History of Detroit Pistons

Who does not know the Pistons? Any basketball fan would know that they are the beloved basketball team of Detroit. However, very few know its origin. So let us take a time out and discover the history of the Pistons.
They first played for the National basketball League or the NBL. The team carried the name Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. The team then played for the Basketball Association of America or the BAA as the Fort Wayne Pistons. The two leagues, NBL and BAA, merged in 1949 and formed the National Basketball Association, the NBA.
The team was famous during that time. They were even a runner up in the 1955 and 1956 NBA finals. However, the team was very controversial as well. There were many speculations that the team was involved in gambling. There were rumors that they have thrown numbers of games including the 1955 NBA Finals. This was because of a series of mistakes and turnovers that caused them the winning shot.The team moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957 because of profit generation issues. They then became what we now know as the Detroit Pistons.
In the 1960s, Dave DeBusschere and Dave Bing made exciting moments. At that time, DeBusschere was a playing coach. At 24, he was the youngest coach in the league history. Bing was also a promising basketball superstar. He was averaging 20 points a game with four rebounds. However, this was not enough to get the team pass the second round. It was unfortunate for the team to trade DeBusschere to the New York Knicks in 1968. The Detroit native has helped the Knicks earn two NBA championships.
The seventies was a roller coaster ride for the Pistons. They had some great winning seasons in the early years but posted its worst at 16-60 from 1979 to 1980.They changed their coaches eight times and they also changed ownership. In 1974, Fred Zollner sold the team to William Davidson. They also changed their home from the Cobo Home to the Silverdome.
The 1980s were one of the best decades in the history of the franchise. The fate of the team changed when they drafted Kelly Tripucka and Isiah Thomas. The team also acquired Vinnie Johnson and Bill Laimbeer. Although they had a tough time, the team was able to manage. Players like Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn, and Mark Aguirre became part of the team. The team play was tough and physical. This gave birth to their Bad Boys nickname. They became one of the most hated teams in the NBA. In addition, they earned two consecutive NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.
The nineties paved the way for young basketball stars. The time of the Bad Boys ended after the trading of key players and retirement of Thomas and Laimbeer. One of the rising stars was Grant Hill. The Detroit Pistons had strong seasons in the late 90s. However, Hill suffered from a serious injury that ended their play off attempt.
There were several changes in their roster in the ensuing years. This paid off because they won the NBA title in 2004, defeating the strong team of the LA Lakers.
Today, the team has five national titles including the two titles they earned in the NBL. They have seven conference titles and sixteen division titles including the four titles they earned from NBL.

By Rick Grantham