[73] 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. [254] On August 3, 2017, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official. [260] On June 11, 2018, Dwane Casey was hired by the Pistons to be their new head coach, agreeing to a five-year deal. Our first NBA champions? 2023 www.freep.com. [228] The team went on a lengthy winning streak, but finished the season with a record of only 3250 after Brandon Jennings' Achilles injury. [252] The last remaining NBA franchise to play in a suburban location, the Pistons ended their 39 a year stay in Oakland County. [80], Following the 199394 season, they were able to draft Grant Hill, a promising small forward, with the third overall pick. Jan 23 @ CHI, DET (27-14) beat CHI, 107-95, 42. [243] The eighth-seeded Pistons faced the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs. [49][50] The team adopted a physical, defense-oriented style of play, which eventually earned them the nickname "Bad Boys". Apr 10 @ NYK, DET (55-21) beat NYK, 108-98, 78. Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP. [129] Meanwhile, Brown was forced to leave the team on two occasions due to health concerns. [22][41], The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when they drafted point guard Isiah Thomas from Indiana University. [39][54][55] 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. This Thursday, ESPN 1 will air its latest "30 for 30" documentary special, "Bad Boys," which explores the notorious Pistons era that brought Detroit back-to-back NBA championships 25 years. [286][287], The end of season video yearbook produced by the NBA was titled Bad Boys. Central Division, PTS/G: 36 PICK IN 2022 NBA DRAFT, AND FUTURE DRAFT CONSIDERATIONS FROM PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS IN EXCHANGE FOR JERAMI GRANT AND RIGHTS TO NO. Apr 22, DET (59-23) beat CHI, 111-106, Ranks are per game (except for MP, which are total) and sorted descending (except for TOV and PF); opponents ranked are flipped; year/year calculations are also per game, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. [11], In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons and jumped to the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Nov 11 @ MIA, DET (3-3) lost to MIA, 84-88, 10. Feb 3 @ CLE, DET (32-14) beat CLE, 105-100, 49. The deal also included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre. [238][239], The Pistons entered the All-Star break at 2727. The Detroit Pistons 'Bad Boy' team won back to back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990. [210] The Pistons finished with a 2755 record, their worst since 1994. Or write about sports? And it was James Edwards, the symbol of bench strength, towering over the opponents, blocking shots, slamming in baskets so hard it brought tears to your eyes. Per FiveThirtyEight, the more unsportsmanlike they were, the more they won. Feb 21, DET (39-14) beat ORL, 140-109, 54. [103][104][105] The Pistons posted consecutive 50-win seasons and advanced to the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1991. [186] On June 3, 2008, the Pistons announced that Flip Saunders would not return as head coach. They won gamesand championships. 2 seed Pistons to 35 2nd-half points in Game 1 upset", "Dalembert spearheads Sixers' stifling defense in Game 3 win", "Strong start boosts Pistons past 76ers, into second round", "Howard fails to put up big numbers as Billups, Pistons win Game 1", "After review, NBA says Billups' 3-pointer should not have counted", "Lewis leads way as Magic punish Pistons with 3-pointers in Game 3", "Hamilton scores 32, Prince nails go-ahead shot to seal Game 4 win", "Pistons pull away late to advance to 6th straight conference finals", "Pierce, James duke it out as Celtics close out Cavs in Game 7", "Reaching Five Consecutive Conference Finals", "Celtics too much for Pistons as Boston maintains unbeaten record at home", "Hamilton's 25 help Pistons derail Celtics, even Eastern finals", "Garnett, balanced Celtics stun Pistons for first playoff road win", "Celtics have trouble with shot as Pistons send series to Boston tied 2-2", "Celtics stifle Pistons' Game 5 push on Allen's jumper, free throws", "Pierce shoots Celtics to first Finals appearance since '87", "Celtics smash Lakers, bring home 17th NBA championship", "Source: Curry to succeed Saunders as Pistons seek new voice", "Pistons Name Michael Curry as Head Coach", "Denver Nuggets trade Allen Iverson to Detroit Pistons", "Pistons Acquire Allen Iverson from Denver in Exchange for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb", "Pistons Sign Free Agent Antonio McDyess", "Lawrence: Pistons sputter since Iverson trade", "Richard Hamilton of Detroit Pistons echoes Allen Iverson on problems with ex-coach Michael Curry", "Youthful Nets falter as Pistons clinch eighth straight playoff appearance", "Piston confined to eighth seed after Gordon's layup in final ticks breaks tie", "Wade wins scoring title as Heat finish season with OT victory", "LeBron takes control as Cavaliers sweep up Pistons", "Pistons fire coach Michael Curry after one season", "Allen Iverson officially joins Memphis Grizzlies", "Pistons Sign Free Agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva", "NBA free agents: Detroit Pistons sign Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva", "NBA free agents: Agent: Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace to sign with Boston Celtics", "NBA free agents: Antonio McDyess chooses San Antonio Spurs", "Sources: John Kuester of Cleveland Cavaliers to be Detroit Pistons' coach", "Pistons Sign Free Agent Center Ben Wallace", "Poll: If no more roster moves are made, how good will the Pistons be this season? The Pistons went on to beat Boston in 6 and won their first Conference title since they moved from Fort Wayne. