Many of us remember the Pistons of the late 1980s and the first half of the new millennium. However, the Pistons have had quite a storied history, since their emergence as an NBA professional basketball team, in 1957.
Before the Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957, they called Fort Wayne, Indiana, their hometown. The Pistons had represented Fort Wayne for 16 seasons. Ironically, when the Pistons moved to Detroit, they had moved to planet Earth's capital for automobile manufacturing. Thus, "Pistons" seemed quite appropriate. As a side note, the team was originally named the Pistons in honor of Fred Zollner, its founder. Zollner owned Zollner Machine Works, which manufactured (you guessed it) pistons!
Amazingly, the Detroit Pistons performed quite well during their premiere season. They finished the season with a 33-39 record. In the playoffs, the Pistons faced the Cincinnati Royals, and won the series 2-0. However, the Pistons lost the Western Conference Finals to the St. Louis Hawks.
The Pistons have achieved much success throughout the history of the franchise. They have been Division Champions nine times, have played in 13 Conference Finals, have participated in five NBA finals, and have become NBA champions during three different years: 1989, 1990, and 2004.
Though the Pistons have most recently reached the NBA finals in 2004 and 2005, they also played in that series in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
1987-1988 season
After losing the previous year in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons had another outstanding season, earning a 54-28 record and the Central Division crown. The Pistons edged the Washington Bullets in the playoffs, with a 3-2 victory. They then easily disposed of the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. Up 3-2 in the series, the Pistons could not put away the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, losing in Game 7, 108-105.
1988-1989 season
This season, the Pistons were all business. They ended the regular season with a 63-19 record, and then swept the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs. They then battled it out against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, eventually winning the series 4-2. The Los Angeles Lakers got more than their feelings hurt in the NBA Finals, with the Pistons sweeping the series 4-0.
1989-1990 season
Continuing their winning ways, the Pistons ended the season with a solid 59-23 record. They trounced the Indiana Pacers and then the New York Knicks in the playoffs. The Pistons' defense then helped them to outlast the Bulls in the Eastern Finals, in seven games. In the NBA finals, the Pistons faced the Portland Trailblazers. After taking a 3-1 lead in the series, the Pistons came-from-behind to win Game 5 on the road. They were back-to-back NBA champions!
Since their first season in the NBA, a gritty will to win has fueled the Detroit Pistons' success. Although not every season has resulted in a championship ring, the Pistons have remained die-hard competitors. With the help of Detroit Pistons Merchandise, cheer on their next race to the NBA Finals!
Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick's articles focus on detroit pistons merchandise. Many articles are related to nba gift and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village
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