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Information from NBA.com 2003-04: The Detroit Pistons are the NBA Champions An inspired Detroit squad opened up a 23-point lead after three quarters and poured it on in the final stanza en ro  ute
to a 100-87 Finals-clinching win over the Lakers in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Richard Hamilton fired in a team-leading 21 points and Ben Wallace
hauled in 22 rebounds to go with 18 points. The win marked the third
championship for Detroit, the first since the 1989-90 season.2002-03: Back-to-Back Central Division Champs Back-to-back Central Division Champions, back-to-back 50-win seasons, back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Executive of the Year award, the top seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, and Eastern Conference Title Finalists is stating the obvious - the Detroit Pistons finished one of the best seasons in franchise history. 2001-02: Pistons are Central Divison Champions # The Detroit Pistons finished 50-32 and captured their first Central Division title since 1990 and made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1991. Detroit defeated Toronto three games to two in the first round and lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals four games to one. 2000-01: Despite Glum Season, Stackhouse Prevails Jerry Stackhouse was named to the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Team for the second consecutive season and led the Pistons in scoring and assists. Detroit finished 32-50, fifth in the Central Division and did not make the playoffs for the first time in three years. 1999-2000: #4 is Retired, Dumars is Back The Pistons retired the number 4 jersey of former guard Joe Dumars on March 10, 2000 and was named the team’s President of Basketball Operations on June 6, 2000. The Pistons finished 42-40, fourth in the Central Division, and made the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. 1998-99: Joe D. Hangs 'Em Up During his 14-year career, Joe Dumars was a two-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star and full-time gentleman. And when he played his final game - an 87-75 loss to Atlanta in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series - an era ended for the Detroit Pistons. 1997-98: Many Changes In Motown Detroit signed a new center, pulled off a big trade and replaced their coach. The one constant to the Pistons' season was forward Grant Hill, who was voted to start in the All-Star Game for the fourth year in a row. 1996-97: Hill, Pistons Forge Forward Two years removed from a 28-win season, the Detroit Pistons emerged among the NBA's elite in 1996-97, posting 54 wins and advancing to the postseason for the second straight season.  1995-96: Collins Leads Pistons Back to Playoffs The key to the Pistons' success didn't even wear a uniform. Doug Collins, first-year coach of the Pistons, led the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 1991-92. 1994-95: Hill Highlights Pistons' Disappointing Season Rookie Grant Hill was even better than expected, emerging as the team's top scorer at 19.9 points per game. An immediate star and fan favorite, Hill was the first rookie ever to lead all players in fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game. 1993-94: Still Out of Contention Prior to training camp Detroit traded a disgruntled Dennis Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott. Bill Laimbeer retired 11 games into the season, leaving the club with only two players, Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, who had been Pistons during the team's two championships. 1992-93: Playoffs A Thing Of The Past In 1992-93 the Pistons plummeted to 40-42 under new coach Ron Rothstein and finished out of the playoffs for the first time since 1983. 1991-92: Detroit's Rebounding King Dennis "Worm" Rodman dwarfed the rest of the league as a rebounder during the 1991-92 season, leading the NBA with 18.7 boards per game. He set new team standards for most rebounds (1,530), most offensive rebounds (523), and most defensive rebounds (1,007) in a season.  1989-91: Thomas Leads Detroit To Repeat Performance Detroit finished with a 59-23 regular-season mark, then sailed through the playoffs until meeting the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit prevailed in the seven-game series, then knocked off Portland in the 1990 NBA Finals, four games to one. Isiah Thomas was named Finals MVP. Isiah Thomas: Leader of the Bad Boys When Isiah entered the NBA, he joined a terrible Pistons team that had won only 16 and 21 games in the previous two seasons. Thomas became a big part of the Bad Boys, the captain, the unquestioned leader, who in turn would help lead the Pistons a pair of NBA Championships. 1988-89: 63 Wins, A New Arena And A World Title Just nine years after hitting rock bottom with a 16-66 record, the Pistons reached the top of the basketball world in 1989. Their 63 wins in the 1988-89 season were a franchise best. That season the Pistons also moved into a new home-the 21,454-seat Palace of Auburn Hills. 1986-88: "Microwave" Cooks, And So Do Pistons The dominating backcourt of Thomas and Joe Dumars was supported by Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson, who was sent into games to provide instant offense. The Pistons were also becoming known for their tough defense and physical play, which earned them the nickname "the Bad Boys." 1983-86: Detroit Acquires Daly And Dumars In 1983 the Pistons hired Chuck Daly as coach. In the 1985 NBA Draft the Pistons picked 6-3 guard Joe Dumars out of McNeese State, securing the third member of the Thomas-Laimbeer-Dumars triumvirate that anchored their championship teams of the future. 1980-83: Pistons Hit The Jackpot The Pistons hit the jackpot, wielding the No. 2 pick in the 1981 NBA Draft, Detroit selected Isiah Thomas, a multitalented guard from Indiana University. 1978-80: The One And Only Dick Vitale The club had a new head coach, Dick Vitale, who later gained fame as a television sports personality. Vitale didn't have the answers for the Pistons, as Detroit dropped to 30-52. 1970-78: Mr. Inside Joins Mr. Outside In 1970 big Bob Lanier, a 6-11, 265-pound former All-American from St. Bonaventure, was chosen with Detroit's No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Throughout the early 1970s, Lanier and David Bing were an effective inside-outside team. 1966-70: Pistons Draft Future Hall Of Famer The Pistons owned the No. 2 pick in the 1966 NBA Draft and selected Dave Bing, a 6-3 guard who became one of the top scorers in franchise history. 1961-66: A New Arena And A New Star In 1961-62 the Pistons began playing their home games at Cobo Arena, where they remained through the 1977-78 season. In 1962 the Pistons drafted Dave DeBusschere. The 6-6, 235-pounder led the Pistons in rebounding for three seasons, beginning in 1965-66. 1957-61: Coaches Come And Go, But They All Lose Although the teams weren't very good, Detroit did have some stalwart players. George Yardley led the league in scoring in 1957-58 with 27.8 points per game, a mark that survived into the 1990s as the best in Pistons history. 1948-57: From The NBL To The BAA To The NBA Following the 1949 playoffs the NBL and BAA merged to form the National Basketball Association. The Pistons were placed in the Central Division, the circuit's toughest, along with the Minneapolis Lakers and the Rochester Royals. 1941-48: The Zollner Pistons Automobile-piston magnate Fred Zollner launched the club in 1941 and christened it the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. The Pistons joined the National Basketball League, a circuit that consisted primarily of teams fielded by Midwest corporations. |
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