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. At the very end of the third quarter, Chauncey Billups hit a three-point field goal that gave the Pistons a three-point lead. Opp PTS/G: You never lose respect for the champions. Won NBA Eastern Conference First Round (3-0) versus Indiana Pacers Win the Lakers did, battling through a seven-game NBA Finals and even trailing the Bad Boy Pistons of Detroit three games to two before eking out a one-point win in Game 6 and getting 36 points . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, WL% = Winning percentage. [12] In the decisive Game 7, the Pistons led 4124 early in the second quarter before the Nationals rallied to win the game. [189][190] McDyess was later waived on November 10 and rejoined the Pistons on December 9. [65][66] 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. [278][280], The Pistons' current exclusive local television rights holder is Bally Sports Detroit. Jan 10 @ BOS, DET (23-12) lost to BOS, 97-104, 37. WERE THE BAAAD BOYS!. Feb 23 @ ATL, DET (39-15) lost to ATL, 103-112, 55. Now, before anyone calls me a hater, let me just make it clear- the Pistons are an all-time great team, I just don't see how they frequently get ranked in the top 5 or top 10 teams of all time. 59-23, Finished 1st in NBA Pistons won the game 101-79, gaining a 2-1 series lead. No, the Pistons were turning a page, and for some damn reason that meant burying the history of the best team in franchise history. Nov 29 @ PHO, DET (9-5) beat PHO, 111-103, 15. Remembering one of the most brutal losses in Detroit sports history, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. (Series Stats), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. [213][214][215] According to Crain's Detroit Business, the final sale price was $325 million, far lower than expected. [231][232][233][234] They also drafted rookie Stanley Johnson with the eighth pick in the 2015 NBA draft and re-signed point guard Reggie Jackson. Nov 26 @ POR, DET (7-5) lost to POR, 82-102, 13. "[51] Pistons announcer George Blaha said, "I think the people of Detroit and all across Michigan loved the Pistons' don't-back-down-ever mentality. Thomas and Laimbeer drew criticism for not shaking hands and left the court with 7.9 seconds left in the . They won two NBA titles back-to-back, even beating the Showtime Lakers in the 1989 Finals. [265][266] 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. "In the end, there would be no denying them; they wanted this more than life itself.". The Pistons used a balanced attack in the 1989 series finale, with six players scoring in double-figures, as they rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half. [15][39] After taking a 32 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6. [253], On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena. Net Rtg: +6.4 (3rd of 27), Preseason Odds: The Bulls finally broke through in the 1991 conference finals, and they did so in dominant fashion, sweeping Detroit 4-0 to deliver an unceremonious end to the Pistons' back-to-back championship . Join our linker program. They were the dominant two-time NBA champion in. The Pistons would win the series in six. The dirty play and the flagrant fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. They missed the playoffs for the eighth time in ten years. Do you have a blog? [223] His tenure lasted for just a bit more than half a season, as he was replaced by interim coach John Loyer. Even with the Pistons in the rear-view mirror, Jordan recognized the need to continue lifting weights. Franchise history [ edit] 1937-1957: Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons [ edit] That moment came 31 years ago Saturday night, at. [96] Both quickly entered the Pistons' starting lineup. In 1989, the Pistons were stronger and posted a season-best record of 63-19. In particular, there are accusations that the team may have intentionally lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals. [280], 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. Jan 26, DET (28-14) beat PHO, 107-103, 43. 