tied for the fourth-best start through 42 games in NBA history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Four of the five Pistons starters (Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace) were named to the All-Star team, and Flip Saunders served as the Eastern Conference All-Star team coach.<ref name="2006 All-Star Game">Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the regular season with a record of 64–18, setting new franchise records for both overall and road victories (27).<ref name="2006 preview"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, the team set an NBA record by starting the same lineup in 73 consecutive games from the start of the season.<ref name="2006 preview"/>
The top-seeded Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 4–1 in the first round of the 2006 NBA playoffs, but struggled in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling behind 3–2 before winning in seven games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Things did not improve against the second-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami defeated the Pistons in six games en route to the 2006 NBA championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the off-season, the Pistons offered Ben Wallace a four-year, $48 million contract, which would have made him the highest-paid player in franchise history at the time. However, Wallace agreed to a 4-year, $60 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
To replace Ben Wallace, the Pistons signed Nazr Mohammed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He struggled to fill the team's void at center, however, and the team began looking for additional help.<ref name="Disappointing"/> On January 16, 2007, the Pistons signed free agent Chris Webber.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons quickly began playing better basketball. They were only 21–15 before Webber was acquired; with him, the team went 32–14.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 11, the Pistons clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, which guaranteed them home-court advantage for first three rounds of the playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pistons opened the 2007 NBA playoffs with a 4–0 victory over the Orlando Magic, their first playoff series sweep since 1990.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team advanced to face the Chicago Bulls, marking the first time that the Central Division rivals had met in the postseason since 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After winning the first two games by 26 and 21 points, the Pistons overcame a 19-point deficit to win Game 3, 81–74.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Bulls avoided elimination by winning Games 4 and 5, but the Pistons closed out the series, 95–85, in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons faced the Cleveland Cavaliers. After both teams split the first four games of the series, the turning point happened in Game 5. The game is best remembered for LeBron James' performance where he scored the Cavaliers' final 29 of 30 points, including the team's final 25 points, to help defeat the Pistons 109–107 in double overtime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons never recovered as they were eliminated in Game 6, 98–82.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the 2007 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Rodney Stuckey with the 15th overall pick and Arron Afflalo with the 27th overall pick.<ref name="2007 draft">Template:Cite web</ref> They also re-signed Chauncey Billups to a long-term contract, as well as top prospect Amir Johnson and key reserve Antonio McDyess.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This season marked the 50th anniversary of the franchise in Detroit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At the start of the 2007–08 season, Rasheed Wallace became the Pistons' new center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Upon entering his third season, Saunders became the longest-tenured Pistons coach since Chuck Daly.<ref name="Frank fired">Template:Cite web</ref> Detroit finished the season with the second-best record in the league at 59–23.<ref name="2008 standings">Template:Cite web</ref> The Boston Celtics held the first seed, and many speculated that Boston was their main competition in the Eastern Conference.<ref name="2008 standings"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 NBA playoffs, Detroit started out poorly with a Game 1 loss to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and found themselves in a 2–1 deficit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Pistons rallied to defeat the Sixers in six games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the semifinals, the Pistons faced the Orlando Magic. The Pistons rolled out to a Game 1 romp,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and won a tight Game 2 amid mild controversy. At the very end of the third quarter, Chauncey Billups hit a three-point field goal that gave the Pistons a three-point lead. However, the clock had stopped shortly into the play. League rules currently prohibit officials from using both instant replay and a timing device to measure how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay from the time of the malfunction onward allowed. The officials estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and since there were 5.1 seconds remaining when it began, the field goal was counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket should not have counted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In addition to losing Game 3 badly, 111–86, the Pistons also lost all-star point guard and team leader Chauncey Billups to a hamstring injury.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite his absence, the Pistons rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to win Game 4 90–89 on a field goal by Tayshaun Prince with just 8.9 seconds to play, taking a 3–1 series lead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Again with Billups sitting on the sideline, they then proceeded to win Game 5 in Detroit, winning the series 4–1.<ref name="Sixth ECF">Template:Cite web</ref>
Detroit advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season, squaring off against the Celtics.<ref name="Sixth ECF"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This put the Pistons second on the all-time list of most consecutive conference finals appearances, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers, who appeared in eight straight conference finals from the 1981–82 to 1988–89 seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They lost Game 1 88–79, but won in Game 2 on the road, 103–97, marking the Celtics' first home court loss in the postseason.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Immediately following that, the Celtics won their first road game of the postseason, 94–80, in Game 3.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Game 4 saw the Pistons win 94–75.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the pivotal Game 5 they lost 106–102, despite rallying from 17 points down late in the game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Game 6, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter leading 70–60, but a lack of focus, a poor game from Rasheed Wallace, and a rally-killing turnover by Tayshaun Prince ultimately led to their demise; the Pistons ended their season with an 89–81 loss.
