HALL OF FAME guards Dave Bing, Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars strike a pose. - Andre Smith photo
AUBURN HILLS – I scurried to The Palace of Auburn Hills last week in anticipation of interviewing many of the 30 players named to the Pistons’ all-time team as part of their 50th anniversary in Detroit.
One hour before the scheduled tip-off against the New York Knicks, the Pistons commemorated the team’s all-time greatest – as chosen by a selection panel – with a special ceremony.
Knowing that it would be close to impossible to talk to the guys after the ceremony, I got to the game three hours ahead of time to try and position myself so I could get the job done.
A couple hours before the game, I spotted John Salley in a luxury box suite. So, I went up to see my long-time acquaintance. We embraced and talked.
Before I knew it, a lady was coming to get Salley and he pulled me with him, and before I knew it, almost all of the Pistons’ top 30 players were standing around me.
I was like a kid in a candy store without parents.
At least 24 of the honorees were at the Palace, including former coach Chuck Daly and general manager Jack McCloskey, who made the total count of honorees at 32.
Three of the 32 are deceased: Dave DeBusschere, Jimmy Walker and George Yardley. And four – Adrian Dantley, Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse and Ben Wallace – were playing or coaching elsewhere and could not attend. Each, however, sent video tributes.
One noticeable no-show, much to the chagrin of the populous, was eccentric rebounding and defensive machine Dennis Rodman. The buzz was he missed his flight.
No matter, it was a grand evening. It started for me at the pre-game meal where I found myself sitting with friends and former Knicks greats Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Gus Johnson – the Knicks’ announcing team.
We reminisced about the Cobo Arena days and their years in the NBA. We sat and talked for at least an hour, and the conversation finally got around to Reggie Harding. Where the conversation went from there I will leave it up to the true basketball aficionado’s imagination.
But the evening belonged to the Pistons and their elevation as a noteworthy franchise.
It started with George Yardley, Gene Shue, Bailey Howell, Dave DeBusschere, Ray Scott and Dave Bing, but it has grown into an organization that regularly packs in over 22,000 each and every night.
Isiah Thomas, former leader of the Bad Boys who now coaches the Knicks, told me he was especially elated the franchise has continued to compete at a high level.
“When I came here, I said I wanted to get this team to the point where our names were mentioned with the Celtics and Lakers,” Thomas said. “At the time I said that, most people just laughed. Now as I sit here among the greatest Pistons’ players, I see we have put this franchise in the conversation.”
Said Bing: “I took a lot of pride in seeing the Isiah Thomas ‘Bad Boys’ win two titles (1989 and 1990). Now there is a lot of conversation about if the Bad Boys or the team led by Chauncey Billups is the best. I don’t know who would beat who, but I’d like to be a fan and watch them compete against each other. We’ve come a long way with the franchise we have in place today.”
How far have the Pistons come?
Since moving to Detroit in 1957-58, the Pistons have won three NBA titles (1989, 1990, 2004), reached the NBA Finals five times, won five Eastern Conference titles and eight Central Division titles. Detroit also has won 50-plus games 13 times, including the last seven seasons.
The simple fact of the matter is all three of the Pistons’ championships and 20 of its 23 winning seasons have come after 1980.
But that does not take away from the early years. Like a tree, it takes seed and nurturing to watch something come into full bloom.
As Bing noted, it took the vision of original owner Fred Zollner to move the team from Fort Wayne to Detroit.
“Without his vision, none of us would be here,” Bing said.
Current owner Bill Davidson took over as the principal owner in 1974 and remains the main guy.
When I reflect on the Pistons’ history, it is clear the drafting of Thomas in 1981 was the franchise’s key move with the elevation of Joe Dumars as president of basketball operation in 2000 as the other.
“When Joe took over the team, he brought back the tradition,” Thomas said. “As players, we never really talked about what might happen. But our teams had six or seven leaders and you can see that by what everyone is doing now.”
Added “McCloskey, who was the architect of the ‘Bad Boys’ teams: “Joe is a bright young man who knows the players. I love this team and I expect them to make a great run in the playoffs. Yeah, I feel a part of this franchise and I’m happy they have remained in the elite of the NBA.”
All the guys I interviewed were in reflective moods and each talked glowingly about their days as a Piston.
“I wore four jerseys,” Salley said, “but I played the longest here. I will always be a Piston. My memories of Detroit are special indeed.”
Said Daly: “I feel real connected to what’s happening with this franchise right now. I remember coming here (to The Palace) when there was nothing but concrete. I will always keep my eye on what’s happening with the Pistons. Sure, we set the foundation for winning here, but Joe has done a great job of keeping it going and we are all proud.”
Explained Terry Tyler: “It’s an honor and I’m grateful to be a part of this wonderful celebration. The organization has come a long way and even though I was not a part of the championship years, I know we helped get them there.”
Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier said he was elated to see all the guys come together. The Pistons “are in my blood,” he remarked.
Kelly Tripucka said he will always remember his Pistons’ days – about how he and Thomas came together and said they were going to turn around the franchise. Scott probably summed it best, though: “I don’t have the words to explain how I feel about what’s transpired here. I think back from Cobo to The Palace and how the franchise has evolved, and it makes me proud.”