10", "Pistons' Greg Monroe likely to give up No. [52][53], 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. [43] Another key move by the Pistons was the hiring of head coach Chuck Daly in 1983. They had a reputation for being the toughest team in the NBA, but they were more than just a bunch of thugs. [94] He quickly faced what appeared to be a setback for the franchise, as Grant Hill elected to leave for the Orlando Magic. Feb 17 @ MIA, DET (37-14) beat MIA, 97-79, 53. The Pistons have won three NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004 . But Who were the Detroit Piston Bad Boys? [267][268] The Pistons finished the season with a 2046 record. The team is banking on the top pick and a young core for revival. 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). [120] During the 2005 playoffs, they easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 41 and then rallied from a 21 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers, 42. The "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons. [25] 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. [4][283], Hooper is the mascot of the Pistons. Wallace was absolutely crucial for the Pistons 2004 championship win with his interior defense. Dec 13 @ LAC, DET (13-8) lost to LAC, 79-83, 22. Now, more than 30 years. Miami defeated the Pistons in six games en route to the 2006 NBA championship. . [143][144], 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. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Little Caesars Arena, located in Midtown Detroit. ", "Bulls Make NBA Safe for 'Solid' Basketball", "Clippers Get Edwards--or a Big Headache: NBA: They trade reserve guard Martin and a draft pick to get 7-foot-1 Piston center, but he is on his way to Italy", "BACKCOURT-RICH PISTONS WAIVE VINNIE JOHNSON", "1991-92 Detroit Pistons Schedule and Results", "Knicks Shatter More Than Pistons' Season: NBA playoffs: Their series-clinching 94-87 victory over Detroit may mark the end of an era", "PISTONS DEAL SALLEY, MAY GO AFTER OLAJUWON", "Spurs Give Rodman Fresh Start: Pro basketball: Pistons get Sean Elliott in trade for the NBA leader in rebounds and problems", "Draft Flashback: Grant Hill saves the day", "PRO BASKETBALL;A New Backcourt: Childs and Houston Join the Knicks", "PRO BASKETBALL / UPDATE: AROUND THE NBA: Pistons Replace Rothstein With Chaney", "The Teal Era: When everything went wrong for the Pistons", "PISTONS REV UP "NEW BREED" WITH NEW LOGO AND LOOK", "Unwanted Ben Wallace Started Detroit Pistons' 21 Century Re-Birth", "2000-01 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats", "2001-02 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats", "Stack Comes Through to Help Pistons Move On", "Balanced Celtics Wear Down Pistons to Move On", "Pistons Sign Free Agent Guard Chauncey Billups", "PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL; Pistons' Stackhouse Traded to Wizards", "2002-03 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats", "Pistons Slip Past Sixers in OT, Off to Conference Finals", "No sense trying to explain Carlisle's firing", "Pistons Fire Highly Successful Carlisle, Set Sights On Brown", "Wallace lands in Detroit in three-team deal", "Top Moments: Pistons shock NBA world, win championship in 2004", "For Pacers' Carlisle, a Grudge Match Minus the Grudge", "Experts thought the Lakers would crush the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. [19][22], 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. [174], In addition to losing Game 3 badly, 11186, the Pistons also lost all-star point guard and team leader Chauncey Billups to a hamstring injury. ", "Pistons Fans Feel Good Looking Real Bad", "Pistons 'Bad Boys' special on ESPN evokes emotions a quarter-century later", "The Bad Boys Capture Back-To-Back Championships: Pistons Fans, Players Remember The Team's Golden Years", "The Weirdest Celebrity-Based Video Games", "Don't buy into Michael Jordan's narrative: The 'Bad Boys' Pistons deserve your respect", "Michael Jordan says he still hates the 'Bad Boys' Detroit Pistons", "1948-49 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats", "1949-50 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats", "1950-51 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats", "1951-52 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats", "Allen County War Memorial Coliseum - History", "Reflections on the Humble Beginnings of the Detroit Pistons", "NBA Salary Cap FAQ 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement", "DETROIT PISTONS ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO GABRIELE PROCIDA, NO. [188] On November 3, 2008, the Pistons traded key members Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. I think we play clean basketball. The Pistons were storming the throne room, grabbing the basketball, stealing it, owning it, banking it off glass, slamming it through the rim, counting the seconds until destiny lifted her veil and gave them that long-awaited kiss, smack on the lips. [140][141][142] Things did not improve against the second-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. [9] In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table. Dec 27 @ CLE, DET (17-10) beat CLE, 99-82, 28. [160], In the 2007 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Rodney Stuckey with the 15th overall pick and Arron Afflalo with the 27th overall pick. Who in Detroit will ever forget? [39], 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. "[185] After that, the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals. The 20 wins were also tied for the second-fewest in franchise history at the time. Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup. Feb 25 @ NYK, DET (40-15) beat NYK, 98-87, 56. [194][195] As a result of this and poor play, the Pistons dropped down the standings, only clinching a playoff berth on April 10, 2009. [51][287] Due to these factors, the name and image was embraced by the players and fans. 1 in NBA draft", "Detroit Pistons end with 118-106 loss to Philadelphia 76ers, nail down No. [257], 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. [145], To replace Ben Wallace, the Pistons signed Nazr Mohammed. [102], 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. [241] On April 6, 2016, following a 108104 win over the Orlando Magic, the Pistons reached 42 wins and were assured their first winning season since the 200708 season. Mar 11 @ CHH, DET (47-15) beat CHH, 98-88, 64. Instead, on this magic night, against the defending world champions, it was captain Isiah Thomas down the middle like a bullet, driving and flipping and passing every Laker en route to a lay-up. [74] 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. [130][131] Brown was promptly named head coach of the New York Knicks, while the Pistons hired Flip Saunders, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves. So in short, the Pistons won as the great teams of the 80s had slowed down, and the great . [98] 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. [66] 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. Dec 29, DET (17-11) lost to MIL, 85-99, 29. It was the exclamation point on a. [211] Another 50-loss season, this time finishing at 3052, led to the firing of Kuester at the end of the 201011 season. 3 lottery odds", "Detroit Pistons whacked 103-81 by Chicago Bulls in Dwane Casey's final game as coach", "Detroit Pistons in danger of historic franchise futility mark", "Pistons returning to 97.1 FM The Ticket", "Detroit Pistons Basketball on Bally Sports Detroit", "Pistons go retro, unveil new logo downtown", "Detroit Pistons add new Hooper for Summer League; is that you, dad? One of the biggest upsets in history. [146] He struggled to fill the team's void at center, however, and the team began looking for additional help. [39] The 197980 team lost its last 14 games of the season which, when coupled with the seven losses at the start of the 198081 season, constituted a then-NBA record losing streak of 21 games. An hour after the round ended, McDaniels and Ziegler unwound in the draft room. "[288] 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. [240] The Pistons surpassed their win totals from the 200910 season to the 201415 season on March 9, 2016, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 10296. [100][101] They lost, however, to the Boston Celtics in five games. [113][117] 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. [273] The Pistons finished the 202122 season at 2359, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. 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. [48] After the series, changes were made in order to make the team more defensive-minded. [80][81] In the first round of the 1992 NBA playoffs, the Pistons were defeated by the New York Knicks in five games. Dec 23, DET (16-10) beat ORL, 106-100, 27. [153][154][155] The Bulls avoided elimination by winning Games 4 and 5, but the Pistons closed out the series, 9585, in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season. Founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as a semi-professional company basketball team called the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in 1937, they would turn pro in 1941 as a member of the National Basketball League (NBL), where they won two NBL championships: in 1944 and 1945. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. . MORE: Michael Jordan's hatred for Isiah Thomas, 'Bad Boy' Pistons is still very, very real That takes away from what Detroit really was. That's why, at our home games at the Palace, you see a sea of black: black caps, black T-shirts, black sweatshirts". Those were Mitch Albom's opening words from his column in the Free Press on June 14, 1989, under the headline "Not Bad, Boys!" The Detroit Pistons built a team in the late 80s that were considered to be Bad Boys, literally. Twenty-six years ago yesterday, the Detroit Pistons beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim their second consecutive championship. Had MJ joined the Lakers and linked up with Phil then that's a different story. He would have been expected to win championships with Shaq. [152] After winning the first two games by 26 and 21 points, the Pistons overcame a 19-point deficit to win Game 3, 8174. [290], The positive view of the team was not universal with Michael Jordan declaring "the Bad Boys are bad for basketball,"[291] later adding "I hated them.