In what would ultimately be a bellwether moment in the franchise's history, Wallace refused to take any post-game questions, simply walking back to the locker room afterwards, aware that Joe Dumars would likely start dismantling the team, saying only, "It's over, man."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 3, 2008, the Pistons announced that Saunders would not return as head coach.<ref name="saunders_fired">Template:Cite news</ref>
2008–2011: Failed rebuilding
[edit].jpg){kind=link}
On June 10, 2008, the Pistons hired Michael Curry to be their new head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 3, 2008, the Pistons traded key members Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson.<ref name=Iverson>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McDyess was later waived on November 10 and rejoined the Pistons on December 9.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The trade was marked as the start of a new rebuilding process due to Iverson's free agent status at the end of the season.<ref name=Iverson/> Indeed, Joe Dumars previously made it clear that no player on the team was guaranteed a position, bluntly saying they lost their sacred cow status.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The season was marked with many controversies and injuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of this and poor play, the Pistons dropped down the standings, only clinching a playoff berth on April 10, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the season at 39–43, their first losing season in eight years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons were then swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games in the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 30, 2009, Curry was fired as head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Iverson signed with the Memphis Grizzlies during the off-season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the off-season, the Pistons reached an agreement with former Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon on a five-year/$55 million contract, as well as an agreement with former Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva on a five-year contract worth $35 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same month, the Pistons lost their two key members during the last few years, veterans Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 8, 2009, the Pistons hired former Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester to be the new head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons later re-signed Ben Wallace on August 12, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite these changes, the team regressed even further, as they were hampered by setbacks and injuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 23, 2010, the Pistons were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Indiana Pacers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished with a 27–55 record, their worst since 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another 50-loss season, this time finishing at 30–52, led to the firing of Kuester at the end of the 2010–11 season; he had gotten into several disputes with the players, culminating with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 25, 2011, where it was reported several players staged a protest that morning during shootaround; Kuester responded by benching all those involved, and the animosity was so high that some of the benched players could be seen laughing in response to his ejection from the game late in the first half.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011–2015: New ownership; more struggling
[edit]
On April 7, 2011, Karen Davidson, the widow of the late Bill Davidson, reached a long-awaited agreement to sell the franchise to billionaire Tom Gores, which was approved by the NBA Board of Governors in May. The deal also included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to Crain's Detroit Business, the final sale price was $325 million, far lower than expected.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 2011 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Brandon Knight, Kyle Singler and Vernon Macklin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, the Pistons made several leadership changes, including appointing Dennis Mannion as president of the franchise and Palace Sports & Entertainment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team decided to hire Lawrence Frank as the head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 2011–12 season was an improvement from previous years for the Pistons, although they still posted a losing record. While they started the season 4–20, they won half their remaining games to finish a lockout-shortened season with a record of 25–41.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team continued to build its young core with the drafting of the talented center Andre Drummond.<ref name=Drummond>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following the 2012–13 season, Frank was fired as head coach on April 18, 2013, after two losing seasons,<ref name="Frank fired"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and on June 10, 2013, the Pistons hired former player and coach Maurice Cheeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His tenure lasted for just a bit more than half a season, as he was replaced by interim coach John Loyer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April, the Pistons announced that Joe Dumars would step down as president of basketball operations but remain as an advisor to the organization and its ownership team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 14, 2014, Stan Van Gundy was hired. Van Gundy signed a 5-year, $35 million contract to become the head coach and president of basketball operations for the team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After starting the 2014–15 season with a 5–23 record, the Pistons waived Josh Smith, who was acquired in the summer of 2013.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The team went on a lengthy winning streak, but finished the season with a record of only 32–50 after Brandon Jennings' Achilles injury.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015–2017: Return to the playoffs
