About the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons franchise began in 1940 when Fred Zollner, owner of Zollner Machine Company decided to create his own basket ball team.  Dubbed the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons they joined the National Basketball League in 1941 and went all the way to the championship game in thier first year.  Their loss to the Oshkosh all starts didn't take away their first as the Pistons made it to the finals again in 1943 only to fall to Sheboygan Redskins by one point.  The Pistons would have their payback by winning their first championship the following year and repeating in 1945.

Once the BAA and NBL merged the Pistons continued on their dominating ways.  In the first five years of the NBA's inception the Pistons went to the playoffs each year, making it to the division playoff finals twice in that span.  In 1955 and 56 the Zollner Pistons reached the NBA finals both years but lost each time.  Either way, there was no doubting that the Pistons were a force to be reconed with in the NBA once the two leagues merged. 

Once they proved themselves as a good team, the Pistons moved to Detroit and changed their name to the Detroit Pistons.  With a new name the Detroit Pistons were the same old team, making the playoffs in each year for more than a decade.  Failing to win an NBA Finals Championship in that span was compounded by a unsucessful team that followed.  In the mid 1960's and the early 1970's the Detroit Pistons were a perrennial lottery team untill the Detroit Pistons drafted Dave Bing who won rookie of the year in 1967.  Once he was complemented by big man Bob Lanier, the Detroit Pistons returned to the playoffs in 1974.  Unfortunatly theri fortunes only lasted one year as Bing was traded in 1975 and Lanier was left to deal with the mess.  Three years of futility followed and the Detroit Pistons acquired Dick Vitale to try to coach the team out of mediocrity, but it wasn't untill Chuck Daly took over as coach in 1983. 

The Detroit Pistons were one of the hottest teams in the 1980's.  Dubbed the Bad Boys because of their physical style of play under Daly, the Pistons were perrennial playoff contenders.  With a lineup of all-stars Bill Laimbeer, Isiah Thomas, and Joe Dumars the Detroit Pistons made it to the NBA finals in 1987 but lost to the Boston Celtics.  It wasn't their first trip to the finals and wouldn't be their last as they made it to the NBA finals the next year and got their revenge by beating the Boston Celtics.  In 1988 the Detroit Pistons made it to the NBA finals again but were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Detroit Pistons would win two more championships between 1989 and 1990 before the star players on the team were disbanded and the Chicago Bulls started to Dominate the Eastern Conference. 

Fans have plenty to be exited about going into the future as the Detroit Pistons have a new team, a new coach and a new facility.  Stars on the team include Guard Richard Hamilton, and Forwards Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace.  Toghether they form a tough, fundamental team that beats you with hard work, tenatious defense, good coaching and game managment.  The Detroit Pistons won the NBA finals championship in 2003 by defeating their long-time rival the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Detroit Pistons have a solid squad going into the next year and hope to bring home another NBA Finals Championship.