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10 greatest Pistons in franchise history, ranked
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- 10 greatest Pistons in franchise history, ranked
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The Detroit Pistons have been an afterthought among NBA fans since the days of Chauncey Billups , Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince , Ben Wallace , and Richard Hamilton, except for a few playoff seasons that ultimately ended with a whimper.
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The Pistons have replenished their talent base in recent years, assembling a talented young team. The highly successful franchise commands respect among coaches, players and fans alike, just part of the reason why a former No. 1 pick apologized in 2023 for having a disappointing career in Motown.
The Pistons are coming off a season in which they made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 as the sixth seed. Unfortunately, they lost in six games in the first round to the third-seeded New York Knicks . The team hasn't won a playoff series since 2008.
Altogether, the Pistons have won more games than all but six NBA franchises . Their three NBA titles places the franchise tied for sixth among all NBA franchises along with the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers/Syracuse Nationals.
The Pistons' franchise was founded in 1937 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by former owner Fred Zollner. Known as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, they moved to Detroit in 1957 and won their first NBA title in 1989 over the 'Showtime' Los Angeles Lakers .
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While the Pistons haven't quite had the same level of flashy players as the Lakers, they have had a tremendous collection of talented individual players over the years, ranging from defensive legends to versatile guards to hulking centers and athletic small forwards.
10. George Yardley
George Yardley played with Detroit from 1953 to 1959, helping to carry the torch from Fort Wayne to the Motor City. He gets the nod over arguably the most talented Piston of all-time, Grant Hill, because of what he did for the franchise.
Yardley led the Fort Wayne Pistons to Finals appearances in 1955 and 1956 . A Hall of Famer, five-time All-Star, and two-time All-NBA selection, the Pistons traded Yardley to Syracuse during the 1958-1959 season.
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9. Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton, the former University of Connecticut guard and NCAA champion, is the Pistons' all-time leading playoff scorer. He teamed up with Chauncey Billups to terrorize opposing backcourts en route to an NBA title in 2004 and a seven-game loss in the 2005 Finals against the Spurs .
Hamilton learned the lost art of the mid-range jump shot in Washington from none other than Michael Jordan , and it was on full display during his time in Motown.
Nicknamed "Rip," Hamilton made wearing a mask fashionable after sustaining two broken noses. His game was predicated on relentless running around screens and shooting from the outside, setting up timely drives to the basket.
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Hamilton also added a reliable three-point shot later in his career, completing his time in the NBA as an exceptional all-around player on the cusp of the Hall of Fame. He led the Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference Finals. While Grant Hill and others may have been "greater" in the short term, longevity helps Hamilton win out in this case.
8. Dennis Rodman
An NBA Hall of Famer known as "The Worm," Dennis Rodman embodied the fearless attitude and reckless style of play that epitomized the 'Bad Boy' Detroit Pistons .
Rodman played from Detroit from 1986 to 1993 and appeared to burn out toward the end of it before getting a fresh start in San Antonio and Chicago . Considering his Herculean efforts on the court, especially on the defensive end and in the paint against bigger players, the unfortunate end to his career in Detroit was expected.
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Rodman averaged 8.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in over 500 games with Detroit and delivered countless memorable highlights along the way both on and off the court.
7. Bill Laimbeer
Opposing teams knew him as "The Prince of Darkness" for his rough, reckless and at times dangerous play on the court. Bill Laimbeer is often looked down upon as an "unathletic" and "talentless hack" by fans of opposing teams. His career highlights, statistics and accolades tell a different tale.
Laimbeer made four All-Star teams and was a pioneering player because of his ability to step outside the paint and knock down three-pointers at a nearly 40% clip while playing the center position.
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A leader of the Bad Boy Pistons along with Isiah Thomas , Laimbeer became the player opposing teams loved to hate. He finished his career with franchise records for rebounds (9,430) and fouls (3,131), marks that aren't surprising to anyone who watched him lead Detroit to two titles.
6. Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace played his college ball at Virginia Union University and went on to become the only undrafted player in the modern-day NBA to ever make the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. He has remained an icon of Detroit sports since his retirement, recently visiting Comerica Park for a stirring tribute to Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera .
Wallace was a dominant defender for Larry Brown's teams who led Detroit to a 4-1 series win over Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant 's Lakers super team in 2004.
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The man whose slogan was "Fear the Fro" had an impact that went far beyond the stat sheet, but one stat captures the unique contribution he made to the game. Wallace is the only player in NBA history to record more blocks than personal fouls , and more steals than turnovers in his career.
Unlike the original Bad Boys, Wallace's Pistons didn't need to resort to hard fouls to stop their opponents. Instead, they became the blueprint for how defense should be played in the modern era of basketball, which would begin soon after the league changed hand-checking rules following the team's dominating streak of holding teams under 70 points 11 times in the 2003-04 playoffs.
5. Chauncey Billups
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The 2004 NBA Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups was the maestro of the Pistons and a leader on and off the court. Nicknamed "Smooth" and "Mr. Big Shot," Billups averaged 16.5 points, 6.2 assists, and 40% on three-pointers over 482 games during his Pistons career.
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He was also a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, and two-time All-Defense selection. In November of 2008, the Pistons traded Billups to Denver , a decision that led to the ending of Billups and the Pistons' streak of six straight Eastern Conference Finals.
4. Bob Lanier
A Piston from 1970 to 1980, Bob Lanier showed the NBA how dominant a center could be during his time with the franchise.
Lanier, who stood 6-foot-11 and weighed 250 pounds, was a Hall of Famer, seven-time All-Star and a 1974 All-Star MVP. He had a career high of 25.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his sophomore season with Detroit.
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"He's underrated and unappreciated for how good he truly was," said former Piston Gregory Kelser. "With his outside shooting range, he was a forerunner to today's centers who can shoot from the perimeter."
3. Joe Dumars
An unheralded pick out of McNeese State, Joe Dumars became one of the most successful and influential figures in Detroit Pistons history when he finished his career as a player and executive.
The 1989 NBA Finals MVP, Michael Jordan hailed Dumars as the toughest defender he ever faced. Known as the "classiest" member of the Bad Boy Pistons, Dumars famously shook hands with the Chicago Bulls in 1991 after the Bulls finally knocked off the back-to-back champions from Detroit when the rest of the team's stars did not.
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Dumars was a six-time All-Star, five-time NBA All-Defense team member, and a three-time All-NBA team member. He has the franchise record for three-pointers, is second in assists, and was the architect of the team's 2004 title team as general manager.
2. Dave Bing
A Pistons guard from 1966 to 1975, Dave Bing led the NBA in points in 1968 and became the prototype that young Detroit players aspired toward becoming. Bing is a Hall of Famer who made the NBA's Top 50 players of all-time list.
He's also a six-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA member, and won the 1967 Rookie of the Year award.
1. Isiah Thomas
One of the most controversial NBA players both during his playing days and since his retirement, the diminutive guard known as "Zeke" was an NCAA champion with the Indiana Hoosiers before winning it all with Detroit in 1989 and 1990.
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The Pistons took on the persona of Thomas, who grew up on the rough west side of Chicago, and Laimbeer during their Bad Boys championship runs.
When the dust settled on his career, Thomas had knocked Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan out of the playoffs en route to championships, carving out his legacy as one of the game's greatest pound-for-pound, inch-for-inch players.
Thomas averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, and 1.9 steals in 979 games as a Piston. He is a Hall of Famer, 12-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP and five-time All-NBA selection, cementing his legacy as the greatest Piston of all time.