[edit]In the 2015 off-season, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy began to change the roster by making such acquisitions as Ersan İlyasova, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and Steve Blake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also drafted rookie Stanley Johnson with the eighth pick in the 2015 NBA draft and re-signed point guard Reggie Jackson.<ref name="Johnson drafted">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons entered the 2015–16 season with a stronger roster than the previous season, although they lost starter Greg Monroe to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.<ref name=Monroe>Template:Cite web</ref> Andre Drummond started the season strong, earning consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for the weeks of November 1 and 8.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pistons entered the All-Star break at 27–27.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons surpassed their win totals from the 2009–10 season to the 2014–15 season on March 9, 2016, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102–96.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 6, 2016, following a 108–104 win over the Orlando Magic, the Pistons reached 42 wins and were assured their first winning season since the 2007–08 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 8, 2016, the Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards 112–99 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The eighth-seeded Pistons faced the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs. They were swept in four games in a highly competitive series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017–2020: Returning to downtown Detroit
[edit].jpg){kind=link}
Beginning with the 1978–79 season, the Pistons played their home games in suburban Oakland County, directly north of Detroit/Wayne County, first playing ten seasons at the Pontiac Silverdome and then playing at The Palace of Auburn Hills starting in the 1988–89 season.<ref name=Arenas/><ref name="Final game">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Palace finale">Template:Cite web</ref> Pistons owner Tom Gores, Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellum, and Olympia Entertainment, the Ilitch family's holding company that controls the Red Wings and Tigers, had been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with the Pistons possibly relocating to the new Little Caesars Arena as soon as the 2017–18 season. Talks intensified just as the Pistons were set to open their 2016–17 season, and as part of the terms of the agreement, there was discussion of a possible merger between Olympia and PS&E.<ref name=gores>Template:Cite web</ref> Also contingent on a finalized agreement, the Pistons were looking for a parcel of land in the arena's vicinity to build a new practice facility and team headquarters.<ref name=gores/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The leasing agreement/partnership needed both city and league approval to be finalized.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On November 22, 2016, the Pistons officially announced their intention to move to Little Caesars Arena, and the site of The Palace of Auburn Hills was to be redeveloped and sold, with the arena likely to be demolished as part of the redevelopment.<ref name="PistonsMove">Template:Cite news</ref> The last remaining NBA franchise to play in a suburban location, the Pistons ended their 39-year stay in Oakland County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 3, 2017, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The move made Detroit the only U.S. city to have its Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), NBA, and NHL teams playing in its downtown district, and one of only two U.S. cities to have all their teams playing in one place, the other being Philadelphia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 29, 2018, the Pistons announced they had acquired all-star forward Blake Griffin along with Willie Reed and Brice Johnson from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, a 2018 first-round draft pick, and a 2019 second-round draft pick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pistons finished the 2017–18 season with a 39–43 record. They missed the playoffs for the eighth time in ten years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 7, 2018, the Pistons announced that Stan Van Gundy would not return as head coach and president of basketball operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 11, 2018, Dwane Casey was hired by the Pistons to be their new head coach, agreeing to a five-year deal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the 2018–19 season with a 41–41 record, clinching a playoff spot as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs, the Pistons were swept in four games by the Milwaukee Bucks, setting an NBA record for the most consecutive playoff losses with 14.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On March 11, 2020, the 2019–20 season was suspended by the NBA after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 4, 2020, the season came to an end for the Pistons when the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan that would restart the season with 22 teams returning to play in the NBA bubble on July 31, 2020, which was approved by the National Basketball Players Association the next day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the season with a 20–46 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–2024: Continued struggles; historic losing streak
[edit]
