| Fred Zollner, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, founded the | | | | years later, Chuck Daly signed on as the team's head |
| Detroit Pistons in the 1940's. The team was originally | | | | coach and he eventually led them to the 1984 NBA |
| named the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. Immediately, | | | | playoffs. With additional players like Joe Dumars and |
| the Pistons entered into the National Basketball League | | | | Adrian Dantley and Daly's refreshing leadership, the |
| (NBL), composed primarily of teams sponsored by | | | | team was getting closer and closer to that national |
| corporations in the Midwest. | | | | championship. Still, during the 1987 Eastern Conference |
| Led by Bobby McDermott, the team's guard, the | | | | Finals, the Boston Celtics defeated them. However, in |
| Pistons dominated the NBL and made it to the series | | | | 1988 the tables turned, and the Celtics lost to the |
| championship the first year they competed. However, | | | | Pistons, due to the Piston's solid defense, made up of |
| they lost to the Oshkosh All-Stars. Two years later | | | | Dumars, Laimbeer, Johnson, and recent recruit Dennis |
| they were defeated at the NBL Finals again, this time | | | | Rodman. |
| by the Seboygan Redskins, but by only a single point. | | | | In the late eighties and early nineties, the Detroit Pistons |
| In 1944, they at last won their first championship title | | | | moved to the Palace of Auburn Hills and added Mark |
| and they followed that up with another championship | | | | Aguirre to the roster. They made it to the NBA finals in |
| win in 1945. Three years later, the Pistons team | | | | 1988, 1989 and 1990 and like old times, they were again |
| transferred to the Basketball Association of America | | | | one of the top teams in the league. The Pistons relied |
| (BAA) and in 1949 the NBL and BAA joined to form | | | | on a bruising defense and sharp shooting and they |
| the National Basketball Association or the NBA. The | | | | registered 63 regular season victories. In the 1989 NBA |
| Pistons were the NBA's premier squad. | | | | Finals, they swept the Los Angeles Lakers and |
| The NBA's first five seasons featured the Pistons in | | | | followed suit in the 1990 Finals, beating the Portland |
| the playoffs and twice the team advanced to the | | | | Trail Blazers. At last, they could claim the title of |
| division finals. In 1954 and 1955, the Pistons, which now | | | | champion. |
| included Andy Phillip on guard, Larry Froust on center, | | | | Later, the Pistons began to fade as their roster |
| and George Yardley on forward, advanced to the | | | | disbanded. At the same time, the Chicago Bulls |
| NBA finals but tragically lost to the Syracuse Nationals | | | | emerged as a dominating team in the Eastern |
| by one measly point. In the 1956 finals, the Pistons lost | | | | Conference. However, 1994 brought in a high draft |
| once again, to the Philadelphia Warriors. Until 1964, they | | | | pick, Grant Hill, who helped out the struggling team. |
| continued to qualify for the NBA playoffs but never | | | | In the 2004 NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons, led by |
| gained their championship title back. | | | | guard Chauncey Billups and teammates Richard |
| During the 1980's, draft picks and trades brought many | | | | Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tyshaun Prince, and Been |
| new players to the team: Isaiah Thomas, Kelly | | | | Wallace, won the championship title, defeating the Los |
| Tripucka, Vinnie Johnson, and Bill Laimbeer. Three | | | | Angeles Lakers. |