The NBA Detroit Pistons basketball team play in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division in the National Basketball Association. They are based out of Detroit, Michigan and their home games are played at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team was founded originally as the Fort Wayne Pistons in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1941. In 1948, the team joined the NBA. In 1957, they moved to Detroit. The Detroit Pistons have won three championships. Their most recent one came in 2004.
The Detroit Pistons are best known for their “Bad Boys” era of the 1980s. In 1981, the Pistons drafted Isiah Thomas, a point guard out of Indiana University. They also acquired center Bill Laimbeer and guard Vinnie Johnson in trades. The three played together for ten years and were the team’s core. In 1984, the Pistons lost to the New York Knicks in the playoffs and in 1985 lost the conference semifinals to the Boston Celtics. Detroit drafted Joe Dumas in 1985 and acquired Rick Mahorn. Before the 1986-87 season started, the Pistons acquired several other key players, including John Salley, Adrian Dantley and Dennis Rodman. Led by head coach Chuck Daley, the Pistons adopted a defense-oriented, physical style of play, earning them the “Bad Boys” nickname. In 1987, the Pistons made it into the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics.
In 1988, the Pistons won the Central Division title for the first time. At the Eastern Conference Finals, they defeated the Celtics and advanced for the very first time into the NBA Finals where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Magic Johnson, and they defeated the Pistons in 7 games. In 1989, the Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers once again met in the NBA Finals, and this time the Pistons won. In 1990, Detroit defended their title by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals.
In 2004, the Pistons acquired Rasheed Wallace and returned to the NBA Finals, against the Lakers once again. The Pistons defeated the Lakers in five games to win their third NBA Championship. The Pistons returned to the NBA Finals in 2005 but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.