On June 18, 2020, the Pistons hired Troy Weaver as the new general manager.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the 2020–21 season with the second-worst record in the league at 20–52, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The 20 wins were also tied for the second-fewest in franchise history at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2021 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the 2021–22 season at 23–59, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
With the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Jaden Ivey. Later in the first round, the Pistons acquired Jalen Duren via a trade with the New York Knicks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the 2022–23 season with the worst overall record in NBA and third-worst in franchise history at 17–65.<ref name="2023 finale">Template:Cite web</ref> It was their first 60-loss season since 1993–94.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the last game of the season on April 9, 2023, Dwane Casey stepped down as head coach to join the front office.<ref name="2023 finale"/> On June 2, 2023, Monty Williams was hired by the Pistons to be their new head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After the Pistons started the 2023–24 season with a 2–1 record, they lost a franchise-record 28 games in a row from October 30 to December 30, the longest single-season losing streak and tied for the longest losing streak overall in NBA history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They became the thirteenth team in NBA history to have a winless month, going 0–15 in November.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 9, 2024, the Pistons were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished with the worst overall record in the NBA for the second consecutive season and worst in franchise history at 14–68.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024–present: Historic turnaround
[edit]On May 31, 2024, the Pistons hired Trajan Langdon as President of Basketball Operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following day, the Pistons announced that Troy Weaver had stepped down as general manager.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 19, 2024, Monty Williams was fired as head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 3, 2024, the Pistons hired J. B. Bickerstaff as head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 1, 2025, following a win over the Orlando Magic, the Pistons surpassed the previous season's win total.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 28, the Pistons secured their first winning season since 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also became the second team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season, joining the 2012–13 Charlotte Bobcats, and the first to do so from the previous full season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 4, the Pistons clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2019 with a 117–105 win over the Toronto Raptors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pistons finished the 2024–25 season at 44–38, their best record since 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 21, the Pistons snapped their NBA-record, 15-game postseason losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100–94 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Pistons were ultimately defeated by the Knicks in six games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Media coverage
[edit]Radio
[edit]The Pistons flagship radio station is WXYT-FM.<ref name=Radio>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are several affiliate stations throughout Michigan.<ref name=Radio/> The regular radio announcers are Mark Champion with play-by-play and Rick Mahorn with color commentary.<ref name=Radio/>
TV
[edit]The Pistons' current local television rights holder is FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. Since the 2023–24 NBA season, five games per season have also been simulcast over-the-air on WMYD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The regular TV announcers are George Blaha with play-by-play, Greg Kelser with color commentary, Lindsey Hunter, Grant Long or Tim McCormick with studio analysis and Johnny Kane or Natalie Kerwin with sideline reports.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Team identity
[edit]Logos and uniforms
[edit]Template:Multiple image After moving from Fort Wayne, to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons' uniforms remained largely unchanged for two decades, featuring the word "Pistons" in blue block lettering. In the 1978–79 season, the team featured a uniform with lightning bolts on the sides and in the wordmark on the front of the jerseys. The team discontinued the lightning bolt theme and returned to its classic block lettering and simple side panel pattern in 1981, staying with this look until 1996. That year, the Pistons changed their colors to teal, black, yellow and, red and unveiled a new logo with a horse's head and flaming mane. This color scheme lasted until 2001, when the team returned to the traditional red, white, and blue colors and a uniform pattern taking cues from the 1981–1996 threads.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The horse's head and flaming mane logo lasted until 2005, when the team switched to a more classic logo design.<ref name="2005 logo">Template:Cite web</ref>
On May 16, 2017, the Pistons unveiled a new logo, which is a modernized version of the previous "Bad Boys" era logo used from 1979 to 1996.<ref name="NewPistonsLogo2017" /><ref name="freep-newlogo17">Template:Cite news</ref>
Mascot
[edit]Template:Multiple image Hooper is the mascot of the Pistons. He is depicted as a horse wearing a Pistons jersey. The symbolism is, that like the pistons they are named after, the team produces horsepower.<ref name="2005 logo"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hooper became a part of the team on November 1, 1996, replacing Sir Slam A Lot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Though Hooper was introduced during the teal era to coincide with the Pistons' original equestrian logo, his popularity allowed him to remain a part of the team, despite the horsepower theme being phased out in 2005.<ref name="2005 logo"/>
