Detroit Pistons Tickets

Staff Writer Nichole P. Pingel
In 1957 franchise owner Fred Zollner moved the Ft. Wayne Pistons to Detroit so the team could compete financially with others in big cities such as Los Angeles, Boston and New York. Before coming to Detroit, the Pistons won two straight division titles and made two NBA Finals appearances.

In 1962 Detroit drafted Dave DuBusschere and Dave Bing four years later. DuBusschere became a player-coach for the Pistons at age 24, which made him the youngest person in NBA history to hold a coaching position. Bing was named Rookie of the Year but the two men could not carry the team through the playoffs. Drafting Bob Lanier later in the decade gave Detroit hope.

The team completed its first 50-win season in 1973-74. The Pistons finished 52-30 that season. Throughout the decade the franchise changed coaches eight times before Dick Vitale was finally selected

In 1981 Detroit selected Isiah Thomas and signed Bill Laimbeer while Chuck Daly became head coach. Thomas would go on to be named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Laimbeer was known for not only committing flagrant fouls, but also for faking contact with opponents so his defender would draw the foul. He is also known as the team’s all-time leading rebounder. Daly coached Detroit for nine seasons, guiding the team into the postseason each time. He also invented the “Jordan Rules” defensive system that forced the Chicago Bulls to take their offensive focus off Jordan.

The Pistons also added players such as Joe Dumars, Dennis “Worm” Rodman, John “Spider” Salley and James Edwards to the roster. Dumars was one of the league’s most underrated players – he had a quiet demeanor, yet was part of the “Bad Boys” era. Rodman was drafted by Detroit in 1988. He earned the nickname “Worm” for his tendency to wiggle while playing pinball. (Who doesn’t?) Rodman was traded to Chicago from San Antonio prior to the 1995-96 season, eventually winning three more NBA Championships. Finally, he is one of only three players in league history to win multiple championships with multiple teams (two in Detroit and three in Chicago) Salley earned the nickname “Spider” for his long legs and arms. He also played 17 games for the Bulls in 1996. “The Bad Boys” of Detroit were despised throughout the league, especially in Boston and Chicago, as a result of their rough, physical game. The team reached the playoffs from 1983-90 and won two consecutive league titles in 1989 and 1990.

In 1991 Daly resigned and Edwards was traded. The Pistons later retired the No. 2 for Daly in honor of the team’s two championships. Thomas and Laimbeer retired two years later, just as Allen Houston, Lindsey Hunter and Grant Hill joined the roster. Doug Collins became head coach. In 1998 Dumars retired and moved into the team’s front office.

Dumars traded Hill and acquired Ben Wallace and made Rick Carlisle head coach in 2000. During the following two seasons Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince were added to the roster. In 2003, Larry Brown, who led the Pistons to 54 wins that season as Rasheed Wallace joined the team, replaced Carlisle. The next season saw Detroit snatch the league championship away from the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2005, the Pistons fell seven points short of a repeat NBA title over the San Antonio Spurs… and the rest, as they say, is history.

For more information on the Detroit Pistons, visit www.nba.com/pistons