We are currently in the worst stretch of seasons of Detroit professional basketball since the Pistons moved to the Motor City from Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1957.
In the past 15 years the Pistons have had only one winning season (2015-2016), made just three playoff appearances, and this year will finish with a losing season for the eighth consecutive year.
But thanks to the Detroit Historical Museum in partnership with the Pistons, fans can celebrate the glory days of Pistons basketball by visiting the new exhibit Thirty-Five/20 that tells the story of the “Bad Boys” first championship 35 years ago in 1989, and the franchise’s last championship 20 years ago with the “Goin to Work” squad in 2004.
The stories are told through a colorful exhibit that includes the championship trophies and banners, game used items of Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, Mark Aguirre, Rip Hamilton, fan memorabilia, game audio, and video displays.
As stated in the exhibit, the displays “highlight how the Pistons set themselves apart in two different eras using a similar team first philosophy: emphasizing defense, hustle, and leaning into their deep benches to beat flashier opponents and become Detroit sports legends.”
After nearly beating the Lakers in Game Seven in the 1988 NBA Finals, the next season the “Bad Boys” were led by coach Chuck Daly, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Dennis Rodman, and John Salley in their first year playing in the new Palace of Auburn Hills. That team posted an amazing league best 63-19 record. The Pistons marched through the playoffs sweeping Larry Bird’s Celtics, sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks, and eliminating Michael Jordan and the Bulls, before sweeping Magic Johnson and the Lakers.
The following year Detroit won a second consecutive World Championship when they beat Portland four games to one.
With a team put together by former “Bad Boy” and General Manager Joe Dumars, the Pistons won their last World Championship 14 seasons later led by coach Larry Brown, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace.
Nicknamed the ‘Goin to Work” team, the 2003-04 Pistons finished in second place with a 54-28 record behind the Indiana Pacers in the Central Division, before beating the Bucks, Nets, and Pacers in the playoffs. The team advanced to the 2004 NBA Finals, and in one of the greatest upsets in NBA history, the Pistons defeated the Lakers, which featured superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, four games to one.
Visitors can now savor the Pistons’ past glory at the Detroit Historical Museum and continue to hope that soon the team will once again compete for a world championship.
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The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401 Woodward Ave. kiddie corner from the Detroit Institute of Arts and is open Wednesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday: 1-5 p.m. Phone: 313-833-1805. The special exhibit runs through June 23, 2024.