Origins of the Bad Boys nickname
[edit]At the start of the 1987–88 season, Al Davis, owner of the then Los Angeles Raiders, sent Raiders merchandise to the Pistons to acknowledge the shared view of the teams and their physical style of play. Dan Hauser, Pistons vice-president of Marketing said, "Al sent us Raiders sweaters, and when we played Golden State in Oakland, Al had Raiders warm-ups for us with our names and numbers on them. The rough bad-boy fighting style of the Raiders fits our image. That's why, at our home games at the Palace, you see a sea of black: black caps, black T-shirts, black sweatshirts".<ref name="Holmes"/><ref name="Jauss">Template:Cite web</ref>
The end of season video yearbook produced by the NBA was titled Bad Boys.<ref name="Holmes"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to these factors, the name and image was embraced by the players and fans.<ref name="Holmes"/><ref name="Jauss"/><ref name="mlive"/><ref name="Burchfield"/> Pistons guard Joe Dumars said, "You can't be great in this league and have zero identity."<ref name="mlive">Template:Cite web</ref> Hudson Soft would later develop and publish Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, a futuristic basketball game released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System without rules, without fouls, and weapons are permitted.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The positive view of the team was not universal with Michael Jordan declaring "the Bad Boys are bad for basketball",<ref name="Goodwill"/> later adding "I hated them. And that hate carries even to this day."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David Stern, Commissioner of the NBA at the time, said, "If I had it to do over again, we would be more aggressive in regulating, shall we say, that style of play, because it led to our game becoming much more physical."<ref name="mlive"/>
Jalen Rose, who later starred as a member of the Fab Five at Michigan, embraced the Bad Boys brand as a teenager growing up in Detroit, stating "I loved everything about the Bad Boys. I loved how they played and how they didn't back down. They just went out and kicked the other teams' butts."<ref name="Holmes"/> Pistons announcer George Blaha said, "I think the people of Detroit and all across Michigan loved the Pistons' don't-back-down-ever mentality. Detroit's a working person's town and that's the same type of fan that you have all across the state of Michigan from the big cities to the small towns. Never does a day go by that somebody that I talk to doesn't bring up the Bad Boys; they loved 'em."<ref name="Burchfield">Template:Cite web</ref>
Season-by-season record
[edit]List of the last five seasons completed by the Pistons. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Detroit Pistons seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
| Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2020–21 | 72 | 20 | 52 | Template:Winning percentage | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 23 | 59 | Template:Winning percentage | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 17 | 65 | Template:Winning percentage | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 14 | 68 | Template:Winning percentage | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 82 | 44 | 38 | Template:Winning percentage | 4th, Central | Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Knicks) |
Home arenas
[edit]
- North Side High School Gym (1948–1952)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (1952–1957)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Olympia Stadium (1957–1961)<ref name=Thomas/>
- Memorial Building (University of Detroit) (1957–1961; used as an alternate when Olympia Stadium was occupied)<ref name="vintagedetroit.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Cobo Arena (1961–1978)<ref name=Arenas/>
- Pontiac Silverdome (1978–1988)<ref name=Arenas/>
- The Palace of Auburn Hills (1988–2017)<ref name="Final game"/><ref name="Palace finale"/>
- Little Caesars Arena (2017–present)<ref name="PistonsMove" />
Notes:
- On March 12, 1960, the Pistons hosted a playoff game against the Minneapolis Lakers at Grosse Pointe High School when no other facility (including Olympia Stadium, which was booked for Ice Capades, and the University of Detroit) was available.<ref name="vintagedetroit.com"/>
- On April 27, 1984, the Pistons played game 5 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks at Joe Louis Arena due to a scheduling conflict.<ref name="JLA"/>
- During the 1984–85 season, the Silverdome's roof collapsed, causing the team to temporarily relocate to the Joe Louis Arena for 14 of their remaining 15 home games of the season (March 6 through May 10).<ref name="SBD"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The March 11 game was played at Cobo Arena.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Personnel
[edit]Current roster
[edit]Template:Detroit Pistons roster
Retained draft rights
[edit]The Pistons currently retain no draft rights on unsigned players.
Retired numbers
[edit]| colspan="6" style="Template:NBA color cell;"|Detroit Pistons retired numbers and honorees | ||||
| style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|No. | style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Position | style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Tenure | style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chauncey Billups | G | 2002–2008 2013–2014 1 |
February 10, 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2 | Chuck Daly | Head coach 2 | 1983–1992 | January 25, 1997<ref name="Retired numbers">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 3 | Ben Wallace | C | 2000–2006 2009–2012 3 |
January 16, 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 4 | Joe Dumars | G | 1985–1999 4 | March 10, 2000<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 10 | Dennis Rodman | F | 1986–1993 5 | April 1, 2011<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 11 | Isiah Thomas | G | 1981–1994 | February 17, 1996<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 15 | Vinnie Johnson | G | 1981–1991 | February 5, 1994<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 16 | Bob Lanier | C | 1970–1980 | January 9, 1993<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 21 | Dave Bing | G | 1966–1975 | March 18, 1983<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| 32 | Richard Hamilton | G/F | 2002–2011 | February 26, 2017<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 40 | Bill Laimbeer | C | 1982–1993 | February 4, 1995<ref name="Retired numbers"/> |
| — | Bill Davidson | Team owner | 1974–2009 6 | December 28, 2011<ref name="Davidson banner">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| — | Jack McCloskey | General manager | 1979–1992 7 | March 29, 2008<ref name=McCloskey>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Notes:
- 1 Reggie Jackson wore the number at the time it was retired (2015–2020).<ref name=Numbers/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2 The number was originally retired in honor of Chuck Daly, who never played in the NBA, as it represented the two NBA championship teams he coached. However, the number was unretired on July 30, 2021, for Cade Cunningham after he received permission to wear it from Daly's daughter.<ref name=Daly/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 3 Stanley Johnson wore the number at the time it was retired.<ref name=Numbers>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 4 Also team president from 2000 to 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 5 Greg Monroe wore the number at the time it was retired (2010–2015).<ref name=Monroe/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 6 Banner raised to honor his 35 years with the team.<ref name="Davidson banner"/>
- 7 Banner raised to honor his 13 years as the team's general manager.<ref name=McCloskey/>
- The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Basketball Hall of Fame members
[edit]| colspan="10" style="Template:NBA color cell;"|Detroit Pistons Hall of Famers | |||||||||
| colspan="10" style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Players | |||||||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Andy Phillip | G/F | 1952–1956 | 1961<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 22 | Dave DeBusschere | F | 1962–1968 | 1983<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 17 | Bob Houbregs | C/F | 1954–1958 | 1987<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 20 | Bobby McDermott | G | 1941–1946 | 1988<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 21 | Dave Bing | G | 1966–1975 | 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 11 | Harry Gallatin | F/C | 1957–1958 | 1991<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 16 | Bob Lanier | C | 1970–1980 | 1992<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 8 | Walt Bellamy 1 | C | 1968–1970 | 1993<ref name="Bellamy HOF">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 15 | Dick McGuire | G | 1957–1960 | 1993<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 26 | Buddy Jeannette | G | 1943–1946 | 1994<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 12 | George Yardley | F/G | 1953–1959 | 1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 18 | Bailey Howell | F | 1959–1964 | 1997<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 11 | Bob McAdoo | F/C | 1979–1981 | 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 11 | Isiah Thomas | G | 1981–1994 | 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 4 | Joe Dumars | G | 1985–1999 | 2006<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 45 | Adrian Dantley | F | 1986–1989 | 2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 10 | Dennis Rodman | F | 1986–1993 | 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 24 | Nathaniel Clifton | C/F | 1956–1957 | 2014<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1 | Allen Iverson | G | 2008–2009 | 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 1 | Tracy McGrady | G/F | 2010–2011 | 2017<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 33 | Grant Hill | F | 1994–2000 | 2018<ref name="Hill HOF">Template:Cite web</ref> | 6 | Chuck Cooper | F/G | 1956 | 2019<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 3 6 |
Ben Wallace | C | 2000–2006 2009–2012 |
2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 84 | Chris Webber | F | 2007 | 2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1 | Chauncey Billups | G | 2002–2008 2013–2014 |
2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||||
| colspan="10" style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Coaches | |||||||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | ||
| 2 | Chuck Daly 2 | Head coach | 1983–1992 | 1994<ref name="Daly HOF">Template:Cite web</ref> | Larry Brown | Head coach | 2003–2005 | 2002<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| colspan="10" style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Contributors | |||||||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | ||
| Fred Zollner | Founder/Owner | 1937–1974 | 1999<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 17 | Earl Lloyd 3 | F | 1958–1960 | 2003<ref name="Lloyd">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Bill Davidson | Owner | 1974–2009 | 2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Dick Vitale 4 | Head coach | 1978–1979 | 2008<ref name="Vitale">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 10 | Rod Thorn 5 | G | 1964–1965 | 2018<ref name="ESPN HOF">Template:Cite web</ref> | Doug Collins 6 | Head coach | 1995–1998 | 2024<ref name="2024 HOF">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
Notes:
- 1 In total, Bellamy was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1960 Olympic team.<ref name="Bellamy HOF"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2 In total, Daly was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.<ref name="Daly HOF"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 3 Lloyd was inducted as a contributor as the first African American player and bench coach in the NBA.<ref name="Lloyd" />
- 4 Vitale was inducted as a contributor for his career as a college basketball broadcaster.<ref name="Vitale"/>
- 5 Thorn was inducted as a contributor.<ref name="ESPN HOF"/>
- 6 Collins was inducted as a contributor.<ref name="2024 HOF"/>
FIBA Hall of Famers
[edit]| colspan="5" style="Template:NBA color cell;"|Detroit Pistons Hall of Famers | ||||
| colspan="5" style="Template:NBA color cell2;"|Coaches | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chuck Daly 1 | Head coach | 1983–1992 | 2021<ref name="Daly FIBA">Template:Cite web</ref> |
Notes:
- 1 In total, Daly was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.<ref name="Daly FIBA"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Head coaches
[edit]General managers
[edit]| style="Template:NBA color cell;"|GM | style="Template:NBA color cell;"|Tenure |
|---|---|
| Carl Bennett | 1948–1954<ref name=Executives>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Fred Zollner | 1954–1957<ref name=Executives/> |
| Otto Adams | 1957<ref name=Executives/> |
| Fred DeLano | 1957–1958<ref name=Executives/> |
| W. Nicholas Kerbawy | 1958–1961<ref name=Executives/> |
| Fran Smith | 1961–1964<ref name=Executives/> |
| Don Wattrick | 1964–1965<ref name=Executives/> |
| Ed Coil | 1965–1975<ref name=Executives/> |
| Oscar Feldman | 1975–1977<ref name=Executives/> |
| Bob Kauffman | 1977–1978<ref name=Executives/> |
| Bill Davidson | 1978–1979<ref name=Executives/> |
| Jack McCloskey | 1979–1992<ref name=Executives/> |
| Tom Wilson | 1992<ref name=Executives/> |
| Billy McKinney | 1992–1995<ref name=Executives/> |
| Doug Collins | 1995–1998<ref name=Executives/> |
| Rick Sund | 1998–2000<ref name=Executives/> |
| Joe Dumars | 2000–2014<ref name=Executives/> |
| Jeff Bower | 2014–2018<ref name=Executives/> |
| Ed Stefanski | 2018–2020<ref name=Executives/> |
| Troy Weaver | 2020–2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Trajan Langdon | 2024–present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Individual records and awards
[edit]Franchise leaders
[edit]Bold denotes still active with team.
Italic denotes still active but not with team.
Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2023–24 season)<ref name="basketball-reference1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Isiah Thomas (18,822)
- Joe Dumars (16,401)
- Bob Lanier (15,488)
- Dave Bing (15,235)
- Bill Laimbeer (12,665)
- Richard Hamilton (11,582)
- Vinnie Johnson (10,146)
- Tayshaun Prince (10,006)
- Grant Hill (9,393)
- John Long (9,023)
- Andre Drummond (8,531)
- Bailey Howell (8,182)
- Gene Shue (8,034)
- Chauncey Billups (7,940)
- Kelly Tripucka (7,597)
- Jerry Stackhouse (7,451)
- Eddie Miles (7,419)
- George Yardley (7,339)
- Larry Foust (7,124)
- Dave DeBusschere (7,096)
Other statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2023–24 season)<ref name="basketball-reference1"/> Template:Columns-start
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most minutes played | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Minutes |
| Isiah Thomas | 35,516 |
| Joe Dumars | 35,139 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 30,602 |
| Tayshaun Prince | 26,166 |
| Dave Bing | 26,052 |
| Bob Lanier | 24,640 |
| Richard Hamilton | 21,679 |
| Ben Wallace | 21,358 |
| Vinnie Johnson | 20,218 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 18,574 |
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most rebounds | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Rebounds |
| Bill Laimbeer | 9,430 |
| Andre Drummond | 8,199 |
| Bob Lanier | 8,063 |
| Ben Wallace | 7,264 |
| Dennis Rodman | 6,299 |
| Larry Foust | 5,200 |
| Walter Dukes | 4,986 |
| Dave DeBusschere | 4,947 |
| Bailey Howell | 4,583 |
| Ray Scott | 4,508 |
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most assists | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Assists |
| Isiah Thomas | 9,061 |
| Joe Dumars | 4,612 |
| Dave Bing | 4,330 |
| Chauncey Billups | 2,984 |
| Grant Hill | 2,720 |
| Vinnie Johnson | 2,661 |
| Richard Hamilton | 2,419 |
| Bob Lanier | 2,256 |
| Tayshaun Prince | 2,074 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 2,038 |
Template:Columns-end Template:Columns-start
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most steals | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Steals |
| Isiah Thomas | 1,861 |
| Ben Wallace | 931 |
| Joe Dumars | 902 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 896 |
| Andre Drummond | 823 |
| Chris Ford | 785 |
| Vinnie Johnson | 708 |
| Grant Hill | 694 |
| John Long | 649 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 632 |
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most blocks | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Blocks |
| Ben Wallace | 1,486 |
| Terry Tyler | 1,070 |
| Andre Drummond | 927 |
| Bob Lanier | 859 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 857 |
| John Salley | 709 |
| Rasheed Wallace | 623 |
| Tayshaun Prince | 448 |
| Jason Maxiell | 426 |
| Dennis Rodman | 399 |
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell;"|Most three-pointers made | |
|---|---|
| style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Player | style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|3-pointers made |
| Joe Dumars | 990 |
| Chauncey Billups | 890 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 793 |
| Rasheed Wallace | 581 |
| Tayshaun Prince | 510 |
| Terry Mills | 495 |
| Saddiq Bey | 487 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 479 |
| Reggie Jackson | 469 |
| Richard Hamilton | 413 |
Individual awards
[edit]Template:Columns-start NBA Finals MVP
- Joe Dumars – 1989<ref name="1989 Pistons"/>
- Isiah Thomas – 1990<ref name="1990 Finals"/>
- Chauncey Billups – 2004<ref name="2004 Pistons"/><ref name="Game 5"/>
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Dennis Rodman – 1990, 1991<ref name=Defensive>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ben Wallace – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006<ref name=Defensive/>
- Don Meineke – 1953<ref name=Rookie>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dave Bing – 1967<ref name=Rookie/>
- Grant Hill – 1995<ref name=Rookie/>
- Corliss Williamson – 2002<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ray Scott – 1974<ref name=Coach>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Rick Carlisle – 2002<ref name=Coach/>
- Joe Dumars – 2003<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Joe Dumars – 1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- Bob Lanier – 1978<ref name=Citizenship>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Kent Benson – 1982<ref name=Citizenship/>
- Isiah Thomas – 1987<ref name=Citizenship/>
- Joe Dumars – 1994<ref name=Citizenship/>
- Chauncey Billups – 2008<ref name=Citizenship/>
Template:Column All-NBA First Team
- Larry Foust – 1955<ref name="All NBA Team">Template:Cite web</ref>
- George Yardley – 1958<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Gene Shue – 1960<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Dave Bing – 1968, 1971<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Isiah Thomas – 1984–1986<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Grant Hill – 1997<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Fred Schaus – 1950<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Larry Foust – 1952<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- George Yardley – 1957<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Gene Shue – 1961<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Bailey Howell – 1963<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Dave DeBusschere – 1969<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Dave Bing – 1974<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Isiah Thomas – 1983, 1987<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Joe Dumars – 1993<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Grant Hill – 1996, 1998–2000<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Ben Wallace – 2003, 2004, 2006<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Chauncey Billups – 2006<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Joe Dumars – 1990, 1991<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Dennis Rodman – 1992<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Ben Wallace – 2002, 2005<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Chauncey Billups – 2007<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Andre Drummond – 2016<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
- Blake Griffin – 2019<ref name="All NBA Team"/>
Template:Column NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Joe Dumars – 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993<ref name="All Defensive Team">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dennis Rodman – 1989–1993<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Ben Wallace – 2002–2006<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- M. L. Carr – 1979<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Joe Dumars – 1991<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Clifford Robinson – 2002<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Chauncey Billups – 2005, 2006<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Tayshaun Prince – 2005–2008<ref name="All Defensive Team"/>
- Dave DeBusschere – 1963<ref name="All Rookie Team">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Joe Caldwell – 1965<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Tom Van Arsdale – 1966<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Dave Bing – 1967<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Bob Lanier – 1971<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Terry Tyler – 1979<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Isiah Thomas – 1982<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Kelly Tripucka – 1982<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Joe Dumars – 1986<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Grant Hill – 1995<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Brandon Knight – 2012<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Saddiq Bey – 2021<ref name="2021 Rookie Team">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Cade Cunningham – 2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Lindsey Hunter – 1994<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Željko Rebrača – 2002<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Rodney Stuckey – 2008<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Jonas Jerebko – 2010<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Greg Monroe – 2011<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Andre Drummond – 2013<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Kyle Singler – 2013<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Isaiah Stewart – 2021<ref name="2021 Rookie Team"/>
- Jalen Duren – 2023<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
- Jaden Ivey – 2023<ref name="All Rookie Team"/>
NBA All-Star Weekend
[edit]NBA Eastern All-Star Game head coach
- Chuck Daly – 1990<ref name="Early All-Stars">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Doug Collins – 1997<ref name="Early All-Stars"/>
- Flip Saunders – 2006<ref name="2006 All-Star Game"/><ref name="Early All-Stars"/>
- Bob Lanier – 1974<ref name="All-Star Game MVP">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Isiah Thomas – 1984, 1986<ref name="All-Star Game MVP"/>
Rivalries
[edit]Chicago Bulls
[edit]Boston Celtics
[edit]Los Angeles Lakers
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Detroit Pistons Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control Template:Portal bar